Ben & Jerry’s Sundae On The Common
Clapham Common, London
25/07/2010

This is the second day of the 2010 edition of the ethically-aware, family-tailored festival, where free Ben & Jerry’s ice cream means you can break even on the ticket cost if you’re prepared to engage in gluttony.

We’ll spare you the Scouting For Girls-led day one, simply because The Fly is not prepared to put ourselves through that. And if ‘nice’ is a good thing for a festival to be, then the organisers of this event have got it nailed – so much so that any excess other than frozen dessert consumption would seem wholly inappropriate. There’s a farm, there are fairground rides, and there’s a Fair Trade tent, most of which is free. We feel slightly conspicuous not having children in tow. But there are bands, and bands we like. Bands YOU like. Granted, they haven’t booked Lightning Bolt or Sunn O))), but the balance of good vs. appropriate is about right.

First performers of note are Manchester’s Cherry Ghost, who admirably entertain an initially indifferent audience with their charming, considered moodsongs, ably led by Simon Aldred and his engaging borderline baritone. Next up it’s Frightened Rabbit, label mates of fellow Scots The Twilight Sad but undoubtedly the more suitable booking of the two. Mainman Scott Hutchison apologises in advance for the profane nature of some of their lyrics, and that’s a far preferable course of action than sacrificing the terrific ‘Keep Yourself Warm’, or indeed any of the other material dealing frankly with adult subject matter. Which accounts for the lot, pretty much. Veering towards the rockier side of indie rock, with that uncompromising Scottish brogue (not you, Belle & Sebastian) adding to the consciously uncomfortable feel of their output, they’re exceptional today, delivering a perfect show which deservedly has the crowd in raptures, no doubt swelling their growing fan base by a few hundred middle-aged Guardian readers.

The less said about Billy Bragg’s tiresome, painfully right-on support slot the better, so we’ll keep it very brief. An excerpt – encourages the crowd to participate in a re-worded version of Bob Marley’s ‘One Love’, thus: “One love, one heart, let’s drop the debt and we’ll be alright”. Admirable sentiment, I guess, but lighten the fuck up. We eat more ice cream instead of trying to right the wrongs of the world by the power of reggae reinterpretation. Following that drivel we have Doves rounding off the weekend with their rousing indie anthems, and recent viewings have suggested a band at the peak of their powers, so expectations are high.

It’s therefore a surprise and slight disappointment to see them somewhat out of sorts, albeit hamstrung by a ropey sound-system, but nevertheless a band who just don’t look like they’re enjoying themselves. Jimi Goodwin’s banter is muted, and it’s no real surprise when they don’t reappear for an encore after a set that barely tops an hour and never really hits the heights we know they’re capable of. It is, of course, effectively recent retrospective ‘The Places Between’ in its entirety, and the strength of their material covers the cracks to a point, but there’s a tangible feeling of mild disappointment at the end, not least from the band, who seem glad to be done. Smashing day out for sure, mind, and nothing that can’t be easily remedied next year.

Andy Slocombe