Hello everyone. We had a great time in England at the ATP Festival recently. For your viewing pleasure here is the setlist and show review.
Best,
Jimmy
Setlist :
Stargirl
Weird On The Avenue / Raped
The Good Witch
The Rubble And The Priest
Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word (Elton John)
Whisper
I've Got Drugs (Out Of The Mist)
I Only Play 4 Money
The Longing Goes Away
Encore
Fuck Off
Champagne Supernova (Oasis)
Creep (Radiohead)
La Cucaracha (Spanish Folk Corrido)
No No Song (Ringo Starr)
Now You Know You're Black
The Good Bad And The Ugly Main Theme (Ennio Morricone)
Desperate But Not Serious (Adam Ant)
London Bridge Is Falling Down (Nursery Rhyme)
I've Been Working On The Railroad (American Folk Song)
Dykes Are We
Can You Take Me Back? (The Beatles)
ATP Day 2
Big love for The Breeders
17 May 2009 - The Breeders headline slot last night was one of the happiest shows I have ever been to. There was so much admiration and love emanating from the audience.
You can't beat onstage banter between siblings, especially that of twins Kim and Kelley Deal. At times you feel as if you've stumbled across them mucking around in their garage. What's obvious is that this band are still having a great time and the material sounds as fresh as ever, especially their career-defining track Cannonball.
The opening lines of No Aloha sung by Kim make the hairs stand up on my arms as she dedicates it to Barry Hogan, the mastermind behind All Tomorrow's Parties. It's clear that this band have a lot of love for this festival and it's reflected right back at them by the audience.
Founder member of legendary post-punk trio Wire, Colin Newman, summed up what in his opinion makes ATP so unique: "When they started, (there was) nothing like that around. I mean there were soul weekender's and people who were taking over holiday camps, but nobody had done it with bands.
"The idea that you could go somewhere, not sit in a muddy field... a lot of not-so-big bands play these festivals and get the chance, at it's roots I think it's a great festival."
Knitting with Kelley Deal
What also makes ATP a very special festival, is that no barrier exists between fan and artist. No VIP zone, no backstage-only access and then, there's Kelley Deal's knitting circle.
Who brings knitting to a festival? Plenty of people, especially if Kelley Deal is involved. Not only were fans a few yards away from The Breeders guitarist but she also walked the room saying HI to everyone who had turned up with their needles and wool, chatting about casting on and happily posing for pictures with delighted punters.
The Frogs
Aside from watching crowd-pleasing performances from CSS, Teenage Fanclub, Wire and Th' Faith Healers, it was the art-punk, dramatic stylings of Milwaukee band The Frogs that left the biggest impression on my weekend.
Brothers Jimmy and Dennis have been making music together since the early 80's, and their show is something to behold. Punk versions of The Beatles and Oasis hits interspersed with their own material - improvised 'home recordings' with words and titles I can't repeat here.
Their live show is legendary. Jimmy wears feather boas, huge silver bat wings and a feathery face mask, whilst Dennis looks a bit like The Mighty Boosh's Noel Fielding. Kelley Deal's endorsement by playing guitar on their opening track meant that a substantial crowd gathered, split by those crying with laughter and sheer joy at what they saw and those who walked away in confusion.
Now that's what coming to a festival like ATP is all about.
So many great bands, and so little time. On my wish-list today are Tokyo's Melt Banana, who have been working with Wire, and 4AD signees Deerhunter. Oh, and more knitting with Kelley...