From the flawless to the ‘minxed up’: how Field Day performers shone
'Bright tin foil butterfly': Natasha Khan aka Bat for Lashes. Photograph: Antonio Curcetti.
With biblical levels of rainfall on Friday things looked gloomy for the seventh Field Day in Victoria Park, but morning dawned bright and sunny as people ditched wellies for wayfarers and headed down to the first big festival of the summer.
Field Day made a name for itself among music lovers as a place to discover emerging talent as well as catching high-profile acts, with performances across nine stages featuring everything from punk poet John Cooper Clarke to a secret gig from Local Natives this year.
Gabriel Bruce was one of the first acts on the main stage – and what an epic opening for the festival, with his sonorous baritone cutting across the site, flanked by sashaying backing singers – there was nothing unenjoyable about his performance.
Kurt Vile casually delivered a totally perfect set with the Violaters looking entirely laid back as he picked out technically flawless and frankly mesmerising solos, keeping fans happy with a mixture of songs from his new album as older tracks ahead of a massive US tour.
Solange shows no signs of languishing in her big sister’s shadow, drawing a massive crowd at the main stage, with catchy pop/R&B tunes.
Meanwhile Bat For Lashes minxed it up wearing a trademark handmade costume, looking like a bright tin foil butterfly fluttering across the main stage with songs from her new album and closing on Daniel as the sun set over the mad village of revellers.
Two top performances came from Fucked Up and tour partners Metz, with front man Pink Eye crowd surfing to the back of the tent without missing a beat or seeming to pause for breath.
Rainy Milo, Daphne, Mount Kimbie, Mapfumo & The Blacks Unlimited and Daughter were other highlights.
As night fell, tribes of party-goers formed their allegiances, either assembling for Animal Collective’s ethereal headline electronic set or defecting to TNIGHT and a banging end to the weekend.