Festival focus: Field Day

6 May 2012

by Patrick Bernard

Here is your basic does-what-it-says-on-the-tin festival. It is a day (June 2nd) in a field (Victoria Park) with an above-decent line up. For those short of pocket, or time and attention, or the desire to spend three days traversing an eternal campsite looking for your own tent among other nondescript tents in a panda onesie, this is the one for you.

They do indeed stretch your meagre 45 squids to collect a more than satisfactory handful of those sorts of bands “that you quite want to see but have never had the time/chance to see.” So we’re talking an impressive mixed platter sporting the likes of Beirut, Franz Ferdinand, Hudson Mohawke, Metronomy, Sleigh Bells, Grimes, and so on and so forth. It is a very good opportunity to kill a number of good birds with one stone.

Although perhaps in its fifth year, be willing to accept the possible pitfalls of the bargain festival. A selection of apparently quite timid sound-systems and the inevitable pickle of trying to fit 20,000 or so people into a small corner of East London were to hamper last year’s festivities. I would not let this dissuade you, however, as most of us are quite used to the close confines of other people in the cosy environs of Durham and its ostensible nightlife, and we might as well get use to it before the impending Olympics introduce a similar pickle.

So if you are willing to sacrifice a formative weekend festival experience for an inexpensive day in a field, you might as well give it a go. Or if you just need a chance to break in your wellies and your dignity before V Festival.

http://www.fielddayfestivals.com/