Fucking with Pillheads

I have returned from ATP. It was pretty good, not as good as The Fans Strike Back in May (which I never wrote up on), possibly because there was a bit too much drone and I didn't go to bed on the saturday night which led to me being in splashworld at 10am, knackered, confused and wondering if I would make it through to 1230am to see Lightning Bolt in tiny, tiny Reds. I didn't; fell asleep watching Blade Runner in the chalet. So, I did manage to see the following:

Friday
Bardo Pond
Growing
Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks
J. Mascis & The Fog (an entire guitar solo, then I gave up)
Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Jim Sclavunos DJ set (drummer in Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds)
Múm
Fuck Buttons
Edan Dee Jay Set

Saturday
Afrirampo
Dirty Three
Battles
Melvins
Modest Mouse
Sunn O))) (about 3 minutes worth, all one note, the vibrations went through me, so I went next door)
Belle & Sebastian DJs
Justin Spear

Sunday
Josh T. Pearson
Deerhoof
Mudhoney
Explosions in the Sky
The Mars Volta (playing Inertiatic esp; can't stand them so literally saw this in passing)

Some of these clashed with each other plus weird timetabling meant I didn't see The Breeders (exact sane time as Modest Mouse) and some others I missed because I was knackered (Shellac) or watching awesome TV (Papa M) or couldn't be fussed (Sleepy Sun).

I've stated elsewhere that Sunn O))) were bad but its more just a case of I don't get drone. After watching Fuck Buttons and EITS live I can't say I get them either. EITS are just boring and Fuck Buttons are best on record when you are journeying. I can't just sit and listen to them in my house, I always turn it off. They are blaaaaaah.

Saw Afrirampo as Barry Hogan (ATP founder) claims they put on the best show at ATP ever (a direct tie with Lightning Bolt, for him) and he wasn't wrong. Mental Japanese girls. Bit like a more, er, melodic Melt Banana, I suppose. Great drumming and great audience interaction. Warren Ellis had them on to give out balloons to the crowd during Dirty Three's set. Yeah Yeah Yeahs were excellent, even though they were half an hour late. Karen O responded to the boos with a sweary riposte; "fuck you we just got here you motherfuckerrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrs. I love you ATP. I hate you ATP!" Then she spat water everywhere whilst the entire band proceeded to be 100% awesome for the next hour or so. Best song was either Maps or Modern Romance.

Múm were superb, seemed like they were on at the wrong time of day (10-11pm) but they were pretty soothing following on from Yeah Yeah Yeahs and coming before Fuck Buttons, who almost broke my ears. Drone dance is worse than drone, yeah?

Dirty Three and Battles were a bit up and down. Too much off Ocean Songs and not enough of Indian Love Song, which is absolutely bonkers. Battles were Battles. John Stanier has a really high cymbal and looks like Gordon Brown. The nerds done good.

Melvins are weird. Good but weird. Not sure I'd ever listen to them by choice, The Bloat aside. Four drummers made for a pretty weird experience, with two of them coming from Modest Mouse. The last ten minutes were literally just drumming with Dale Crover shouting "DEATH. PLAYS. FOR. KEEPS." Mental.

Modest Mouse were loud as crikey and played a good mix of new and old stuff as Isaac Brock drank cayenne and vinegar for a sore throat... Josh T. Pearson was a weird, great folk man and Deerhoof were as odd as you'd expect from a programme note that said:

Basket Ball Basket Ball Basket
Dribble
Pivot Pivot Pivot Pivot Escape
Dribble
Bunny Jump Bunny Jump
Bunny Bunny Bunny Jump
Go Go Champyong
Speed Speed Champyong
Rebound Rebound
Rebound Rebound Ready OK?
Rah Rah Rah Rah Rah

The only other thing to report is that you should, readers all, go on youtube, or download, Brad Neely's Wizard People, Dear Reader, which is sublime. Its the first Harry Potter film overdubbed with a narration by this Texan chap, Neely. Bizarre, hilarious and divine. "YOU WILL BE A WIZARD, IN-FUCKIN'-DEED"!

PS: It is pretty damn chilly in Minehead at this time of year. Next year's Nightmare Before Christmas headliner will have to be Pearl Jam or something for me to commit...

We Call Upon The Author

The rest of them albums of the decade that I can't be bothered to write about as the whole process has become a bit boring all over the net and telly.

In no particular order, the other 8 were/are:

Panda Bear - Person Pitch
LCD Soundsystem - Sound of Silver
Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Fever to Tell
Death From Above 1979 - You're a Woman, I'm a Machine
Sufjan Stevens - Michigan
My Morning Jacket - Z (Fuck Fleet Foxes)
No Age - Nouns
The National - Alligator

Perhaps!