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Latitude Festival Review: The Quietus Gets Saucy In Southwold
Luke Turner , July 24th, 2009 07:26

The Quietus bored by Yorke but tentage to Grace Jones, Pet Shop Boys and Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds at the driest wet festival of the year. Photographs by Lucy Johnston.

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Tricky
Uncut Stage
Sunday, 18.10

It's not exactly clear what Tricky does. He's onstage, certainly, hopping to the back every now and then for a cheeky smoke. Take Grace Jones out of the equation, and he's got far more sex appeal than pretty much all the other Latitude performers combined, especially when you consider the Lake Stage has slipped gradually into a mire of twee as the weekend has progressed (Gaggle and Slow Club are best avoided). Shirtless, tattooed and wiry, he stands at the front of the stage shaking his topknot about, and occasionally growling into the microphone. But that's sort of the point - Tricky is bigger than the music, a loveable living Englishman, an all round good egg. After the set (made up of music that owes more to the garrulous end of post punk than his beloved Specials) comes to an end, Tricky spends a good half hour by the side of the stage, having his picture taken with audience members, hugging them, patting the kids on the head, that sort of caper. National treasure, is Tricky, of the best sort.
Next: Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds