So sorry for the infrequent posting recently, it's a combination of me being busy preparing for Glastonbury, spending too much time lusting after items such as these, being glued to the US Open as my golfing favourite Rory McIlroy is playing up a storm and me being really unhappy with how my blog looks at the moment. I'm planning a massive overhaul when I'm back from Glastonbury - I've been making notes and drawings all morning and Casper's now asleep on them! Earlier in the week I promised I'd share a Parklife review with you so here it is!
As always the weekend began with me running late and getting on a train brimming with alcohol. For once thought it wasn't me getting drunk but all the Take That fans! Amongst shouts of "Gary or Robbie?" and renditions of "Back For Good" I felt very sober! Three hours later this wasn't so much the case, once I'd nipped to the train station Sainsburys and requested "the biggest but the cheapest" bottle of vodka - CRINGE and the vodka apple lemonade tipples (ALONG WITH SHOTS OF ABSINTHE) were underway in my friends student digs. Perhaps this is why our first attempts of getting to Parklife resulted in us ending up a stones throw away from Old Trafford!
We arrived on Saturday late on in the day (after blagging a friend in without a ticket) for a flawless set from Katy B and a old school style rave to Simian Mobile Disco. Alongside a beautiful showcase of vocals from Kelis (bar the inclusion of Nirvana which I found unnecessary and ill0fitting) which had everybody's hands in the air as the sun set. I wasn't too bothered about missing a lot of the acts as I'd seen most of them before; however the midnight Dominos pizza and 5AM bedtime were more questionable decisions!
Learning our lesson and refuelled with Rubicon we set out on the right bus this time to a second day of dancing away in Platt Fields. Unfortunately I was completely unprepared for the rain having packed in a rush (NEVER DO THIS) and within half an hour I had a Katy Perry 'Last Friday Night' perm and black Converse that looked like they were trying to be brown! We saw Yasmin first of all, I was worried her voice wouldn't carry in such a large space but she proved me wrong. Her vocals were powerful, resonant and soulful from 'Finish Line' to 'On My Own' and she looked stunning with a topknot, American Apparel high waisted leggings and a vintage style beaded jacket.
Next up was Annie and Riva Starr. Annie looked so enviably warm in her hoodie and leathers, and it's so impressive how she manages to keep every set fresh despite juggling a high volume of live shows with her own radio programs. Whilst Riva Starr could have been in a much sunnier clime dressed in just a grey t-shirt. His set was brilliant, as always and there was a woman side of stage whose enthusiasm just made the whole gig perfect! I'm surprised she didn't pass out from exhaustion - she was going wild! Just looking at her made me feel tired!
We then headed over to the NOW Wave stage, where accompanied with a cider we plonked ourselves against the barrier and didn't move for about four hours! First up was Manchester's own synth stars Egyptian Hip Hop. Their set was as abstract as their name; with Alexander's crooning vocals reverberating round the tent and their electric punk vibes showcased in tracks such as Wild Human Child setting the mood perfectly. Then Manchester based D/R/U/G/S took to the stage, with a glittery array of trance/dance tracks that didn't disappoint despite the high expectations Love/Lust had set. Next up was a somewhat surreal steel drums set from locals Pantonic All Stars, they really made me want to be sipping mojitos from a little Caribbean beach bar a la this rather than standing in Manchester rain. The whole thing reminded me slightly of Little Mermaid's 'Under The Sea.'
Then the big moment came when Darwin Deez took to the stage (after coming down into the audience for a chat might I add - SQUEAL), once again there was impressive array of knitwear, comedic dance interludes, funny personalised raps and flawless deliveries of hits such as 'Constellations' and 'Radar Detector.' If you haven't seen them live, DO SO! Although Darwin said that next time they hit Manchester it would be to showcase their new album; a statement that definitely got the crowd going! They seem to bounce well off their fans, relishing and basking in every moment of their time on stage and thus creating an electric atmosphere that leads everybody to fangirl scream and dance insanely - males and females!
They were followed by Metronomy; who Darwin Deez came down into the audience to watch. Despite events with Pete Doherty in Italy leaving them to play on borrowed instruments I thought Metronomy's set was brilliant. Just the right dose of dreamy Summery tunes. OK so the weather didn't really fit the mood, and their set would probably work better on an outdoor stage but I absolutely love every single one of the Devon band's electronic pop songs. Crowd participation was high, dancing was infectious and I think the majority of people left with a smile on their face. They're very hard not to like.
The rest of the photos are my own but I couldn't resist including this backstage picture that 2ManyDJs posted to their Facebook page.
Finally it was time for the Dewaele brothers, half of Soulwax, and most commonly known as 2ManyDJs. The tent was the busiest I've ever seen for one of their sets, poppers were everywhere and they were a perfect last act of the day to thrash out too. It's always surprising to see them without their fully matching suits, and always a little bit saddening when they don't have their combined visuals (as this really adds another dimension to their sets) but they were well on form. The crowd peaked, as always, during their MGMT 'Kids' remix; although other favourites such as 'We Love Animals' and 'Up All Night' were really well received. With people slipping and sliding in the mud desperate to reach the tent! They left the stage to rapturous applause and it was great to see them live yet again! The perfect enthusiastic closure to a brilliant weekend.
