Sunday 15/07/07 Day 3 @ Latitude, Henham Park, Suffolk

Sunday features a music-laden programme with a timetable every ounce as good as Friday. With the baroque and chamber works of The Irrepressibles bridging music with performance and costume - all ten members dressed in white with all manner of dinky hats and coloured hair-do's, their strengths in their composition with a vocalist a cross between Jeff Buckley and Antony and the Johnson's. "...the tide takes us back to the sea..." as a further four dancers join the troupe from the far shore of the Lake, opening with the verse "Oh she's such a crazy bitch..." on 'My Friend Joe' lending a Victorian theatrical charm to this wacky bunch, and a baroque encore "...I only ever want to see your face..." set to flute, sax, clarinet, double bass, cello, x2 guitars, violins and percussion make for a bridge to another time, another place.

Mellow moments come from Cardiff's folk-rock lassie Cate Le Bon singing "...I take what I want/ no one can drag me down..." to a winsome melody with good high notes and a deserved comparison with Joni Mitchell, whilst 'She Roams' brings comparisons with a country-ish female Neil Young singing "...these are hard times to fall in love...". Following songs switch to the Welsh-tongue which features a certain Scandinavian-like exoticism with songs about missing dogs and glam-rock numbers.

Jeff Buckley caterwauling is evoked once again with a first festival appearance from The Hoosiers with more than a hint of The Sparks front-man in evidence. 'Everything Goes Dark' kicks with marching rhythms and stabbing guitars, as for 'Worry About Ray' where menace gives way to a stompin' number, and 'Goodbye Mr Rain' features whirly keyboards over pounding rhythms proving anthemic with shades of E.L.O.

Ra Ra Riot capture the energy of a young Arcade Fire with pomp and frenticism played out over a fast delivery from electric cello and violin proving a band to watch with a certain Dexy's Midnight Runners glint. Fortunately, more time to spend with Cherry Ghost rocking like The Band by way of Turin Brakes, singing "...change your name and cut your hair..." as a top opener,  more raucous on 'Rosies' with soundscape effects, and like an Anglo The Hold Steady on 'Here Come The Romans' with a West Coast sound - it's no wonder they appeared on 'Later With Jools Holland' without having recorded a single note, "...I lost my throat to a cut throat serenade...".

More than a touch of genius is to be found back on the Obelisk Arena finding Chicago-based Andrew Bird with eerie plucked violin being layed and looped and astounding Theramin-like whistling going the same, leading to the whistle and handclap samples of 'Fiery Breathe' being created and proof that the created sample is lord almighty over the found. With an amazing breadth of sound for a x3 piece act, Andrew Bird sings "...you're what happens when two substances collide..." before garage-rock moments and M Ward/Rufus Wainwright vocals to a noirish songbook.
 
Obelisk Arena fun continues with the full band sound from the six piece act of The National and a vocalist who's let off instrument duties yet with gorgeous riffs and wall of sound guitars despite being let down and having to borrow from Andrew Bird, 'cause The National nearly didn't make it. With the production of 'The Boxer' marking one of the album highlights of the year, The National felt left wanting by a lack of engagement beyond the functional.

Cold War Kids ruffle the feathers with the anthemic 'Vacation' - "...I'll never touch a drop as long as I live..." leading to an indifferent response in this department and explorations of the Music and Film Arena where Jeremy Warmsley and Sea Buzzard Visuals are being all crafty with a song "...I'll take care of you..." as the visuals play out the live dressing of a hand wound, and the rock 'n' roll chaos of "Tom if you're out there, I need you now", and seconds later it's Tom - "Yeah, I'm here man", for He's needed for a game of snap for the visuals to 'Dirty Bee Gees' and lovely acoustic renditions too.