...latitude 2011

....i'd waited around 30 years for the moment that presented itself to me at latitude 2011. my teenage years had been intertwined with his rise and his redefining of himself periodically. and there he was in front of me playing songs that i'd owned on vinyl picture discs and gatefold sleeves. his posters as a highwayman and a prince and a warrior had adorned by bedroom wall. and in a cramped packed tent with the rain pouring down outside the ant warrior erupted onto the stage. i'd wanted to be him, i'd wanted to possess his confident swagger. but, as it turned out, all of that image deflected from what appears to have been a tortured man, doing battle with his demons in the form of a serious mental health problem. as he sang "cartrouble" it was apparent that adam ant was about to put on a show. and all of the words came flooding back, all of the drum hits were still there in my head buried under 30 years of other memories but nevertheless still there..... the high point has to have been the ant ripping open his shirt to reveal a t-shirt of the iconic image of his face sporting the regulation white stripe from his 80's heyday. you don't have time to think at a festival because you quickly move onto the next musical experience but as i walked away with "dog eat dog", "goody two shoes", and "prince charming" ringing in my ears it was clear that it was still appropriate to "unplug the jukebox and try another flavour... antmsuic!"

...i could tell you about bombay bicycle club (who i think were probably my easy to predict highlight), or paloma faith with her fabulous head dress, or glasvegas (slightly disappointing), or echo and the bunnymen (predictably dark), or paolo nutini (is that spelt right - who does what it says on the tin), or omd (who shone wonderfully), or kele (who was a bit of a find), or they might be giants who cheered us all up in the pouring rain with their quirky songs and hand puppets... but i wont because i want to tell you about two artists/bands that simply took my breath away....

the first i was already aware of... caribou... a mathematician and musician i'm reliably informed... i went to see him and his assembled musicians on my own and got right down the front and just let the joyous rapture of his electronica/dance/rock and more and more wash over me with a ridiculous grin on my face ....look him up ...you won't be disappointed

and finally 'hurts'... a manchester duo, much loved by the music critics, it seems, who took to the stage with an assortment of rock, operatic, and classical musicians and created something that managed to straddle between 80's synth pop, opera, and classical music without even trying. it was a blend of the music, the image, and the sheer audacity of what they presented. the stage was theirs, they controlled the arena for what was, probably, an hour but felt like the blink of an eye. i didn't know any of the songs they played but they all had me wrapped and enveloped in them from the moment of the first note until the dying final chords were being overtaken by thunderous applause..... in their black suits and slicked black hair, with their initially cloaked flag waving dancers, their string quartet, and their simple back drop images... shades of gothic, shades of the pet shop boys, shades of knowing what you were doing an knowing what you were doing was going to impress... and impress it did... check them out

the celebration was closed by suede.... i wondered what i'd make of this colossal band who i'd taken little notice of back in their day...... i took notice and i fell in love with what were to me a new band....

......and home now ...the mud washed off our boots and off the car ...i've not even told you about the comedy, or the multi coloured sheep, or the poetry, or the art in the park .....but, you know, the best way is just to go and see..... so go on just go and see.....