A brief post about yesterday's Radio 1 'Big Weekend' (day one).
The whole runway of Carlisle Airport was given over to car parking.
Set off from home at 1.00pm in the venue by 2.00 - that's good going!
Q: Is it an airfield or is it a festival? A: It's an airfield...
Just inside the main gate - the New Music Stage
The first band of the day, tragically for me, turned out to be the best...
Ladies and gentlemen I give you The Joy Formidable from Mold, North Wales..
The Joy Formidable - a bit like the late great Bang Bang Machine
Festival Squalor
Stuck around for the much fancied Cage the Elephant. Regretted it after 3 songs - fifth rate Garage Rock coupled with a singer who obviously thought he was the young Mick Jagger was not a happy combination.
Cage the Elephant - Mick and Keef...
Headed over to the unsigned tent to see Eastbourne's Yaaks.
Beautifully turned out young men with guitars strung a little too high (very Haircut 100). They played a pleasant indie rock, strong on echo and reverb. It seems likely they have been listening to their parent's early U2 and Simple Minds albums.
One of these men wants to be noticed...
But which one?
Well hello handsome...
The extra drummer/Greek God/Bez towered above the rest of the band and made sure he stole most of the limelight. I'm imagining that ultimately he'll have to go...
Next, off to the loos - only a 25 minute queue.
Cold, alcohol and the wind chill meant that plastic throne rooms supplied by Borderloos were very busy.
A Radio 1 hoodie - that'll be £30 please!!!???
A bit like Blackpool seafront
Occasional rain followed by brighter spells
Panic at the Disco
Back to the New Music Stage for Panic at the Disco. Smart, suit wearing Americans with a keyboard playing, charismatic frontman with a Morrissey fixation. Any similarities to the Killers was, I imagine, exactly what the were after. Pleasant but forgettable.
The New Music tent post-Panic at the Disco and pre-Nero
Nero started impressively enough...
... with a sample from John Adams' minimalist masterwork Harmonielehre but when gentlemen of a 'certain age' start punching the air in a 'certain way' you know it's time to go. Their hilariously lo-tech, Dr. Who inspired, stage set didn't help either.
It should be Noted that both members of Nero are giants, standing 4m tall!
Radio 1 had a signing tent. Earlier in the day there was a large queue for Fearne and Reggie. It would seem Huw is a little less popular.
Huw's immediate family and friend wait for an autograph
Back to the Unsigned Tent for some more early 80's influence with Are Friends Electric from Neath.
Are Friends Electric - perfectly pleasant, perfectly forgettable
The DJ Stage - where does Tim Westwood, sorry Westwood, get his comedy accent from?
Off to the Main Stage to await the Black Eyed Peas
I only recognized the one with the Dick Dale guitar intro. I think it's called 'Pump It'.
The tent was jam-packed, daughter had a whale of a time as did everyone else, also Fergie can sing a bit too.
From left to right: Fergie, a Black Eyed Pea, another Black Eyed Pea and a further Black Eyed Pea.
Kay and Moyles in the same place at the same time, sadly no weapon to hand...
It's clear that Zane Low would rather be a musician than humble DJ. Pre the Foo Fighters, he kept the crowd 'entertained' by playing some records with added sound effects. There is a skill in shouting 'Carlisle say yeah' and 'let me see your hands in the air' that is often overlooked. This man is a god, or at least he thinks he is.
Zane Low - his talent knows no beginning
Finally The Foo Fighters.
It should be noted that in terms of crowd numbers, The Black Eyed Peas were the true headliners. Whilst not small, the crowd for 'The Foos' was about two thirds the size...
Don't get me wrong, I know Dave Grohl is the nicest/hardest working man in rock and he used to be out of that band Nirvana but dare I say it? I find their music slightly bland. After five versions of what, to all intents and purposes, was the same song (nice though it is) and with Dave promising to extend his one hour timeslot, daughter and I simultaneously agreed to make an early exit. This was a genius idea as we got away quickly and were home with our feet up, having a nice cup of tea before Dave and the boys had finished 'rockin' Carlisle.
Dave: 'Grrrrr' Dave's Guitar: chug, chug, chug, chug, chug, chug, chug, chug, chug,
The whole runway of Carlisle Airport was given over to car parking.
