Arriving at Latitude, one observation is abundantly clear; The setting is just as important as the Art itself. Nestled in the heart of Suffolk is Henham Park. The home of Latitude which has just been confirmed to be the home of the festival for another 25 years. Entering the main arena, you're welcomed by a picturesque lake and bridges, with a stunning woodland just to the left that has more to explore than what may appear at first glance, And nestled just next to the first bridge is ‘The Waterfront Stage’ which celebrates the art of contemporary dance.
Heading over the bridge and leaving the lakeside behind us, we headed to ‘The Second Stage’ for the first act of our Latitude; Overpass, who showed their intentions from the start. A band whose ambitions are clearly stadium rock, there's an ever so slight U2 grit in terms of sound and identity, and the band know how to create a great dynamic of set, taking the audience on a journey. Fan favourite “is this real” feels like the cornerstone of this set. It's a great staple for the band, with fans singing every word.
After our first act of the day, we took the opportunity to explore what the rest of this site has to offer. While of course the music remains the heartbeat of the festival, Henham Park is packed with enough sites and attractions to create an experience in itself. From Latitude’s iconic pink sheep which graze by the bold Latitude sign, to the comedy arena, boasting some of the UK’s hottest and established stand up acts. Throw in the diverse array of independent food vendors, colourful art installations and political and thought provoking areas, it’s easy enough to just explore and soak it all in if you’re trying to kill time in between acts, which is so important for festivals.
Into the early evening where we ventured back into the woodlands to watch Josh Tenor. Now, before I get onto Josh’s performance, I feel it’s important to address the news story that was so prominent in the build-up to the festival which is the decision for Reading And Leeds to drop the BBC introducing stage from its billing at this year's installment of the festival. Some of your favourite artists, whether you’re aware or not, have come through the humble beginnings and accessibility of BBC introducing, and it’s so important for new artists to have a similar platform in order to be able to launch their careers. It’s great to see that Latitude makes this stage such a massive part of their billing and I hope they, and other festivals continue to do so for many years to come.
Anyway, onto Josh Tenor’s performance. Josh delivered a set that smoothly blurred the lines between blues, jazz, funk and disco. The set delivered rich grooves and addictable rhythms which formed the spine of every song, whilst having subtle funk-inspired textures and effects which gave each song an added layer of personality.
The Alcove stage was where our next act awaited us. MustBeJohn delivered an infectious mix of short versed, spoken-word storytelling and undeniably hooky choruses which encouraged The Alcove crowd to engage and move. Bass-heavy groves provided the cornerstone. It’d be interesting to hear his influences, as in my opinion there were early Calvin Harris signs here with falsetto-led hooks and short repetitive lyrics within the choruses.
It wasn’t a long wait after that until our first headliner at the Obelisk Arena; the legendary David Byrne where you see that the choreography was just as important as the music itself. With dancers and bright colours present throughout each song, creating the ambience and mood throughout. Byrne flew through Talking Heads classics, showing-off the relevance and influence of Talking Heads. Byrne was a fitting headliner and encapsulated the energy of Latitude.
Kicking off proceedings for our Saturday was The Lilacs at the second stage. A band that I’ve been wanting to see for a while and they did not disappoint. Delivering a set of songs that have taken a life of their own with fans, delivering sing-alongs and a body of work that feel like a celebration of indie classics. For fans of bands like Courteeners and Catfish And The Bottlemen, Lilacs are a must see.
The next act was Keo. A band that is generating a lot of momentum and getting regular play on Radio 1. The band demonstrated a set of brooding, atmospheric alternative rock which is currently dominating the indie rock scene. Their understated, almost nonchalant attitude only added to the performances appeal. Hauntingly echoed vocals encapsulated the crowd. Judging from the crowd's reaction and mass, this is a band that perhaps should have been on a bigger stage and a band that I’m sure we’ll see higher up on bills in the foreseeable future.
Over to the Obelisk Arena to see an artist who is hard to describe in any other words besides legend. Billy Ocean provided the greatest feel of the festival in terms of capturing exactly what people attend festivals for. Flying through classics such as ‘Caribbean Queen’ and ‘Love Really Hurts Without You’, Billy engaged the audience with dancing and infectious personality, creating an atmosphere and a performance that will live long in the memory.
