The Great Escape Day Two

“Oohhhaaaaahhhh!!!” howls Here We Go Magic drummer Pete, “We’re stuck!!” We’re sitting in the big yellow tour van of the NY-based Californians, which he has just stalled whilst attempting a right turn. The traffic is very heavy. Howling with mock-theatre is the only option. The whole band join in.

Once that crisis is averted, we unload the band’s gear into their hotel, which – with the aid of the piano in the lobby – is about to become the setting for their Courtyard session. ‘Casual’ sounds brilliantly off-kilter, the Best Western reception area lending it a weirdly odd, round-the-campfire, feel.

Next it’s off to the beach, where we find CHEW LiPS ready and waiting to perform for us. Bassist James is in possession of a natty little amp. Tigs is wearing a crazy orange sack-coat that looks like she might be an escapee from Guantanamo bay or an uber-fashionable Hari Krishna. After cocking up a cover of Carly Simon’s ‘Coming Around Again’ a few times, they finally get it right and it’s wicked.

After a bit of dinner (chips, of course), we head to Pavilion Theatre – scene of last night’s ace Avi Buffalo show – for the slow-grinding, drone-grunge of Dead Confederate. They’re easily the loudest band at the festival. I made the mistake of walking towards the speaker stack between songs to discard my plastic pint glass. The chord that was struck as I put my head down next to it nearly blasted my brain out of my ear. OUCHIE.

Still, it was a nicer sensation than the one-entire-second-but-really-that’s-quite-enough-thanks bit of teenagersintokyo that I caught.

Then it was to Everything Everything and Delphic, which Niall has written about already. So click here for his blog.