Originally debuting in 2005, the Dot to Dot Festival is now an annual music festival taking place over the second May bank holiday (the same weekend us Yanks are off for Memorial Day). Dot to Dot prides itself on presenting a veritable feast of up and coming bands not just from England but from all over, and since they started the festival, thousands of music fans have been wowed by the eclectic lineups. The festival begins on Saturday in Bristol (in the geographical southwest of England), with most bands making the trip up to Nottingham (in the East Midlands) to perform there on Sunday. Nottingham is approximately a 4-hour drive north from London. I wonder what the city’s most fabled past resident, Robin Hood of Sherwood Forest, would make of the hordes that descended on Talbot Street for the festivities. He would probably think of it all as a spectacle – an event to see people and be seen. Above all, Dot to Dot is an opportunity to listen to great bands and have a blast. At least, that’s my highly nonobjective opinion of this year’s festival in Nottingham the 24th of May.
Through a mixture of luck and sheer persistence, I was able to have a front row view for a night of electropop at Nottingham’s premier music club, Rock City. Folk/electronic hero Patrick Wolf and New Zealand synthy songbird Ladyhawke were up first, to be followed by dancey indie electronica headliners Friendly Fires. For me, it was one of those “pinch me” moments, a dream lineup I never thought possible. True, I traveled from America and over 3,700 miles for Dot to Dot, but sometimes you’ve got to follow your heart and your ears. It was a little daunting at first, especially since I’d never been to Notts before. But I got over the initial worry and soon felt right at home with so many other passionate gig-goers.
By the time I got to Rock City and made my way through the crowd, I realized how packed the floor was. I spotted several red-headed dressed like Patrick Wolf circa his third album the Magic Position – short-sleeved shirt, suspenders (or braces as they’re called in Britain), short shorts, and glitter – works. More recently, Patrick traded the red hair for slicked back platinum blonde, but still keeps up with the theatrical makeup. What I like best about Patrick is that he truly is a chameleon when it comes to music – he can write and sing beautiful ballads, but at the same time, he is just as good at writing and blasting out some great dance songs with a harder edge.
Wearing a white shirt covered in black buttons and a matching necklace, he arrived onstage to a noisy welcome from the fans before launching into a set that included tracks from his new album the Bachelor to be released in the UK Europe on 1 June, followed by a digital release on 2 June here in the U.S. followed by physical release on 11 August. Halfway through the set, he stripped down to what he called “a specially-made maternity jumper,” which caused everyone to laugh. For good measure, he incorporated “Bluebells” and “Accident and Emergency” (from the Magic Position) and “Tristan” and “the Libertine” (from the more pensive Wind in the Wires); on the latter, he strummed his ukulele like a man possessed, and the crowd danced, people twirling about. Before his last song, he quipped, “I heard you folks in Nottingham like this song!” (causing the crowd to erupt in cheers) before starting up with a spirited rendition of the upbeat and sexually ambiguous “the Magic Position”. Boy am I glad I will be seeing him headline the Nylon tour in June!
Ladyhawke – aka Phillipa “Pip” Brown – made a strong impression across Australia, the UK, and her native New Zealand with her self-titled debut album. Hearing her single “Dusk Till Dawn” last summer made me a believer – I admit it, the ’80s synthpop sound got me interested, as well as her now-known obsessions with video games and kittens (have a look at the cover of her album or her MySpace page and you’ll see what I’m talking about). Ms. Brown took the stage looking like the epitome of cool in a black t-shirt, denim vest, and jeans, her long blonde tresses spilling over her shoulders. With an electric guitar strung over her shoulder, she stood in front of her microphone, resplendent with white Christmas lights. The audience was hypnotized into a sea of bodies all swaying to Ladyhawke’s songs, including the recently re-released “Back of the Van”, “Paris is Burning”, and “My Delirium”, all of which turned into massive crowd singalongs, the voices ringing in my ears. In between the songs and in such a small, soft voice, she thanked us for applauding and listening. I love it when I’m seeing an artist for the first time and he/she is thoroughly enjoying performing and appreciative of the crowd responding so positively to the music. That’s what it was like seeing Ladyhawke for the first time – I hope she comes over to our side of the pond for some headlining gigs in the near future.
Stay tuned for the concert review of headliners Friendly Fires coming soon!
Patrick Wolf set list
Kriegspiel
Oblivion
Bluebells
Accident and Emergency
Tristan
The Libertine
Damaris
Hard Times
Vulture
The Magic Position
Ladyhawke set list
Magic
Professional Suicide
Dusk Till Dawn
Another Runaway
Love Don’t Live Here
Crazy World
Back of the Van
Paris is Burning
My Delirium
Patrick Wolf: website | myspace
Ladyhawke: website | myspace | remix monday: “back of the van”
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