Tenuous link perhaps… Thom sent this on to me… reading this, may At The Drive-In play again soon… curating ATP May 2010 anyone?!?!
http://drownedinsound.com/in_depth/4137051?most-read
Also… They may have just named their new album the most pretentious plus ridiculous title in the known universe, but, Mew, ICA London, 16th July. Might have to swing that one, kinda essential really innt it.
Just saw Mew described as ‘musically expansive dramatics’.
Nice.
So Breeders ATP May ’09 then. As I began to write this I took out the nifty wee booklet we got on arrival detailing random band-esque stuff, and it still has that pungent alcohol smell, cider and Tetley’s. Mmmm.
So the weekend started with a pint of Guinness in the airport at 5.30am. Nice. And thus continued the madness for 3 solid days and nights.
Highlights? Bon Iver took the prize for magically intense out-of-this-world performance on the Friday night. It truly was breathtaking. Yann Tiersen took over on Centre Stage after that, Eoin spoke highly so we went along. He did the Amelie soundtrack, yes? Wow, very good stuff, instrumental in places, a really tight band played a range of different instruments bringing many of the tunes to a crescendo of noise, perfectly accompanied by some female vocals.
Saturday started off with some Tesco, a big deadly fry up, cider, crisps and a Vin Diesel movie, which was admittedly waaay more funny with 
drink in hand. And Blood Red Shoes. I always had a general feeling of favourability about these guys, although their fairly minimalist sound attack always made me doubt their longevity beyond a few tunes. Well surprised. They really filled out the stage, gal, guy, drums and a guitar, eventhough it was a pretty large stage to fill, Pavillion on a Saturday afternoon. Then CSS brought the madness. Stage crew fixing balloons to every free space for 30mins beforehand, it was a fairly typical CSS performance, not meant in any derogatory sense but, they bring the tunes, the stage presence, they never disappoint.
Was I emotionally and musically ready for Teenage Fanclub in the Pavillion as Sarah and Eoin went off to see Shellac Centre Stage? No. Granted it was an almost a note for note replay of tunes from albums released over the past almost 20 years t’was pretty unreal. The stuff from Grand Prix was particularly awe-inspiring. How can these guys’ voices not have changed since it’s mid-90′s release?
It brought me straight back to Summer 1995, I was 13, my parents had headed off to Galway for the weekend and Dad brought back the album, stuck it on in the sitting room, full blast and I was an instant convert. The Big Star and BadFinger references were obvious, among others, but it was dead impressive.
It’s the obvious one, but here’s Sparkey’s Dream from said album Grand Prix. Jingly jangly heaven.
Suitably reeling from that performance, up the front jumping around the place with a host of aging Scots, I strunk up a solid conversation in the toilet queue with a Scotish gal, my own age, speaking of the first time her Dad snuck her into a TFC gig in a dingy pub circa 1997. Ah… furtive gig experiences shared while in the jacks of Butins in Minehead…
Tricky and The Breeders then, neither of whom impressed me. Saw The Breeders at Electric Picnic ’08 and should have known really, left after Cannonball, as did a few others. I hear Holy Fuck were amazing, but I adjourned to the chalet, all tuckered out.
Next day started slowly, as do most festival Sundays… Sarah brought me to Melt Banana after saying that her other half Dan suggested I would probably be a fan. Hmm… was I a fan? It’s a difficult call really. They came onstage to a shower of noise and head mounted search-lights. It was an arresting entrance for sure, and audio visual trauma for the senses, and I gotta say that is my lasting memory of it. A tune or two yes, to lift you out of some kind of ipod inertia, but, no more than that for me really. Deerhunter were very good back down in the main Pavillion, avec a visit from Kim and Kelley Deal, it was a special performance. Everytime I’ve seen Deerhunter I am
impressed and vow to pay more attention to their recorded catalogue, I fail to, and another live performance happens when I don’t really know much of it. Gotta change that this time. Up to Shellac then for their second performance, my first viewing and it was really great. Another inventive live venture and an announcement at the end that they may be back at Xmas… MBV ATP perhaps?!? Woop! Caught the end of Foals on the mainstage then, colourful and beat ridden, they excite me a little more than they did in the past. And last band of the weekend was Distortion Felix. Wow. Having supported Fugazi, I kinda knew what to expect. Juan Alderete from Mars Volta is the genius of a bass player. Loads of pedal and playing extremely close to the amp action ensued, it was damn loud and very good.
One of the non-live band related best bits? In Crazy Horse dancing our asses off to Soon by My Bloody Valentine and the DJ set closed with…?? You Made Me Realise. Fook. Excitement was off the scale.
Bring on 4th-6th December ’09 back in Minehead!
Left is the obligatory Caroline taking pictures of inanimate objects/ my shoes photo.
Lovely carpet.
Woop! Tomorrow!
All set, Sarah getting some serious Taunton Cider on the way down from Nottingham, sunglasses AND raincoat packed, save me a place up near the front for Teenage Fanclub, Throwing Muses and Tricky… Fook yeah!!
Anyone know anything about this mysterious new Wednesday venture?
Interesting to see Thomas House re-open and start up a night with a name like that… Dave and I used to fill the same venue of a Saturday night with beautiful noise not so long ago.
Does this mean I get to request mad dream pop stuff? Who’s with me?!
Need I say more?
Just got my chalet with Mike, Rafe and Steve.
This is gonna be immense.
7 Months, 3 Weeks and counting…
