Live Review

Latitude Festival – Day 2 – Suffolk

• 24th Jul 2009

After an hour or two’s sleep and a feast of a “veggie breakfast” we stumble forth with the crowds of unwashed attendees.

We have heard a whisper on the wind about some pleasant compost toilets hidden in the woods, so as my stomach isn’t quite feeling up to the early morning stench of the usual portaloos I decide to find out what all the fuss is about, and it’s true, there is a festival toilet in existence that is almost nice to sit on! feeling much refreshed we head back to the Uncut stage to catch the punky sounds of Marnie Stern, she offers one of the more upbeat performances of the weekend and though she has an early slot to a sleep deprived crowd she has people tapping along and enjoying her skilful performance, I dash from the Uncut back to the film tent just in time to catch The Age of Stupid Q&A with director Franny Armstrong (who brought us McLibel) and MP Ed Miliband, they engage in a lively debate regarding the issue of climate change and it seems this is a hot topic for the Latitude festival crowd with the tent full to bursting and many people participating avidly in the discussion it is clear that Latitude is following in the footsteps of eco festivals like Glastonbury in it’s attempts to raise some awareness.

With yet another downpour I decide to stick around for a showing of the 1920’s Vamp silent film Salome, introduced by the not to be trifled with Miss Behave and with a new score written and performed live by the critically acclaimed Bishi, there is a surprisingly small crowd but it doesn’t detract from the show or the film and as the music reaches the ears of those outside the tent slowly starts to fill up, with Bishi’s eclectic mix of Indian influenced haunting music everyone is entranced and there is a resounding applause when it all comes to an end.

Cutting it fine I rush to the literary arena to listen to Vivienne Westwood explain her latest impassioned manifesto, she walks out looking as stunning as ever with a troop of actors in pyjama’s to assist her with her tale, she uses the Greek myths and peter pan to explain her views on art and creativity and also on the state of our climate, the tent is over crowded and many who were hoping to hear her discuss fashion start disappointingly to leave, however Vivienne’s passion leaks out to the remaining crowd and they enjoy listening to her well reasoned words.

I take a gentle wander past the lake where the Britten Sinfonia are pulling in the crowds, up to the Lavish lounge a small living room set up in the woodland where Evi Vine was playing a small set to a small but very appreciative crowd, influenced by Leonard Cohen and NIN she has a sombre and emotive sound that would sit well in any indie film score.

I spot a crowd forming around the Literary tent and decide to go and see what’s happening, I find Danny Wallace reading extracts from his book “friends like these” he is animated and has everyone laughing and cringing along with his anecdotes about growing older and altogether too sensible and offers some light entertainment at the end of the day, dead on my feet by this point and soaking wet I decide to retire to my tent, on my way over the bridge I almost run over a group of fluorescent skeleton men, barely able to tell there is a human in the black suit they dance across the bridge delighting the passers by.