The Apple Cart Festival - Victoria Park, London 7/8/11
4/5
By: Tom Hocknell
In light of the recent riots, last Sunday’s Apple Cart festival seems a time ago now, but back in the peaceful past of that weekend, people were asking ’does the summer season need another festival?’
The sensible answer would be no, but it’s not this festival’s answer. It is Camp Bestival for one day in London, which for those with children is ideal if, by a third day in Dorset, another rendition of Rastamouse/Mr Tumble rarities has you reaching for the guy ropes. The Apple Cart has plenty for kids, but is categorically for grownups.
Today has a line up vaguely reminiscent of Heavenly records, with music and comedy having equal billing. Marcus Brigstocke, promoting his thought provoking ‘God Collar’ book, more than compensates for Kevin Eldon’s strangely desperate set of Dad jokes. But really, we’re here for the music.
Now what makes a good festival? If it’s arriving just in time to miss great bits then this hits the spot early, as a red-suited Patrick Wolf bows out to the sax solo to his recent ‘The City’ making us wish we had seen the whole show.
Badly Drawn Boy may have been quiet of late, but is the living embodiment of The Apple Cart, with his droll humour treading the thin line between ironic miserablism and simply miserablism. Across the refreshingly crystal-clear sound system of the main stage he aborts his own songs half way through, airs a new one (‘I Keep The Things You Throw Away’), before complaining about “the twats at the front putting me off”. He ignores the miraculous arrival of large balloons in the festival’s red yellow and green branding, which are released, to be chased after like currency by children and revellers alike. He also loses interest in his own songs half way through, such as ‘This Electric’, which he announces “is about nothing”, but thankfully doesn’t pull out of a fantastic joke about a talking dog, nor ‘Silent Sigh’, which “I wrote for Hugh Grant”, or a rousing rendition of Bruce Springsteen’s (“He’s the reason I'm standing in this stage.”) ‘Thunder Road’, by which point he is running so hilariously over time that he is watching for security. The typically melodic recent single ‘I Saw You Walk Away’ (‘if I don 't crucify myself, somebody will…’) perfectly encapsulates his approach to his career. His gigs can be perilous affairs, but if you’ve not seen him, do - he’s a treasure.
Tim Minchin proves comedy at festivals can be dragged from the tents onto the main stages, his pastiche on Elton John’s ‘Rocket Man’ was part of the festival’s perfect trajectory, as the day develops under a sun setting over west London that isn’t burning vinyl warehouses (for that they will remain unforgiven).
Jazzie B presides over Soul II Soul sound system, which proves to be a surprisingly worthy draw, with singers, string section and kettle drums, he grins as they launch into the sultry ‘Keep on Movin’. Even if lesser-known songs are aired, the classics are exactly as he threatened on Club Classics Vol 1. (and 2) back in the late 80s.
Meanwhile, on the main stage, Saint Etienne make a stunning comeback from an extended break, with a line up stripped of drums and guitars, dropping attempts to be a ‘real’ band, and instead giving in to programmed synths, and enjoying the impeccable sound system to deliver a stronger electronic sound. Accompanied by an eloquent backdrop of visuals, and St Etienne (in Helvetica neon), they deliver a mix of tunes from their debut album, such as a beautifully reupholstered ‘Only Love Can Break Your Heart’, taking a cue from the recent Richard X re-rub, and on new song ‘(Making out to the) DJ’, even coming across as the godfathers of chill-wave. The set takes their creative wind of 2005’s Tales from Turnpike House full in the sails, with the coda ‘I promise you/I swear to you’ of ‘Springtime’ and ‘Burnt out Car’ hitting the spot perfectly, and on another new song ‘Tonight’, they sound similarly rejuvenated. They close the set, and festival, with the Italo-disco of ‘He’s On The Phone’, which becomes twice the hit it should have been. Across the site are smiles and a few surviving balloons still being rounded up, while Sarah Cracknell sings ‘Yes,’, before ‘she never meant to call/but she did anyway,’ but she may as well have been answering our opening question - is there room for another festival?
Artists in this article: Badly Drawn Boy, Saint Etienne, Patrick Wolf
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