Friday 26 October 2012

V-Festival 2012 Day 2


Still in a bit of a Blog Funk and struggling to get anything together – Mrs B may have hit the nail on the head when she said that I probably need to move on with the content, which is getting a bit long in the tooth.  I’ve just about managed to finish of V2012 Day 2 – My advice is to enjoy the pictures in this one and then come back fresh for my assault on Japan…..

The second day – the Sunday - was not as hot as the previous day, although we knew we were in trouble when the BBC weather site threatened blue skies all day - inevitably it rained about midday but fortunately only enough to soak us thoroughly from head to foot.  We managed to keep bits of ourselves dry by sheltering under other bits of ourselves, taking it in turns to ring out each other’s soggy extremities..... The rain only lasted about half an hour before outbreaks of non-rainy cloud pushed their way in and settled down for the rest of the day....

I had my one and only band clash of the weekend, which was resolved when I left Mrs B watching Dodgy on the Channel 4 stage while I rushed over to the main stage to catch the start of The Stranglers before hot footing it back to catch the end of Dodgy’s set......After that it was pretty much as the Saturday - staying at the Channel 4 stage for the first 4 acts before moving to the main stage for the final run of five acts.... we came across a very selfish group who set up their six chairs in a u shape and took up far more room than is decent. They then proceeded to get very shirty with anyone who dared come near them –which is quite difficult not to do in such a crowded area.  The situation was not helped by a second group who spread their chairs in a long line just behind the U seaters.  This created a funnel for the transient festival goers to get trapped in when the inevitable happened and groups of people tried to funnel in from both ends. As the day went on and people got considerably drunker it led to some very entertaining (to watch at least) confrontations,  as groups crashed head on like waves onto the rocks – a very apt description particularly for the people carrying drink, which inevitably exploded on all in close proximity ...... Sadly I fear the V- organisers are trying to optimise profits by squeezing bigger audiences into the same size venue…..  Making it harder each year for people to move around between the stages. Aaaarrggh the joys of corporate greed....                                                                                                                                                              

The Stranglers (main stage)

They have been around forever and it’s a long time since the days of the hits – plus the original vocalist left over 10 years ago. So, not vintage but certainly a curiosity worth seeing, if only briefly. (I can tick the box “seen The Stranglers”)…It certainly gave me and The Beast some exercise running between the stages.  

Baz Warne - guitar, lead vocals 
Jet Black – Original Bassist
 Although “Slightly Greying”
would be a more apt name
for him these days….

 Dodgy (channel 4 stage)

Always been a bit of a fan, having seen them a few times live – Even at The Bishops Stortford Festival a couple of years back – surely not the sign of a group on the rise, unless they are teenagers playing their first gig…

.Dodgy are certainly not covered by the teenager description, not even if you just count the age of the group itself which has been going 22 years ….

Nigel Clark – Lead singer
"Good Enough" No.4 in 1996
Andy Miller – Guitarist
"Staying Out for the Summer" No.19 in 1995
Dodgy were joined on stage by fellow 90’s singer
Nick Heyward the old Hair Cut 100 vocalist
Not sure who the woman is – possibly famous?
I was coming back from the Stranglers when
they came on stage so missed her introduction
and Mrs B was not listening…. 
If anyone recognises her feel free to
let me know…..

 The Rifles (channel 4 stage)


The Rifles were inspired to become a band when Joel Stoker and Lucas Crowther attended an Oasis concert at Knebworth (The first of the two Oasis concerts I have attended and failed to see them live, unless you count seeing the top of the stage they were performing on – or watching them on a big screen – which personally I don’t).  All that Oasis inspired me to do was not go to so many huge venue events (he types having just attended V for the 5th year running……Doh!)

