- It was hard not be disappointed as I left the house for the eighth edition of Field Day. As both the weather forecast and basic logic had predicted, it was absolutely chucking it down. And there's nothing quite like wearing wellies on the bus in the middle of a metropolis to make you feel like an absolute plonker. We might talk the talk when it comes the British resilience, and act like there's nothing better than falling over in mud at Glastonbury, but that's all a front. It sucks. Sods law though—as I and the legions of hipsters in attendance had prepared for an onslaught from the heavens, the weather was of course pretty fantastic all day, which for Field Day is probably a first.
Though dance music may not be the central focus of Field Day, it's always been very well represented there, and this year was no exception. But despite the number of fantastic DJs on offer (Gerd Janson, Dixon & Ame, Daniel Avery et al.), what stood out was the number of amazing live acts that I managed to pack in. Opening with "Caterpillars Intervention," James Holden and his live band blasted through The Inheritors to what may have been the first packed tent of the day. Following this was a raucous show by a rather bored looking Omar Souleyman. Oneohtrix Point Never pushed the soundsystem of the RA tent to the limit, accompanied by glitched out web 2.0 visuals. Despite a late start and purely symbolic sound check, Planet Mu afro-poppers John Wizards played a boisterous rendition of their debut album. Perhaps the day's only disappointment was Jon Hopkins on the main stage. His big-room techno seemed to get lost in the wind, making him sound like a paper-thin EDM act. Headliners Metronomy closed their set not with the stadium-sized pop anthems with which they've become synonymous, but with the anarchic indie-dance of their breakthrough single, "You Could Easily Have Me."
The second day saw even better weather but a much smaller site. It also focused almost entirely on indie bands, though there was still something for jaded old ravers to enjoy, especially in the RBMA tent. Warp Records artist Patten played an edit-heavy set of dirgey techno that failed to really excite the crowd, who seemed to be looking for something a little more suited to the glorious day. Nguzunguzu were more on point—their big, bass heavy rhythms and cut up R&B samples were exactly what the few people who weren't there for The Horrors needed. Over in The Shacklewell Arms tent, Future Islands showed the eager crowd just how much they deserved their belated yet meteoric rise to fame, with frontman Samuel T. Herring doing all the rabid chest-thumping and Slipknot-esque snarls everyone was hoping for. Closing the night were The Pixies, the largest act all weekend by quite a margin, and clearly who the crowd was here to see. Despite the absence of vocalist and bass player Kim Deal, who parted ways with the band last year, it was hard to feel shortchanged: opening with "Wave Of Mutilation," their set was peppered with enough hits to keep even the most casual fan entertained.
All in all, Field Day is not perfect. You get the impression that its inner London location gives the council more of a stranglehold on the sound levels than you would like, and £5.00 for a can of Red Stripe will always leave a bitter taste in your mouth (albeit one easily washed away by the wares at the excellent and varied ale tent). Nonetheless, people will always come back in droves, as very few festivals worldwide are curated so well.