London has been having one of its wettest summers in ages, and there has been intense flooding around the nation, so when the heavens opened up as I was walking to the beautiful confines of Victoria Park, I worried that day one Lovebox was under threat of being renamed Mud-box. Fortunately the rain gods were only teasing us. When I arrived at around 3.30 p.m., just in time to catch Patrick Wolfe, the sun and blue skies had begun to peek their heads out from behind the grey clouds.
Now in its fifth year, the Groove Armada boys seem to have the festival thing down pat, and there was a good mix of musical talent, eclectic stage set-ups and other attractions.
Dubbed a mini-Glastonbury by organizers, this feeling rang true, as despite some low-key sponsoring, it felt relatively corporate free. Food options were plentiful and went far beyond burgers and chips (with the jerk chicken stall taking my vote).
The tent of the afternoon for me though had to be Secretsundaze. Tucked away in the furthest corner of the grounds, the circular fenced enclosure had a real backwoods feel to it with a bayou porch of a stage. The centrepiece was of course the infamous Secretsundaze disco ball which hung from a giant stump of a tree. Giles Smith and 2000 and One spun house tracks that were perfect for mid-afternoon, the loyal SS crowd responded, and the result was a dirty (in a good way) daytime afterparty-like vibe. Labels: festivals, lovebox, music, secretsundaze, techno |