Lee Burgess - Drums
Joel Stoker – Lead singer and base player

The Feeling (channel 4 stage) 

Certainly not the force they once were, with the failure of their last studio album "Together We Were Made" Dan Gillespie Sells (although apparently not very well  in the case of "Together We Were Made") is a very accomplished live performer 
Ciaran Jeramiah - Keyboard and dodgy beard wearer

“Spare Me”

from –  2008’s “Join With Us”  
Looks like the Roadie is trying to hand Ciaran a Shaver 
Richard Jones,  bassist and known to the world 
as Mr Ellis Bextor

"Turn it up"
from "Join With us" 2008

Misunderstands the instruction when 

they asked for more volume
Dan Gillespie-Sells

“The kettle’s on”
from
2006’s “12 Stops from Home”

“Brilliant make mine a tea with
three sugars – thanks….”
Dan giving it full welly

“The Greatest show on Earth”

Possibly not, but very entertaining all the same

 Shed Seven (channel 4 stage)

The only group from York that I have ever heard of.  I believed named after a railway shed just outside York station.

Rick Witter
"Immobilise"
"Chasing Rainbows"
"Going for gold"

Rick getting in amongst the crowd

 Madness (main stage)

The nutty sound of squirrels chomping through their winter stores
Lee Thompson – Saxophone 
“Embarrassment” 
Yes that is a skirt…..
Suggs

“One step beyond…”
Chris Forman and Suggs
Is that
“A night boat to Cairo

No it’s the 
“House of Fun”

 Tom Jones  (main stage)

I've seen him twice now and although not a big fan of his music I have to admit the boy from the
valleys sure can sing.... If only Paul McCartney had kept his voice like Tom's the Olympics might have been a less painful experience for people forced to endure McCartney's  impromptu live performances at every Olympic events he attended this summer....  
Tom suddenly has an epiphany and realises
 that being a judge on The Voice is almost
 as embarrassing as the lame acts
that flop out of the show each week…
pants….Sexbomb

Or has the aging crooner
 pooped his pants....
Yep that’s the look of someone who went for
“A dry and mighty” but ended up with 
“follow through”
Thank the lord for tenor pants for men…..

 Tiny Temper  (main stage)

Didn't expect much - as not a wrap fan - but proved entertaining and a good filler between Tom Jones and Snow Patrol. Certainly had the audience bouncing and at one point stripping....

More like a large tantrum ...

Snow Patrol  (main stage)

Always good value live 
"Spitting Games"

from 2004s

"Final Straw" 
Nathan Connally - Lead Guitar

"Post Punk Progression"
from
"Up to Now"
"Chased by ...I don't know what?"
from 2001's
"When it's all over we still have to clear up"


Gary is menaced by his own shadow

 The Killers  (main stage)

They were excellent and certainly made up for Saturdays headlines the Stone Roses....

Brandon Flowers

"Spaceman"

Dave keuning - Lead Guitar

"Leave the Bourbon on the shelf"
"Shadowplay"

"Neon Tiger"

Faces in the crowd

Some of the unfortunates who got caught in the view finder of The Beast at this years music festival

The real story of Harry Potter  (Part 1)

"Harry Potter and the short lived adventure" 

Despite strong protests from J.K.Rowling
the "Sorting Hat" had no option but to put 
Hermione Granger  in Slitherin House - the 
long tongue  was bad enough but the
 clincher was swallowing the mice whole 
and still alive......

Without her help Ron and Harry barely made
it through a short story before "He who shall
not be named" triumphed - Hermione had Draco's
love child,  was expelled and was last heard of 
living off  the state in a single room flat in Hackney.
Hence forth known as Hermione Scrounger .....
Sid was relieved that despite his love for
men - pairing pink with red meant he could
never be considered truly gay....
Peter Pan had really gone to seed and once the drugs
 wore off Wendy realised he was just an aging pervert
with a passion for the  young ladies...
"Clearly the love child of Robin Hood and Big Ears....."

If you find yourself starting to flag, you can
always  pop  in for a refill....

The real story of Harry Potter  (Part 2)

With the loss of Hermione - Ron got in 
touch with his feminine side.....
The inevitable beer box turned into a cheap and
 humorous hat it was more original and carried off 
with  better style last year....
The next posts will be from Japan - Tune in if the poisonous Blow Fish doesn't get me...

Sunday 14 October 2012

V-Festival 2012 Day 1


As threatened the much delayed V-Fest post - as with previous years the post has been split into the two days :-

Saturday - August 18th - with this year's summer the wettest recorded in the UK for 100 years and with the days preceding  wetter than an otter's pocket,  it was with some relief that day one turned out to be scorchio, with nothing but blue skies and sweltering  heat.

