V;
I suppose it didn’t matter to the majority of people there - i.e. flouro-clad bogans who were soley there for the purposes of chugging beers and jeering at chicks (and leaving in limo’s???) but the fucking around with the timetable right until the last minute made sure that nobody who actually planned on seeing bands yesterday knew when or where the bands they wanted to see were playing - and in fear of leaving the front of the stage for Duran Duran (I was BORN in the 80’s, fuck off) in order to catch CSS - ONLY to learn that they had just finished, and by the time I’d trek back to Duran Duran they’d be over too…* I just stayed at Duran Duran. So my biggest regret was not having the guts to go see CSS. So much regret.
Anyway, I met some random Colombians (the male of which was wearing a fur coat with no shirt on…!?) and watched Hot Hot Heat - who were alright, I enjoyed the oldies; got accosted by security; couldn’t help but stare at Johnny Marr for like 80% of Modest Mouse’s set; got over to “That Stage” and managed to shimmee my way to the front just as Roisin came on stage - she was fucking hot. An ex-boyfriend and his new lady managed to make it behind me just after this, and after asking what I thought of her set, the combination of seeing him and how amazing Ms Murphy was led me to say “I’m pretty sure I just turned gay”.
Air were absolutely phenomenal. Kelly Watch The Stars/Sexy Boy back to back almost made my head explode. They played so much Moon Safari. So good. They looked so happy and everyone seemed into it. I proceeded to turn straight again after Jean-Benoit made eye contact with me.
Duran Duran were hillarious. It was the most fun I’d had for a long time. The crowd was strangely exactly as I’d imagined it - 40-50 year old ladies EVERYWHERE holding home-made “WE LOVE DURAN DURAN” posters and generally screaming nonsense like “MARRY ME SIMON” (I swear I almost died when this ACTUALLY HAPPENED). It was hit after hit after hit. I was laughing the whole time, it was so great. And I kept getting weirded out by John Taylor for having fathered Nick Valensi’s step-child. Or whatever you’d call her. Then again, not many people haven’t been inside demand-a-cabinet. Favourite line to see LeBon sing live (and with feeling): “some people call it a one night stand - but we can call it paradise” .
The first song of the Smashing Pumpkins’ encore was preceeded by like 3 minutes of Billy Corgan complaining about The Presets/Dance music, which then turned into an extended jam in the vein of a “dance song” - thunderous kick drum and monotonous riff as standard - with bitching about disco and perfection and eventually incorporating such impromtu gems as “I wanna fuck your mum, I wanna fuck your dad”. Whatever. You’re wearing a skirt that looks like a mirrorball.
I took like 23,000 photos so I’ll put at least three up soon.
*confusing, hypothetical-but-I’d-convinced-myself-that-it-would-happen situation
