Broadcast

It was a bold move opening the festival with one of the joint strongest acts. Initially it was disappointing to see that they no longer funtion with full band, as around the time of Ha Ha Sound they were complimented by a fearsome neo-Krautrock rhythm section. As it is, we have just Trish Keenan on vocals and keys and James Cargill on creaking, ancient electronics. Like The Fall, however, Broadcast are "always the same, always different" and they still provide the same dislocating pulse which flips a very deep rooted Pavlovian switch in this reviewer who has to sit down on the floor lest he falls over. My companion, who started celebrating at 9am is visibly terrified when they begin but is down the front gripping the rails by the end with white knuckles, declaring it to be the "best" thing ever. They are pretty much unique in being able to put this kind of British psychedelic music into a new context without it ever seeming twee or feeling like a Flight Of The Conchords pastiche.

JD