It might have been the muddiest but the seventh Latitude festival was also the best, a fact already evident on Friday, with excellent acts from vintage must-sees to critics' favourites and fast-rising hipsters.
Despite the weather, Dexys were dapper in their wide-brimmed hats and high-waisted trousers. There is such good feeling about their return few seemed to mind that the performance focused on the new album. Janelle Monaé's retro-futurist soul was impressive, even if it did feel more like a showcase for old styles than a signpost towards funk's future.
Considering Latitude's reputation as a child-friendly festival, there wasn't much music for kids – perhaps why Lana Del Rey elicited such big teen screams. Exuding film-noir class, her voice was fine and her charisma off the scale.
Latitude's new band booker was spot-on. Alt-J – contenders for this year's Mercury prize – thrilled with their idiosyncratic mix of dubstep, folk and indie. Metronomy's crisp electro-pop and Bon Iver's wistful harmony rock proved a fine end to Friday.
Saturday opened with the mellow soul of Lianne La Havas, and there was a good turnout for Daryl Hall: Maneater and Out of Touch offered the kind of glossy US radio pop to which every Brooklyn blog band aspires, and Rumer joined him for Sara Smile. Django Django – along with Alt-J the electronic/indie band to watch – played to a packed crowd, and SBTRKT, the masked man of "post-dubstep", turned the Word (RIP) tent into London club FWD>>. Elbow closed Saturday with music for festival dads, climaxing with a firework display at odds with their dour anthemic rock.
Sunday's lineup was strong, but could have benefited from more urban acts to dispel criticisms that Latitude is middle-aged/middle-class. Alabama Shakes' blues rock was powerful, pianist Lang Lang an esoteric delight. It was left to Wild Beasts and Paul Weller to bring the curtain down on a festival that is starting to feel like a serious alternative to Glastonbury.
The view on Twitter
Hello latitude@ latitude uk instagr.am/p/NDqMRzpWJX/
— Bon Iver (@boniver) July 14, 2012
Smashed Latitude Fest!!!! Didn't come cross this pond to play games... I love y'all thank you!!!
😍😍😍— Janelle Monae (@JanelleMonae) July 13, 2012
Los Campesinos! 1 — 0 Latitude Festival
— Los Campesinos! (@loscampesinos) July 14, 2012
Latitude was amazing lastnight.
Genuinely still overwhelmed by the turn out for an hour of spoken words. Good work you lot! #myheadhurts— Scroobius Pip (@Scroobiuspipyo) July 15, 2012
Reasonable view of Weller at Latitude. twitter.com/TheRealJackDee…
— Jack Dee (@TheRealJackDee) July 15, 2012
"I'm confused. Is Weller that guy off x-factor?" #latitude #despair
— tom_watson (@tom_watson) July 15, 2012
Just gettin home from latitude after getting stuck in the mud.. IT WAS SO FUCKING WORTH IT! THANK YOU TO EVERYONE THAT CAME TODAY AND.....
— Lianne La Havas (@liannelahavas) July 15, 2012
Thank you all at Latitude. Good vibes. ! Onward to Optimus Alive Portugal.
— SBTRKT (@SBTRKT)
July 14, 2012
