Summer means fun
For most people, the tell-tale signs that summer’s ending are the migration of birds, the re-appearance of depressed looking school kids and the disappearance of ice cream men to whereever it is they come from. But for us on the live music desk, the one big clue that the long, hot days are numbered is Offset Festival, the last big blow-out before autumn.
Nestled between two idyllic looking woods up in Hainault Forest, Offset is entering its third year. But with the amazing line-ups offered by this year’s 1234 Festival and Field Day, Offset had some rather large boots to fill, so rather than trying to out weird them, the organisers have instead decided that the way forward is to put on the funnest line-up possible.
The first band we manage to see are the standard bearers of Dalston’s DIY scene: Male Bonding, and wow, has being signed to Sub Pop helped these guys. They still have the riotous energy they’ve always had, but now that they seem to be constantly touring America, they’ve become super focused – turning their once messy dance punk into punchy and surprisingly danceable indie pop.
Next stop is Comanechi who serve up an energetic if slightly forgettable show over at the Loud and Quiet stage. Sticking around a bit, we manage to catch Lovvers, who despite having some of the worst sound of the day put in a spirited performance that has everyone nodding along like rows and rows of that dog on the Churchill advert.
After a fairly decent start, the next couple of bands turn out to be a disappointment. I know it’s not really their fault, but the world has moved on since I last saw Art Brut play, and although their Falls-esque indie pop is as cheery as ever, I find it really hard to summon up anything stronger than a shrug and a muttered ‘meh’. Liquid Liquid turn out to be one of the biggest let-downs of the festival. You would think that an outdoor stage and the coveted sun-down slot would suit their bass-heavy punk/funk, but lacking any kind of oomph, it just falls flat. It might be the fact that they've just flown in from New York, or that I haven’t had enough ciders yet, but I’m not feeling it.
Dejected, we stroll over to the hardcore stage, where an assorted array of punk and metal kids are spending their time climbing up the walls, jumping off stuff and generally going nuts. After a typically wild set from Trash Talk where every song is played brutally fast and dedicated to some dude they’ve met recently, we catch Rolo Tomassi who turn out to be so raucous that a bunch of panicked-looking security staff pull the plug before they’re finished.
After a night spent people-watching at the dance stage, Sunday starts slowly. We watch Wetdog and Wild Palms while drinking coffee and scarfing burritos, but their ramshackle and slightly dirge-like post punk just adds to our hangovers. Fortunately things take an upward turn as soon as Monotonix take the stage (well kind of: they set up in the crowd). A crusty-looking three-piece from Israel pumping out fire-breathing garage rock that sounds like the Sex Pistols meeting The MC5, they spend the next half hour crowd-surfing, molesting people and challenging Paul Weller and Liam Gallagher to a fight, before they too are ended by the security.
Thinks really pick up from there. First I manage to catch up-and-coming power pop outfit Sauna Youth over at the ECC stage, before heading off to see legendary German ambient group Cluster, who are fairly dry but quite enjoyable. Even Chrome Hoof, who I’m not usually fussed by, put on a good show back at the main stage.
Deciding it’s time to check out some of the more buzzy bands, I head off to see Limehouse’s freshest punk band Flats. Whilst looking like the sort of people you see hanging around outside of Indo’s, they actually sound like a resurrected version of the UK Subs armed with really sharp knives. Calories also impress when they play the Offset Presents stage later, coming across like a more Brummy version of Jaw Breaker or something.
With the sun now sinking below the tree-line, I walk back to the main-stage to catch festival-closing sets from Caribou and Atari Teenage Riot. Caribou are as interesting as ever, and their pulsating beats and Beach Boys-style vocals add a bit of Californian sunshine to what’s turning out to be a pretty chilly night. However the warm glow is soon turned into a raging inferno as Atari Teenage Riot take the stage. Leaping around in leather jackets to a blend of drum 'n' bass and hardcore punk, I find all their rave-style posturing a little hard to swallow, and when I turn around to see a couple of women who are as old as my mother throwing down like two pilled-up kids in Public Life, I decide it’s time to head back to campsite for a lie down.
Summing up, I’d have to say that this year’s festival has to be one of the best weekenders I’ve been to in a long, long time. There was never a queue for the bar, the vibes were generally good, and the security, despite their faults, rarely flipped out. Summer is never endless, but thanks to Offset, at least we can say that 2010’s ended with a multi-coloured bang rather than drizzle and a whimper.
Cheers to Chris Fenner for the photos. Check out some more here
http://offsetfestival.co.uk/
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