Latitude Festival, Henham Park, Southwold

I was no longer laughing at the poor mud-covered Glastonbury lot, as we made our way to the Latitude Festival with the weather predicted to be of a similarly dreadful nature. We arrived early on the Saturday morning, expecting traffic queues and the usual complications, but were pleasantly surprised to find the ‘get in’ quick and blissfully easy, parking just a two minute walk from the campsite - it was painless finding a space on the grass, and we quickly had our cute £19.99 Sainsbury’s tent up.

The weather cannot help but affect your festival experience, and after three hours of constant rain on Saturday, I began to wonder if it would ever cease. Nevertheless if any festival is going to break the downpour blues, it’s Latitude with the multicoloured sheep and cheery attitude. Proving itself to be an event that is ‘much more than just a music festival,’ Latitude provided well for its soggy visitors, putting on an impressive spread of events covering every area of the arts, catering to all interests and ages. Now in its sixth year, the variety was more varied than ever - I was overwhelmed by the choice.

The advantage of the persistent, diabolical rain was that many of the more specialist ( and covered) arenas really benefitted... in the Theatre Arena the ‘Matador’ performer even asked us “honestly how many of you are just here to get out of the rain?” (A few sheepish men raised their hands). The second stage, the Word Arena, was often full too, supporting those less high profile bands that often have a great deal more to offer than the big names on the main stage - headliners The National, Paolo Nutini and Suede, I felt were underwhelming this weekend.

With the help of a very picturesque “faraway” forest, the theatre area is dreamily atmospheric. The leafy Outdoor theatre showcased work from some inspiring artists, Luci Briginshaw was widely appreciated, singing some familiar opera classics and delighting the audience with her piercing top notes. The Gate Theatre also did well on this makeshift stage presenting their haunting production of Electra.

The work seen in the Theatre Arena was of an amazingly high standard: low budget productions with high impact. Two pieces were especially memorable for me; both were about the power and influence of money. ‘Crunch’ is a solo performance by writer/performer/director Gary McNair. He sets out five sets and encourages us to follow these to let ourselves be liberated from the tyranny of money. After 45 minutes of hugely engaging and witty theatre, we are invited up on stage to shred money from our own pockets, it is credit to McNair that three audience members actually did go up to destroy their own hard-earned cash, including one mad girl who freed herself of a lovely crisp £20 note and left the platform with a handful of shredded paper and a satisfied smile.

Then across the park on the Waterfront Stage, a few lucky acts managed to perform in the moments of dry weather. The FELA! Cast gave a particularly uplifting performance from the musical which returns to the stage at Sadler’s Wells on 20 July.

Those in need of a laugh were in luck as the Comedy Arena had a star studded line –up. I crouched at the back on Sunday to watch the final two sets from funny boy Nathan Caton and high pitched drama queen Alan Carr. Despite being a self-confessed comedyphobe, I thoroughly enjoyed the efforts of both men - Carr’s ridiculous anecdotes had me in stitches.

The Literary Tent didn’t disappoint with an endless stream of fascinating guests stepping up to share their experiences and knowledge. I listened to an amusing interview on Saturday night with ‘The Sex Diaries Project’ author Arianne Cohen - she reassured the audience with her results and bizarre relationship stories. Then on Sunday I got a dose of Girl Power from a lovely and frank interview with Louise Wener (lead singer of 90s pop band Sleeper) conducted by Mark Ellen. She read excerpts from her enlightening new book ‘Just for One Day’ – a memoir that details her real life dream transition from geeky teen to musical goddess and sex icon.

There was a real buzz around the Word Lounge. Despite being rather out of the way, this little tent hosted a programme of engaging podcasts and interviews with various musicians and music geeks... the history of Britpop chat on Sunday afternoon with Stuart Maconie was particularly interesting.

Then of course there was the music... the main Obelisk field was rarely full with music lovers seeking their entertainment somewhere dry, where you could dance without poking someone’s eye out with your umbrella. Gorgeously costumed bands looked unfairly dry and glam on stage whilst their adoring plastic poncho-clad fans stared up from behind protective hoods. They Might be Giants did a marvellous job motivating the fans during the wettest lunchtime period on Saturday. Like most, I was captivated and stayed for the whole show delighting in their ridiculous antics and singing along to their catchy songs - it was incredible to see ‘Birdhouse in Your Soul’ performed live, a song that has worn my iPod out. Seasick Steve was characterful as ever on the main stage, cooing at the girls in the crowd and inviting one up to be the recipient of a love song – a routine I have watched him conduct several times before!

