My eleventh Latitude, and an unusual one as I could only make Thursday and Friday. But I got to see some outstanding performances – from old favourites and one fantastic new discovery. My highlights below.

Thursday 20 July

Racoon Jane – Trailer Park

Racoon Jane, who played for an hour in the Trailer Park, starting at eight, were an absolute delight. They are a five-piece who play country, folk and bluegrass. And they were just a lot of fun. I assumed they were American, because they felt very authentic, but then I realised the singer had an English accent – though her voice was straight out of Nashville. They aren’t on Spotify and a Google search didn’t reveal anything, but I’d love to see them play again. Maybe they’ll do something like the Half Moon in Putney some time.

Friday 21 July

The Joy Hotel – Alcove

I was wavering between the desert blues of Tinawiren on the Obelisk and the chance to hear something new. Jon had heard good things about the Joy Hotel, so I plumped for them – and how glad I am that I did. They were a revelation. One of the best acts I’ve ever seen at Latitude. Their music was an utter joy – at the end I felt quite emotional about it, and when Jon asked me at the end how I would define their music, all I could say was epic. There were seven of them crammed onto the tiny stage: four guitarists, two of whom shared lead vocals; keyboards, bass, drums. Even as they tuned up, I felt that they had a presence about them, an assurance. We were on for something special.

So yes, they were epic, and so interesting as the music veered across multiple genres. The first piece took up well over half of the forty minute set, and was a series of songs and musical passages within the whole. During the performance they brought so many of my favourite bands to mind, and yet they had their own distinctive sound. Key references would be early Springsteen (think New York City Serenade or Growin’ Up), the Waterboys at their most grandiose (Whole of the Moon, Old England), the Murder Capital (for the guitars and the drama), Hothouse Flowers (Don’t Go, Isn’t it Amazing), Glasvegas (Daddy’s Gone, Geraldine) and maybe even The Band for that keyboard-infused rambling, rolling sound. Rolling thunder indeed!

The band have three songs on Spotify at the moment: Killing Time, Old Man’s Eyes, Jeremiah. I am loving them all! There’s another out soon called Black Balloon. And the debut album Ceremony is out in November. It has been recorded as one piece of music, rather like the first part of the set at Latitude. There’s no big tour planned just yet, though I’m sure there will be – perhaps early in 2024. They have a homecoming at St Luke’s in Glasgow in November, just after the album comes out. That promises to be a huge celebration and I’ve managed to get tickets for it.

The joy of discovery has always been a key part of the Latitude experience. The Joy Hotel are one of the great examples.

The Murder Capital – BBC Sounds stage

From the exhilaration of discovering a great new band to the exhilaration of seeing a now-established band on peak form. The Murder Capital were awesome. They play with a swagger that comes from knowing how good they are, and that people have recognised it. The atmosphere in the BBC tent was fantastic – after their Latitude debut on the Sunrise in 2019, this felt like a homecoming.

The set was paced similarly to their performance at Glastonbury, though the songs were moved around a little. Fast, slow then very fast! They began with three from the debut album When I Have Fears: For Everything, More is Less and Green & Blue. For Everything was raging; More is Less was as explosive as ever. The anguish of Green & Blue took us into a sequence of five from this year’s album Gigi’s Recovery. More elaborate and contemplative than most of the first album, but imbued with an inner power and melodies that grip you after a few listens. The last of that sequence, Return my Head, started to up the pace, and then we were into a whirlwind last three – the biggest crowd pleasers: Feeling Fades, Ethel – the new favourite – and Don’t Cling to Life. Cue moshing, with singer James McGovern once again venturing into the audience, declaiming the lyrics while standing on shoulders and surfing on his back across the crowd. Total engagement.

This was the third time I’ve seen the Murder Capital play this year, including Glastonbury on the TV. The first was a magnificent show at the O2 Forum, Kentish Town, in February. They are on tour again in the Autumn and I’ll be making one of my two trips to Glasgow this November to see them. The London gig clashes with something else, and they are just so good at the moment that I can’t miss them.

The Last Dinner Party – Sunrise stage

We got across to the Sunrise, in the woods, just in time for the start of The Last Dinner Party. The arena was packed to the rafters, which took me by surprise. I knew this band were highly-rated, but I didn’t know it was this highly. In fact, I didn’t know that much about them at all, although I’d heard them being interviewed on Steve Lamacq’s 6 Music show. Doing a bit of research for this blog, I discovered that there was a lot of hype around the band at the time they released their debut single Nothing Matters in May. And there was a backlash too! The detractors allege they are music business plants, a manufactured band who have had access to a major label, Island. Supporters point out that they have been gigging for a year, building a strong following. It’s also suggested that a lot of the criticism is sexist, as the band are all women. I’m sure there’s some truth in that. Still, if they are any good, they’ll succeed on that basis.

