Critiques

Connect Music Festival
Non è che andando in Scozia ci si aspetti un’ostentazione di quei tratti culturali, nel nostro caso musicali, che l’hanno sempre fatta passare per qualcosa di diverso dalla vicina Inghilterra, ma è difficile ignorare la graduale svolta. Quel grigiore carico di visceralità e malinconia, non solo per l’onda lunga del terremoto Franz Ferdinand, pare soppiantata dal fenomeno musicale che tanto spopola un po’ di miglia più sud, a Londra e non solo, e che non risponde certamente al nome di brit-pop, ma di indie, in tutte le sue salse e diciture. Nella fosca Edimburgo di Trainspotting, dove spopola il validissimo quanto patinato disco-revival anni 80 del giovanissimo Calvin Harris, è un’impresa non imbattersi in un brano degli Arctic Monkeys o dei Kaiser Chiefs in ogni sorta di pub e negozio, persino nei locali rock nell’accezione più classica come l’Opium o il The Hive. Nei tetri scantinati del Cabaret Voltaire ti ritrovi in un’improbabile selection…

A bit of a catchup for last month here. I started the month at the Connect Festival in Inveraray - set in my favourite part of the world, the West Highlands, I couldn't have asked for a better location. The line-up was pretty stunning as well, with the festival set up by DF Concerts, the folk behind T In The Park, but aimed at a more discerning audience altogether.

Got there on the Friday at 12ish, it took me a while to find my mates, set up camp and build up the will to go into the main site, so I missed a couple of decent acts, but got there in time to catch a bit of Aereogramme's farewell to the world. I've always liked Aereogramme, but for some reason I couldn't get into them on the day; shame. Wandered round to the main stage in time to get bored by Jarvis Cocker - again, I loved Pulp and saw them every time I got the chance, but apart from The Cunts Are Still Running The World, his solo stuff leaves me cold, and monologues about dolphins aren't enough to make up for the gulf in quality. …

Here are some photos i made at the Connect Music Festival on:

Friday

Saturday

Sunday

Artists include: Cansei de Ser Sexy, Aereogramme, The Jesus and Mary Chain, The Go! Team, Beastie Boys, Super Furry Animals, Emma Pollock, 1990s, The Fire Engines, Bat for Lashes, The Only Ones, Vashti Bunyan, Rilo Kiley, Teenage Fanclub, Mogwai, Modest Mouse, Primal Scream, Patrick Wolf, Aqualung, Tilly And The Wall, My Latest Novel, Regina Spektor, Bjork, Big Star, Idlewild.

It's been a bit of a weird summer for me, gig-wise. Usually I start with Glastonbury, but I've fallen out of love with that festival over the last few years, and I don't see myself going again unless it's with someone I know that's playing. Shame, but there you go.

Anyway, I've still done alright - got lucky in May when I hitched a lift to Isle of Skye Music Festival, which surprised me in that (i) I liked it; and (ii) I'd forgotten how much I love the highlands, nowhere ever beats the west coast for me, from Oban up; and (iii) Kasabian were stunning, real proper rock show, when they've never impressed me before.

After that a lull - I was still going to a couple of gigs a month, but noone too eye-opening. But as far as all-out smörgasboard-type action, nothing till the start of August, when I went to Hey You Get Off My Pavement at Mono, headlined by The Aliens. Anyway, it was a typical Glasgow summer's day - pissing down, constantly for the full 10 hours. …