Sunday saw sultry but shy Anna Calvi wow on the Obelisk stage with her seductive and intense voice. I had heard magical rumours about this girl and was expecting a bit more of a show, but no-one can deny her talent as she wailed into the microphone enticingly. She sang memorable covers of Elvis and Edith Piaf songs, and completely made them her own. My musical highlight from the weekend was the spectacular Everything Everything who put on quite a show for the Word Arena on Sunday afternoon. Even those happy to splash in the rain joined the dancing throng for this awesome set. The four Manchester boys all dressed in matching jumpsuits powered through their current hits and gave us a taste of what’s to come with a sparkly new number. Everything Everything combine fast paced eccentric lyrics, heartbreaking falsetto vocals from Jonathan Higgs, constant tempo changes and powerful chord progressions and harmonies that give the music a futuristic vibe; their songs are truly innovative, unlike anything I have heard before. The crowd went absolutely mad for this band - a group of middle aged groupies dancing next to me seemed to know all the words, I enquired afterwards to discover they were in fact parents of the band members.

As a music festival, Latitude didn’t quite produce the goods this year, despite being a smaller budget event than say Glastonbury, recycling the same bands from the previous year (The National headlined on the Word stage in 2010) is not going to impress punters when even smaller festivals like Hop Farm managed to get the Eagles and Prince! Latitude insists it is more than ‘just a music festival’ and I believe in this ambition, it succeeds triumphantly. It is the wonderful, diverse, extra-curricular events that make it worthwhile spending a weekend enduring pouring rain.

Hop Farm Festival 2011, Kent

Just one hour away from London, in an open field, music lovers gathered in their masses to witness a weekend of musical phenomena. Hop Farm’s fourth year role-call was the best yet with headlining performances from none other than The Eagles, Morrissey and Prince! Luckily, unlike for the poor Glasto crowd, we had gloriously fine weather, blue skies and sunshine all weekend. Vince Power’s Kent festival prides itself on no sponsorship, branding or VIPism, focusing solely on the music - a vision that has set his festival apart from all the others. I can confirm, after my second year at Hop Farm that there is certainly something special about this relaxed, but musically rich event.

We drove down on Friday lunchtime with a car full of bits and bobs prepared for any possibility! Parking is free, but Hop Farm also caters for non-drivers with frequent coach rides to and from London, and is conveniently close to Paddock Wood train station. After setting up our £20 (!) Sainsbury’s tent in the field of excited campers, we grabbed a cold beer and trundled off to check out some bands. Hop Farm offers three stages: the Main Stage, Big Tent and the Bread & Roses tent - I spent most of the weekend darting between the first two arenas catching as many sets as possible.

Independent food stalls provide sustenance of every variety and from every culture: Indian, Mexican, American, Italian, vegan - anything you could ever desire, and prices are relatively reasonable. Cider and beer is served in reusable hard plastic cups that you are encouraged to ‘rent’ for £3, keep and use for the whole festival, then return at the end for a full refund... a brilliant idea that avoids excess rubbish, saving money and resources.

On the Friday night it was the Big Tent that was most exciting. We saw a sublime performance from Ocean Colour Scene, the much loved Birmingham band who celebrated their 21st anniversary last year. The set was varied and exciting with tuneful singing and some contagious groovy bass riffs, their enthusiasm and enjoyment was clear in an assured and diverse performance. The Walkmen also deserve a mention, the New York based five-piece have been getting a lot of hype and critical acclaim from the press. At Hop Farm they didn’t disappoint, playing some extraordinary songs and impressing the crowds. I look forward to hearing more from them when they take to the Word stage at Latitude festival. It felt very special to see the Eagles together on stage, their musical ability is still very much intact and they easily made it through a 90 minute set; however I felt there was a slight lack of chemistry on stage which definitely affected the audience’s enjoyment of their much loved music.

Saturday was an all star line-up, unfortunately I couldn’t stay for the whole day (I was seeing Don Airy from Deep Purple play in a private shindig) and was particularly sad to miss my childhood favourite Manu Chao. I did manage to fit in a quick music fix before leaving though, and saw an absolutely magnificent performance from quirky singer Newton Faulkner. A born musician, Faulkner exceeded all my expectations with his magical set, his distinctive way of playing the guitar is a wonder and his voice is soothingly beautiful. His charismatic and witty stage demeanor made him a memorable highlight of the weekend for me. It was also fun to see The Paris Riots and Frankie and the Heartstrings who both made an impact on the audience in the Big Tent on Saturday.

