|
Early organisation signs aren't especially positive. Those hoping to
camp up for the weekend are left queuing for up to 90 minutes, while
confusion as to why so many different coloured wristbands are needed to
gain entry to one place (one colour for the festival, another if you're
press, another if you're camping - you get the idea) slightly taint the
start of proceedings. But the sun is shining and some eight stages of
music await us, so enough cynicism. What were the bands like?
Untitled Music Project bring their Mclusky-lite angry
posing to a near deserted main stage. They'd probably would suit a sweaty club
perfectly but those catching the rays on the grass don't seem fussed.
Maths Class don't fill us with much inspiration either so it's
off to the twee indie pop of Pocketbooks, who are a delight and
deserved more than the small pocket (pardon the pun) of those here
today.
Back to the main stage and Thomas Tantrum's squeaky indie
just make us wish Life Without Buildings were still around and
The Victorian English Gentleman's Club are Pixies but
without what made Black Francis and co. remotely interesting.
Feeling somewhat disillusioned with the live music on offer so far, it's
time to take refuge in the Girlcore tent and the realisation soon
beckons of where the fun of Offset lies. The cream of the crop of female
DJ talent play in front of a cleverly installed photo frame and an array
of props that line the tent show that the organisers have a sense of
humour. Little Boots puts on a storming set of electro treats
(including a mind-boggling techno remix of Whitney Houston's I Want To
Dance With Somebody) and puts us back on track for the evening's
entertainment.
Other attractions at the festival include a petting zoo and the
alarmingly repetitive Guitar Hero stage, on which you could be forgiven
for thinking that the same band were playing the same chords for the
duration of the day. The Last.fm stage hosts a curious double-bill of
New Zealand's Die! Die! Die!, whose hardcore stylings remind
of a less extreme Refused and prove to be a welcome break from the middling
indie, while Drum Eyes, featuring DJ Scotch Egg and
friends, is an intense and highly rewarding experience and one of the most interesting sets of the day.
The lack of Fangs and Grabba Grabba Tape on the
final bill is yet another blow, the latter of which could have been
genuinely the weekend's highlight. But trying to forget those absent,
Young Knives play a crowd pleasing set back on the main stage,
Weekends & Bleakdays encouraging something of a sing-along to the still
rather thin crowd. The band are on fine form and even win over this
doubting writer in being the perfect sunset festival band.
Selfish Cunt offer shambolic mayhem to a packed across the
field, Martin Tomlinson still proving himself as a charismatic frontman
even if the music delivered isn't quite enough to back up the arrogance
while Chrome Hoof are outstanding, being the only band to truly
capture the audience's imagination with their mix of !!!
danceability with fearless hard metal sensibilities.
It's a shame Wire couldn't be likewise. As they look thoroughly
unhappy to be here and drawl out sub-standard pub rock, we
seek an early exit, ending not a terrible day but perhaps one that would
have been seriously in trouble had the weather not been as satisfying as
it was.
Offset Festival 2008:
Day 2
 | 
share with:
