Lovebox Victoria Park, London 17-18/7/10
4/5
By: Tom Hocknell
Despite the Lambeth Country Show offering sheep shearing and owl displays, there was really only one party this weekend in London, and that was Lovebox.
On Saturday Roxy Music demonstrated the admirable power of restraint, alongside genuinely timeless songs such as ‘Love is the Drug’ and ‘Virginia Plane’, while Bryan Ferry demonstrated how it is possible to age successfully, with a grace Ozzy and their ilk will never achieve. There is whisper of a new album this year, although no clue was given here. It might even involve Brian Eno, despite his ongoing absence from the band’s live duties.
Perhaps Lovebox booking bands not only with current albums to promote, the line up, is one of the summer’s best; this was exemplified by Sunday’s line up, where disco ruled. The curators, Groove Armada were conspicuous by their absence, but Australians Cut Copy mined a similar vein to Groove Armada’s rebirth (with recent album Black Light), with their own throbbing synth indie, which comes across live far better than it does on paper; like the Delays but with better press (and drugs).
Starting their set with the magical ‘Lights and Music’ was brave, and a predictable lull followed, with new tune ‘Another Day’, needing more listens, however, they expertly built their set to a grateful crowd, reminding us of how many more songs they have than the opener, with the driving ‘Heart’s on Fire’ and ‘So Haunted’ even outclassing it, and the crowd bounced like balls by the end before charging across Victoria Park to catch Hot Chip.
Earlier in the day, DFA records’, Hercules and Love Affair reminded revellers why it is actually them, not the Scissor Sisters that the UK should take close to their heart from the choice of hedonistic, contemporary New York disco bands. Founder, Andy Butler demonstrated the skill in wearing a sailor’s hat and little else when fiddling around with buttons and decks at the back, and getting away with it. Meanwhile various members of the new line up demonstrated that Pet Shop Boys’ Chris Lowe isn’t the only one with adventurous taste in sunglasses and that Hercules’ music sounds FAR better live than it did on their debut album. Their new set, and line up, points to high expectations for the new album in September, with Andy promising to see us soon (with some more collaborators).
The great pull of Sunday was the timeless, and apparently ageless, Grace Jones. Of course she dished out her take on Saturday’s ‘Love Is The Drug’, which remains as frantic as her 1980 recorded version, but sung with such gusto it is impossible to dislike; not that anyone would tell her even if they didn’t. However, the high points (other than blue Mohican hats, and singing while suspended on ropes) were the more biographical ‘Williams’ Blood’, obliquely introduced with the words “has anyone been to my brother’s church?” from her last album, and ‘My Jamaican Guy’. ‘Pull Up to Bumper’ conquered all, while those people thinking Trevor Horn’s production on ‘Slave to the Rhythm’ could not be topped need to see it sung live while Jones spins a hula hoop around her waist for the 7 + min duration; it’ll never sound quite the same again.
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