Extra crowds seemed to flock to Kent for the final day of Hop Farm Festival, no doubt to see the quite extraordinary icon Prince, who as the Sunday headliner, made his first ever UK Festival Appearance. But there were treats in store before this finale in the form of: Eliza Doolittle, Imelda May and Tinie Tempah who all graced the Main Stage with their very individual characters and gave strong, energetic performances. I also enjoyed a very natural performance from sister act The Pierces; the audience were transfixed, some blowing bubbles. I felt almost brainwashed by the girls delicious voices and hippy dancing. I completely adored the enthusiastic band The Go! Team who jumped about on stage joyously singing wonderfully and playing a variety of makeshift instruments, including a percussive typewriter. Their newest album ‘Rolling Blackouts’ is going on my ‘to buy’ list.

After a 30 minute delay, and a lot of crowd pushing and shoving the fabulously eccentric Prince arrived on stage, smiling and ready to party. It was, quite possibly the best live show I have ever seen, but perhaps I say that still under the influence of his spellbinding performance. Everything you could hope to see from Prince was there plus a great deal more: staggering guitar playing, funky dancing, theatrical solos, glitter and glory... and as Prince kept reminding us, “all REAL music”.

Even in his sparkly designer heels he wasn’t afraid to get down, sprinting from one side of the stage to another, almost launching himself into the desperately excited crowds. Prince left the audience after three encores, but would clearly have been happy playing all night, "I wish there wasn't no such thing as a curfew. Parties are supposed to go on till everyone's asleep". Unfortunately there was a curfew and eventually the hysteria subsided. Prince certainly had an effect on this crowd, even those who weren’t particularly fans left feeling like the most die-hard followers, only missing the worn out faded tour t-shirts. The audience seemed shocked by the quite unbelievable effect of this man’s music - some were crying, others commenting “I can’t believe it, was it a dream?”

I left Hop Farm 2011 on a euphoric high, and despite the two hour traffic jam to leave I couldn’t help but smile. How Hop Farm manages to always come up trumps with their legendary headliners I just don’t know, they sure have beaten Glastonbury’s Beyonce offering. Bob Dylan last year, and then Prince this, who knows what 2012 will bring for this festival? One thing is for sure, with names THIS big, the festival won’t remain a well kept secret for long.

Visit Hop Farm website here.

Hot on the Highstreet Week 58

Having just returned home from Hop Farm Festival I thought it was only right that I do a festival Hot on the Highstreet. Festival fashion has become a genre of its own in recent years with certain items now firmly established as ‘must take’ essentials: denim cut off shorts, wacky sunglasses, bohemian silk head scarves, and of course wellies.

You never know when the English clouds are going to rip open, and drench the festival parade so always best to have some standby wellington boots even if the skies are sunny when you leave home. Hunter wellington boots have surely become the most renowned - that little red label was seen adorned on most of the muddy legs at Glastonbury this year, though some opted for more unique Superga or Jimmy Choo pairs.

I’ve always worn black Hunters, but this year decided to be a little more adventurous and went for the neon pink Hunter variety, and I can’t recommend them highly enough. They are so dazzlingly luminous they can be seen glowing through the crowds of thousands – a handy way to find your friends. They are also a fun way to add a little wow factor to an eclectic festival outfit. I think they look particularly good teamed up with a 60’s shift mini dress.

Sold in various retailers for around £80. Buy on the Office Shoes website here... I recommend going up a size, so you can add a pair of thick socks underneath.

The Heretic at The Royal Court

The Royal Court is fast becoming my favourite London theatre. The productions here seem to have a style that is strangely magnetic. Conveniently located next door to Sloane Square tube station, it couldn't be easier. I went last weekend to see the Saturday matinee of ‘The Heretic’, the much talked about play by Richard Bean. I purchased £8 ‘under 26’ balcony tickets from the few remaining the day before, snatching an absolute bargain.

When we arrived on the grey afternoon the box office was chaos, with several poor stewards desperately trying to deal with an epic ticket error – many of the seats bought on ‘Last Minute’ had been booked twice, making double the amount of punters to seats. Luckily I booked my tickets on the theatre website so waltzed right through the angry crowds to the busy bar area.