Set off from home at 1.00pm in the venue by 2.00 - that's good going!
Q: Is it an airfield or is it a festival? A: It's an airfield...
Just inside the main gate - the New Music Stage
The first band of the day, tragically for me, turned out to be the best...
Ladies and gentlemen I give you The Joy Formidable from Mold, North Wales..
The Joy Formidable - a bit like the late great Bang Bang Machine
Festival Squalor
Stuck around for the much fancied Cage the Elephant. Regretted it after 3 songs - fifth rate Garage Rock coupled with a singer who obviously thought he was the young Mick Jagger was not a happy combination.
Cage the Elephant - Mick and Keef...
Headed over to the unsigned tent to see Eastbourne's Yaaks.
Beautifully turned out young men with guitars strung a little too high (very Haircut 100). They played a pleasant indie rock, strong on echo and reverb. It seems likely they have been listening to their parent's early U2 and Simple Minds albums.
One of these men wants to be noticed...
But which one?
Well hello handsome...
The extra drummer/Greek God/Bez towered above the rest of the band and made sure he stole most of the limelight. I'm imagining that ultimately he'll have to go...
Next, off to the loos - only a 25 minute queue.
Cold, alcohol and the wind chill meant that plastic throne rooms supplied by Borderloos were very busy.
A Radio 1 hoodie - that'll be £30 please!!!???
A bit like Blackpool seafront
Occasional rain followed by brighter spells
Panic at the Disco
Back to the New Music Stage for Panic at the Disco. Smart, suit wearing Americans with a keyboard playing, charismatic frontman with a Morrissey fixation. Any similarities to the Killers was, I imagine, exactly what the were after. Pleasant but forgettable.
The New Music tent post-Panic at the Disco and pre-Nero
Nero started impressively enough...
... with a sample from John Adams' minimalist masterwork Harmonielehre but when gentlemen of a 'certain age' start punching the air in a 'certain way' you know it's time to go. Their hilariously lo-tech, Dr. Who inspired, stage set didn't help either.
It should be Noted that both members of Nero are giants, standing 4m tall!
Radio 1 had a signing tent. Earlier in the day there was a large queue for Fearne and Reggie. It would seem Huw is a little less popular.
Huw's immediate family and friend wait for an autograph
Back to the Unsigned Tent for some more early 80's influence with Are Friends Electric from Neath.
Are Friends Electric - perfectly pleasant, perfectly forgettable
The DJ Stage - where does Tim Westwood, sorry Westwood, get his comedy accent from?
Off to the Main Stage to await the Black Eyed Peas
I only recognized the one with the Dick Dale guitar intro. I think it's called 'Pump It'.
The tent was jam-packed, daughter had a whale of a time as did everyone else, also Fergie can sing a bit too.
From left to right: Fergie, a Black Eyed Pea, another Black Eyed Pea and a further Black Eyed Pea.
Kay and Moyles in the same place at the same time, sadly no weapon to hand...
It's clear that Zane Low would rather be a musician than humble DJ. Pre the Foo Fighters, he kept the crowd 'entertained' by playing some records with added sound effects. There is a skill in shouting 'Carlisle say yeah' and 'let me see your hands in the air' that is often overlooked. This man is a god, or at least he thinks he is.
Zane Low - his talent knows no beginning
Finally The Foo Fighters.
It should be noted that in terms of crowd numbers, The Black Eyed Peas were the true headliners. Whilst not small, the crowd for 'The Foos' was about two thirds the size...
Don't get me wrong, I know Dave Grohl is the nicest/hardest working man in rock and he used to be out of that band Nirvana but dare I say it? I find their music slightly bland. After five versions of what, to all intents and purposes, was the same song (nice though it is) and with Dave promising to extend his one hour timeslot, daughter and I simultaneously agreed to make an early exit. This was a genius idea as we got away quickly and were home with our feet up, having a nice cup of tea before Dave and the boys had finished 'rockin' Carlisle.
Dave: 'Grrrrr' Dave's Guitar: chug, chug, chug, chug, chug, chug, chug, chug, chug,
Carlisle - let me hear you say goodnight!
Ladies and gentlemen the 'University of Cumbria's GRAPHIC DESIGN and ILLUSTRATION' blog has officially turned into Tony Peart's Livejournal.
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