Once again we were joined for the first day by our friends Kirsty and Joe (being young they don't seem to have the stamina to get through two days... and even worse, just because they are getting married a week after next year's V-Fest they have decided they can't make it at all next year  ....How light weight is that....?).

Personally I felt it wasn't as strong a line-up as in previous years - certainly in depth. This however provided a bonus in that studying the clash sheet allowed me to organise the day around the two main stages - without feeling I was missing very much.......For me, the only viewing casualties on the Saturday were The Ting Tings and Friendly Fires..... Having just two areas allowed me to work my way forward through the crowd while Mrs B could stay back a bit, avoiding any crushing and being splattered by any plastic cups  of suspiciously warm liquid...... I have heard that it is meant to be good for your hair but since I neither have enough of it to worry about (hair) nor the inclination to find out (Suspicious warm liquid) I try and avoid it when I can - .....

The Twang - 4 Music Stage 

A good start  to proceedings 

Martin Saunders

"Push the Ghost" from
" Love It When I Feel Like This


Phil Etheridge

Inspiral Carpets - 4 Music Stage 

I remember them as being good from the 80's but they seemed to have forgotten how to sing in tune - a very unimpressed Mrs B started making noises about perhaps just going for a single day next year - Thanks Inspirals - very un-inspirational....

Stephen Holt - Lead singer

"Dragging me Down"

They were certainly dragging Mrs B down.... 

Marin Walsh Bass Player

"Find Out Why?"

They are still going.......
Harsh but fair.....

Reverend and the Makers - 4 Music Stage 

Things got a little bit back on track, despite Mrs B not being familiar with the Reverend and his brand of work.  They were at least tuneful and capable of hitting the right notes....

Lead Singer  Ian "The Reverend " McClure

"The End"

It certainly looks like The Reverend just had the
Bass guitar rammed  where the sun don't shine

The Charlatans - 4 Music Stage 

They have been around for ages but this was the first time I have caught them live....Quite impressed

Tim Burgess - Lead Singer

"How High " from "Tellin' Stories"

"You're So Pretty - We're So Pretty"

Well thanks very much but I think
you mean Mrs B

Keane - Virgin Media Stage 

Despite already seeing them earlier in the year, one of the highlights of the day...


Tom Chaplin -  lead singer

"Can't stop now" 

Jesse Quin - Bass
"Run with me"

Example - Virgin Media Stage

In truth we only stayed to watch him as we didn't want to lose our place for Noel Gallagher but he was a lot better than I had expected...
E.G.
Exempli Gratia
Elliot Gleave

"The Evolution of Man"

Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds - Virgin Media Stage

After failing to see Oasis Live twice - at Knebworth we could not see the stage it was so far away and in a dip....Grrr and a couple of years ago when Noel & Liam fell out the night before and did not turn up....Tripple Grrr... It was great to see  Noel live properly at last ....
 
This one is for My Brother....

"If I had a Gun....."

I can only assume Liam was in the audience....

Stone Roses - Virgin Media Stage

Mrs B was not a fan - so it made for an early exit - after all I want to come back next year....


Ian Brown - Lead Singer
2 albums in 29 years - you can hardly
accuse them of a being prolific band ....

Mani

"She Bangs the Drums"
what's an extra s between friends???

Faces in the crowd


You just know that this guy is going 
to be a complete knob....
 
This year V-Festival launched a new service

"Dump your useless partner"

Fortunately for me Mrs B didn't see it....
Chelmsford - be sure to wear some
 flowers in your hair..

Even the Cookie Monster needs a break....
The Sweat Gun

99.9% of all known beads of sweat
don't stand a chance ...
As the drugs kicked in so did the paranoia and
Herbert found himself having to watch his back...
This poor bloke was invisibly Crucified for 
taking more than his alcohol  allowance...

With the recession starting to
bite this year’s fashion appears 
to be to burn an impression of
clothes onto your body....

Painful but certainly cheap....

Singing  along to your favourite tune, as if you
have never heard the lyrics before,  proved very
popular again  this year...

Sung very loud in a very slurred voice
"Err, somefin, somefin, somefin
will always , somefin, somefin, somefin" 
Tune in next time for day two of this years V-fest....