The Heretic deals with the topic of climate change, much like the National’s Greenland, and touches on many of the issues thrashed out in ‘Earthquakes of London’. But unlike the other plays, The Heretic has a more optimistic feel due to the female protagonistic, Dr Diane Cassell (Juliet Stevenson). I enjoyed seeing a play on this delicate subject that argues both sides of the debate convincingly rather than a depressing doom and gloom piece about the inevitable and imminent bitter end of our planet.

Dr Cassell is a leading Earth Sciences lecturer at a Yorkshire University, researching rising sea levels in the Maldives. She is a climate change sceptic preaching to those who will listen about her conclusive results that the sea level is not rising. Her listener turns out to be a lonely but passionate 19 year old student Ben, he admires her studies but is especially interested in her anorexic, manic Greenpeace-obsessed daughter, Phoebe. Cassell’s views inevitably land her in trouble, with death threats and the loss of her job thanks to adversarial colleague and ex-lover, Professor Kevin Maloney.

I found the play thoroughly entertaining though the focus seems to disappear in the second half. Stevenson as the heroine is firmly convincing throughout, commanding the stage with a poignant realism. James Fleet brings another dimension to the cast as Faculty leader Maloney. I felt completely at ease watching him and he makes a serious subject gut-achingly funny.

I admired Johnny Flynn from afar at Hop Farm Festival last summer where he sang with his talented band. He has a delicate yet rich voice, and is a fantastic multi instrumentalist, little did I know he could act so spectacularly too. The young droopy haired lad speaks almost entirely in an upbeat rap style, his crafty innuendo is hysterical. He captures the awkward demeanour of his character perfectly, like the part had been written for him.

The Heretic is on at the Royal Court until 19th March. A clever and witty play, I absolutely loved it.

Book here.

Bob Dylan and others at Hop Farm Festival

Hops are a crop commonly used in the making of beer. They have been grown in Kent since the 16^th Century. In the Victorian era hop picking was a day out for Londoners, away from the noise and pollution of the city. Every September when the plants were ready to pick, workers from London would come to pick the crop. Hop Farm in Kent now holds an annual music festival, Hop Farm Festival. Although this event is not in London I felt the history of ‘hopping’ meant it qualified.

I had the best day at Hop Farm, truly memorable. After a short train journey from Charing Cross I arrived at Paddock Wood station to join the crowds of excited music lovers. The little, usually quiet, Kent village was transformed into a magical musical Mecca. This year the legendary Bob Dylan was headlining, my idol and a musician I admire more than any other.

The weather was gloriously hot, and I began to feel like I was at Newport Folk Festival back in 1965 when Dylan famously ‘went electric’. The Festival, which spanned over Friday and Saturday boasted some impressive acts. Unfortunately I was unable to attend the Friday show so missed out on Blondie and Van Morrison. Saturday had the real crowd-pleasers though, with the likes of Laura Marling, Seasick Steve and the very now Mumford & Sons who evoked such energy from the crowd, jumping, dancing and singing almost throughout there 40 minute set. The musicians at Hop Farm illustrate a new young group of folk artists, talented and incredibly passionate, but humble with it. Ben from Mumford summed it up as he spoke to the audience of 50,000 – ‘I don’t know what we have done to deserve this... playing alongside the best festival line up of the summer'.

Performer of the day would have to go to Seasick Steve who put his heart and soul into his show. For each song he picked up a new instrument, sometimes strumming vigorously on a plank of wood with strings or a makeshift guitar. Steve and his dedicated drummer commanded complete attention from the audience. I also enjoyed the preacher-like speech between songs, as he spoke frankly, but comically about his past.

At lunchtime our little group sat in a sunny corner to munch on our vast picnic, which included freshly picked strawberries, raspberries and cherries. Absolutely delicious. After lunch a friend and I started our quest to make it to the front of the crowd by the time Dylan arrived on stage. After seven hours on my feet, I watched, with tears in my eyes, the man I have listened to obsessively my whole life. It was an hour I will never ever forget. It’s true Dylan isn’t such a singer anymore, but his band made up for it, all clad in matching outfits. It reminded me of a story my granddad once told me of a memorable night at one of Dylan’s birthday parties in the 60s; he was unable to recognise Dylan because everyone at the party appeared to be dressed up as him.

Although Hop Farm has only been around for three years it is surely one of the best festivals out there both musically, and ethically (it refuses to have sponsors, branding or VIPs). This is a festival of music lovers for music lovers, and I’m counting down the days until next year.

More info here.