So were they any good at Latitude? Well, yes, they were. At times I wasn’t quite sure what to make of them (and didn’t have a very good view) but they had a lot of energy, plenty of variety, and a charismatic singer, Abigail Morris, who looked and sounded like she might have been influenced by Kate Bush. I liked them best when the guitars rocked out, which they did from time to time. At other times I wasn’t really getting much in the way of strong melodies, but that might just have been the unfamiliarity. Other than Kate Bush, the sound of Sparks came to mind quite often. And the way the riffs kicked in at unexpected moments inevitably invited comparisons with the likes of Black Country New Road (Mk I) or even Black Midi. I believe they may have similar music school antecedents too.

So yes, good in parts. And very well-received by the capacity crowd. They clearly have a promising future.

Gretel Hänlyn – Sunrise stage

Someone more familiar next – to me, anyway. I have to remind myself that it’s only a year or so since I saw Gretel Hänlyn play her first ever headlining show at Bermondsey Social Club. That was around the time she released her first EP, Slugeye, which was packed with vibrant rock’n’roll, poignant ballads and catchy melodies. That EP pulled together her singles to date and added a few more songs, an approach she took again with her second EP, Head of the Love Club, in March this year. This collection had a slightly poppier sound and a fuller production, but still plenty of those irresistible riffs. I saw Gretel and the band play a very slick show at the Pitchfork festival at the Roundhouse in November last year, and a less successful show at Wide Awake in May this year, when they were beset by sound problems which seemed to knock her confidence a bit. No need to worry about that though – she and the band were back to their best on the Sunrise.

The set was nicely balanced between the two EPs, beginning with two of her most popular and upbeat songs, Apple Juice and Wiggy (about her cat apparently!). Drive was suitably driving, and I enjoyed the inclusion of two of the ballads from Slugeye, Connie and In the Water. The last four were a dream selection: Slugeye (trenchant as ever); the ever wonderful rocker Motorbike; It’s the Future Baby (the first of her songs I ever heard) and Today (can’t help but cry), which despite the title, is developing into a bit of an upbeat anthem. I was pleased to see Gretel looking so relaxed and confident, talking amusingly in between songs. Comes with experience – if you are good and the crowd are responding. They certainly did at the Sunrise.

The band are playing End of the Road this year. I’ll be there!

Pulp – Obelisk

Pulp were the headliners on Friday. They’ve not played Latitude before, and this show was highly anticipated. If you asked anyone who they were looking forward to seeing, the answer was invariably Pulp. The whole arena was packed in a way I’ve rarely seen it before, though once you’ve made your way through the melée at the back, where people are coming and going, you can usually find a reasonable viewing spot. You just have to hope the people in front of you don’t haul their children onto their shoulders too often. The Obelisk is the main base for families and picnickers, so it’s just part and parcel of the experience. You get used to it. And on the whole I avoid the main stage – most of the interesting bands are playing elsewhere.

People came for all the hits and an entertaining show and that’s exactly what they got.  I was never a massive Pulp fan, but of course I liked Common People, Sorted for Es and Whizz and Disco 2000 – the songs that made Pulp stars in 1995. Or, more accurately, made Jarvis Cocker a star. Waving his bum at Michael Jackson at the Brits helped too! Disco 2000 opened the show after an intro and generated the atmosphere that remained throughout the set. There were some longueurs, although there was always enough going on onstage, with the backdrops and lighting, to keep the attention. The hits were judiciously dispersed through the set. Es and Whizz was a highlight, with green laser light illuminating the darkening sky. Do You Remember the First Time and Babies from 1994’s His’n’Hers album made an excellent sequence towards the end of the main set, and Common People, of course, finished the whole thing off, with Jarvis tantalising the crowd beforehand. It may have been one of the greatest communal moments at Latitude – the song is a national anthem.

Jarvis was at his showy best, dressed in stylish black, standing theatrically astride two blocks at the front of the stage. He did well to avoid the splits! A staircase at the back allowed for a dramatic entrance and some grandstanding throughout the show. He told a few stories around the songs, but didn’t overdo the patter. All very-well judged. It was pure entertainment, a celebration of the music and the man, reminding a lot of people in the crowd of the halcyon days of Britpop. But the younger folk seemed to be enjoying it too. Great pop songs transcend the generations and Pulp have got their fair share.

And that was it for this year. An exceptional day’s music. Latitude delivered once again. I hope to be back again in 2024!