Live Review

LED Festival, Friday – Victoria Park, London

• 8th Sep 2010

Bank holiday weekend got off to a banging start with the inaugural London Electronic Dance Festival. The weather did not deter ravers, who danced through the mud in wellingtons and, for the most part, the rain held off. Calvin Harris played a DJ set, but without a mic to get the crowd geed up, it was basically just him standing there spinning his own tracks waving his hands in the air enthusiastically. Unfortunately the audience did not share his level of enthusiasm. Belgian electro act Soulwax took to the stage next for a full band show wearing dapper baby-blue suits. Their impressive set included classics such as ‘E-Talking’ and ‘NY Excuse’ and the crowd loved every minute of it.

Then it was time for the evening’s headline act, French DJ/producer David Guetta. He is one of the biggest names in electronic music at the moment, with no less than 4 number 1 hits in the UK in the last year. Playing from on top of a 30foot podium Guetta’s set was packed with club anthems. But 3 songs in I had heard enough from the formulaic hit machine and would rather go home and put on a CD than stand and listen to it. So I headed for the other stage where The Bloody Beetroots Death Crew 77 were starting. Being a festival veteran and a bit of a grandma I generally prefer to watch a band from the safety of the photo pit, side of stage or at the very back of the crowd. But it was the start of a long weekend, I had had a couple of drinks and I was feeling a bit crazy. So it was the front of the stage in the thick of the mosh for me. I had conveniently forgotten how manic it gets; complete and utter madness. A furious sea of swaying bodies, limbs flailing, kids jumping around like they were on pogo sticks. And then there was me, standing there bemused, getting body slammed from every direction. Bending over to pick up one of my dropped earplugs then standing to find I had been moved 5 meters by the thrust of the crowd. Not to mention the music itself, inciting this frenzy. The incredibly energetic set got the crowd going with hardcore riffs and banging beats. An amazing way to finish up the first night.