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Latitude festival review – soggy but scintillating




Every festival has years that regular attendees look back on with a wince.

Think Glastonbury in 2007 when there was so much rainfall that tents literally floated away, or more recently the storms that led to the entire third day of Camp Bestival being cancelled.

Now we’re not pretending for a moment that the rain that started on Saturday afternoon at Latitude and continued through the night came close to rivalling those near-Biblical conditions.

But for a festival that is more often than not blessed with glorious weather Soggy Saturday was a bit of a rude awakening – and the mud across the site the following morning could have given Worthy Farm a run for its money.

But enough of the weather – what about the music?

The opening night was headlined by Pulp, and the recently-resurrected Sheffield band were in sensational form.

Frontman Jarvis Cocker may be pushing 60, but he worked the crowd into a frenzy just as he did decades ago when the Different Class album propelled them from indie outsiders into genuine chart-toppers.

And what a crowd it was, easily the biggest an artist has ever drawn to the Obelisk arena. It was a crowd-pleasing set, performed with the confidence to throw in Disco 2000 as second song, but not without some deep cuts for the hardcore fans.

Few would have expected Weeds and Weeds from the ironically unloved We Love Life album II to form the centrepiece of the set.

Saturday started in bright spirits, with the disco yoga on the Waterfront Stage proving a huge draw before the rain set in.

The conditions didn’t stop big crowds gathering for The Kooks – who seemed genuinely touched by the reaction to their set – and Scottish singer-songwriter Paolo Nutini.

As always though, Latitude favours those willing to explore and experiment away from the mainstream.

Shoegaze revivalists She’s In Parties impressed on the BBC Music Introducing stage, Emily Breeze lived up to the buzz surrounding her on the Trailer Park while punky Irish outfit Gurriers proved they are ones to watch.

And Young Fathers reminded us that ten years into the game, they remain one of the country’s most ferocious live acts.

Sunday’s highlights included a lunchtime set by Manchester veterans James (followed by a later ‘secret’ performance on the Barclaycard Amp stage followed by a choice between chart favourite George Ezra and a rare as hen’s teeth performance by Siouxsie.

This year’s Latitude was a reminder of just how fortunate we are to have a festival of Latitude’s quality on our doorsteps.

Away from the music, there remains a wealth of family-friendly entertainment – including the biggest candyfloss I’ve ever seen, incidentally – arts, comedy and literature.

True, the rain took a little of the sparkle off Saturday – but it’s the law that a wet festival must be followed by a sunny one, so Latitude 2024 is going to be a scorcher. You read it here first.