Words: Andy Slocombe

02 Wireless Festival

London,
Hyde Park

Day Two, 04/07/2008

It’s some kind of crazy utopian dream to think there’s anyone so painfully principled they’d shun a good festival bill rather than fornicate with The Man. We’re putty in their hands, and however romantic the idea of Michael Eavis might be (and Christ, isn’t it?) it’s not how the big world operates in reality. There’s therefore a certain irony that such a notorious grouch should be headlining something so heavily branded, not long after topping the bill at V. Anyway, we’ll come back to him…

It’s inevitable that you’re gonna see a random mish-mash of artists, punctuated by trips to the bog, bar and falafel van, so we’re bound to have missed some we should’ve seen. Others, like Guillemots, get the swerve very deliberately. After finding bearings we end up with Liam Finn, just as he appears. His famous Dad makes you feel hostile, but after three songs you’re developing reluctant love for the bearded fellow (a horrific childhood mirror image). By the end you wonder if you’ll be as entertained again all day. There’s a pattern, but it always works: vocals – assisted by a lady who complements him perfectly – and electric guitar, then an unhinged and brilliant three minutes going spazz behind the drumkit. Wally-rock fans get their fix when the The Wombats appear, and they’re as good as we’d expect. Not very. New band focus leads to The Whigs (not Afghan ones, sadly), and two plodding generic retro indie rock numbers – note: not ‘songs’ – it feels like time wasted. Beck’s peddling his funky shit tonight, predictably; ‘Mutations’ and ‘Sea Change’, while comfortably his finest work, were never on the agenda. That said, his funky shit isn’t actually very funky at all, and the little oddball is disappointingly flat. Hidden away on a smaller stage in the middle are Howling Bells, and in Juanita Stein they have a frontwoman who’s a star in every sense; the word ‘sassy’ seems necessary here. Great voice and stage presence, and armed with BIG tunes. New material perhaps less immediate, but the first album rewarded patience. Now, we’ve seen Morrissey enough over the years to not be swayed by sentiment – and tonight he’s immense. Immaculate set list – Smiths and Moz, old and new – while looking and sounding better than he has in yonks. His well-documented between-song tirades tell you he’s a man with fire in his belly and not just going through the motions, whilst as befits a headliner, being handsomely paid by our corporate hosts. Whatever, he’s peerless and priceless.

The Courteeners

Siouxsie

New York Dolls

The Wombats

The Wombats

New York Dolls

Liam Finn

Beck

Liam Finn

Some people. Two of whom appear to be about ten years old.