LONGITUDE – SATURDAY REPORT: Let’s Hear It For Caribou!

Longitude Day Two – Marlay Park, Dublin

Judging by the conversations buzzing around the Marlay Park shuttle bus, day one at Longitude undoubtedly belonged to the all-conquering Hozier. So it was nice to keep the Irish theme going as Saturday’s proceedings kicked-off with more Irish talent.

Daithí’s live set has been progressing steadily for a number of years now and a 3pm Heineken Stage slot proved the ideal opportunity for the Co. Clare man to endear himself to some new listeners. If I had a euro for every time I was asked “Who’s this?” I would’ve left, eh, eight euro richer. That’s a testament to Daithí, whose sophisticated take on EDM registers with the young crowd. The fiddle loops and manipulations are still a mainstay in an increasingly sophisticated repertoire, but its 2013’s ‘Chameleon Life’ that still lands the hardest punch.

Daithí’s set proves the perfect segue for Le Galaxie over on the Main Stage. Looking resplendent in white, frontman Michael Pope is in typically energetic form, bouncing and gyrating early doors to Le Club highlight ‘Humanise’ and the effervescent ‘The Nightcaller’. Le Galaxie are a formidable live act with headline appeal, that’s a given. But despite star turns from Senita Appiakorang (‘Tell Me Twice’) and Fight Like Apes’ MayKaye (‘Carmen’), 4pm is far too early for Le Galaxie to really work their magic. Opportunity missed by the schedulers, I’m afraid.

A quick slalom through the lounging masses gets us back to the Heineken Stage to catch the second half of Petite Noir, the guise of 24-year-old Cape Town resident Yannick Ilunga. Arguably the most singular artist on the Longitude bill, Petite Noir infuses African guitars and rhythms with some Savages/Joy Division post-punk personality and Kanye-influenced beats, in what Ilunga calls “noir-wave”. The singer exudes effortless charisma, and with tracks like the tenacious, defiant ‘Down’ (from forthcoming debut album), Petite Noir is a name worth checking out. An absolute joy!

There’s a distinct tropical feel back on the Main Stage for Glass Animals. The sun might not be blazing but they set the scene with randomly placed pineapples across the stage, while frontman Dave Bailey rocks a palm tree t-shirt and pineapple shaker. “For this next one we want everyone to pretend they’re on a sunny tropical island,” enthuses Bailey as he introduces the suitably chilled and cool-as-fuck ‘Gooey’. The English indie charmer’s stock is on the rise and they’ll have won over some more fans with this cracking set.

We get our first piece of Dan Snaith action as the much-loved Caribou man brings his dance-focused Daphni project to a sizeable and clued-in crowd, ‘Ye Ye’ being one of many tracks from Jiaolong dropped to huge cheers. More from Dan later.

Toro y Moi (Chazwick Bradley Bundick to his mother) may have risen to prominence during the blissful chill-wave years, but since the turn of the decade, the North Carolina producer/musician has been on a mission to successfully combine the electronic styles of his earlier work with a traditional full band sound. Chaz certainly nailed that ambition on 2015 album What For?. But at Longitude, to a crowd that appear to have stumbled upon Toro y Moi, Chaz and band fail to make a connection. The good: guitars dripping and sliding into dreamy psychedelic swirls. The bad: vocals that are mostly undecipherable and often inaudible.

There’s no such trouble back on the Main stage with Caribou. Dan Snaith is one of the most likeable characters out there and never fails to make a special connection with his audience. If you’ve seen Caribou live before, you’ll know the craic: Snaith’s studio creations get pushed, twisted and expanded as far as the live band can take them. Opening with a monstrous extension of ‘Our Love’, the crowd are immediately onside. Clustered in a tight ball of energy at the centre of the vast stage, Snaith and band make the space around them irrelevant. ‘Jemelia’ builds and builds to a thundering collapse, while ‘Odessa’ and ‘Can’t Do Without Do’ deliver on so many levels. Amidst five rows of pulsating strobes, ‘Swim’ brings the curtain down on another memorable Caribou show. There can’t be many things worth missing Girl Band for… This is one.

Depending on your musical persuasion you’ll either love Main Stage headliners Alt-J or not. Despite only releasing two albums to date, the trio’s success affords them an impressive repertoire of hits to call upon. Strangely it’s ‘Left Hand Free’ (the black sheep in Alt-J’s collection) that kicks things into action following a dull opening. The hefty crowd soon find their voice during ‘Matilda’, as the rain starts to pelt down. ‘Breezeblocks’ pitches Alt-J at their alt-folk/rock best with singer Joe Newman’s vocals taking on a coarser texture than normal. With every single word screamed back, it’s a fitting end to day two at Longitude.