Field Day London – review

Head-dressing the part: revellers at Field Day 2014. Photograph: Eleonore de Bonneval

Despite the forecast predicting thunderstorms, the sun shone brightly for last weekend’s Field Day festival. It was the first time the festival had been split over a full weekend, with electronic outfit Metronomy headlining Saturday and veteran rockers Pixies Sunday’s biggest draw.

The line-up included electronic royalty in the form of Jon Hopkins, as well as Dev Hynes’ soul pop project Blood Orange, synth pop act Future Islands and a multitude of young acts eager to make their mark.

Games such as sack races added a village fete touch to proceedings and, alcohol-fuelled revellers were in high spirits in anticipation of seeing some of the world’s best musical talent.

Saturday kicked off with Only Real, whose summery pop and lofty, lilting synth guitar contrasted with James Holden’s ethereal soundscapes. The funk-infused vocals of Finnish dream-popper Jaakko Eino Kalevi, who juggles a musical career with working part-time as a tram driver, proved a real treat. Then there was SOHN, shrouded in a black headdress and surrounded by dry ice, who brought out the best in an appreciative crowd with a dramatic performance.

1980s beats, slathers of slap bass and Michael Jackson-esque dance moves was the signature style of Devonte Hynes, aka Blood Orange, who delivered a cool, danceable set on the main stage. A special appearance from rapper Skepta gave the music a hip hop flavour. The highlight of the set was the down tempo medley of songs ‘Champagne Coast’, ‘You Were Never Good Enough’ and Solange’s ‘Losing You’.

This was the perfect prelude to Neneh Cherry’s Field Day debut, with the Swede’s unwavering and powerful electro pop pleasing old fans while making a whole host of new ones in the process.

Headliners Metronomy were a spectacle in white on the main stage. The romantic and melancholy drone of ‘I’m in Love Again’ and ‘I’m Aquarius’ worked in sync with the twilight, as the five-piece delivered an endlessly cool performance with all the atmosphere of a summer pool party.

Metronomy wow the main stage on Saturday night. Photograph: Eleonore de Bonneval

Come Sunday and the party atmosphere showed little sign of abating. Drone rock duo Drenge were ear-splittingly loud, though on the main stage The Horrors proved lacklustre with a set containing few surprises bar a slew of repetitive guitar strumming.

Histrionic synth pop band Future Islands have rocketed into the spotlight following an extraordinary performance on the David Letterman show, and here their set exuded fantastic energy. Front man Samuel Herring was every bit the Dad-dancing, charismatic front man you might expect. His performance was so intense (at times even comically so) that it seemed he was gargling the lyrics by the end.

Finally, Victoria Park really came alive for Pixies who put on a performance worthy of their reputation and brought in a varied crowd music fans old and new. The stage presence of Black Francis might have come second to the spectacular the light show behind the group but there is no denying that his lyrics and timeless songs such as ‘Here Comes Your Man’, ‘This Monkey’s Gone to Heaven’ and ‘Dig for Fire’, are as powerful as ever, and were a fitting end to an exhausting yet exhilarating weekend.

See below to sample the Field Day atmosphere with a video of Pixies plus a selection of images from the weekend. All photographs and video by Eleonore de Bonneval.