Onto our saturday night headliner and my personal favourite set of the weekend was Getdown Services in the Sunrise Arena. The duo from Minehead came out and engaged the crowd instantly. Getting the audience to prove that they wanted to be present by making them jump on the spot ten times. Their brilliant tongue in cheek lyrics, combined with an aggressive attitude towards what seems like a blend of every influence possible being put into one entity which can only be described as Getdown Services. This band is a must see for anyone.
Sunday’s entertainment was predominantly at the Sunrise Arena stage, which is nestled in the heart of the forest. Before that though, was Alex James' Britpop Classical. Formerly of Blur; Alex James has an orchestra powering a band which together demonstrated the raw intensity of what Britpop and blur captured. James had an array of special guests, including the legendary Phil Daniels, and Reef lead singer Gary Stringer. It felt a special moment to see Phil Daniels appear on stage, who is of course not only a legendary actor but the voice of the Blur classic ‘Parklife’. After performing an array of Britpop classics, James joked with the audience, saying “oh go on then” before firing into Wonderwall and Don’t Look Back In Anger, of course a reference to the much reported dispute between Oasis and Blur in the height of Britpop. A must see for any Britpop fans that want to go and experience these songs differently, whilst still capturing it’s authenticity.
Over to the Sunrise Arena for the majority of the afternoon and kicking off proceedings there was Raynor. Raynor showcased an energy of exhilarating, fast-paced tunes that sound ideal for a classic FIFA soundtrack. Their tight-knit chemistry was brilliant to watch, channeling the influences of The Strokes and Two Door Cinema club, delivering a set of exciting and energetic tunes. Raynor definitely feels like an artist to watch.
Next was Arkayla and another personal favourite of mine over the weekend. Arkayla came out swinging with a set of songs that celebrate their creative ability to conjure sharp hooks among an array of approaches, from heavy riff driven songs like ‘Doba’ to relaxed 90’s throwback britpop in songs like ‘Fortune Teller’. They’re a band that are growing evermore with some of their recent support slots from The Lathums to Two Door Cinema Club. They’re certainly a great addition to any festival line up.
Good Health Good Wealth delivered a refreshing change of pace with their groove-driven, spoken word approach. They’re a duo that have you hooked on every lyric, and finding yourself being immersed to the relatability of the lyrics. From garage, to indie, to hip-hop, this duo knows how to work a crowd and they’re so entertaining to watch.
Closing the festival was one of Scotland, and latitude’s favourite artists, Lewis Capaldi. Capaldi stripped it all back and provided the Sunday feeling with heartfelt ballads. While his piano-led ballads remained as present as ever, it was refreshing to see him bring new layers to these songs, featuring him with an acoustic guitar regularly to add a new feel to the tracks. It particularly stood out when he was closing the set. Ending on the song that sent him to stardom ‘Someone you Loved’, a well known piano ballad, Capaldi performed it solo on an acoustic guitar, which kept the stripped back vulnerability of the song whilst adding a freshness and a new perspective of it.
Each evening saw most of the late-night revellers descend into the forest, where we saw a mix of everything, from house dj sets, to Bristol band The 45’s perform an array of classic motown and rock n roll covers in an energetic distorted attack. Away from the forest also provided some brilliant after-midnight entertainment. From Abba sing-alongs to late night poetry at The Listening Post. Latitude is a festival that surprised me with its energetic nightlife.
Latitude is considered one of the UK’s best festivals and the reason for it being is that it’s far more than the names branded at the top of the poster. Latitude celebrates everything creative, an effortless blend of music, comedy, theatre and art, with a backdrop of one of the UK’s most picturesque festival sites. Whether you’re weaving your way to the front to watch one of your favourite artists, or strolling through the woodlands, soaking up a rather unique festival experience, Latitude is certainly a festival I would return to in the future and I would recommend anyone who’s on the fence or curious to take the leap and attend. It’s certainly one that I’ll feel I’ve missed out on from now on.
