V Festival (Staffs) 2004
Saturday 21st to Sunday 22nd August 2004Weston Park, Staffordshire, TF11 8LE, England MAP
w/e with camping £98.50 & w/e no camping £82.50 (both sold out); each day £46.50
Joining Dav Ford (vocals) are Glen Hooper on drums and Jo Taylor dressed in a school girls outfit on a keyboard. As Jo stands up to don her bass, the set really kicks it up a notch.
The thing that puts Easyworld above others is the fact that one minute you have a piano-laden balad whilst seconds later, within the same song, a guitar tears down all conceptions of the band and song so far setting off in a new direction. It is this juxtaposition that keeps you fixated, uncontrollably, ot their set not wanting to miss a single second of performance.
As they continue through their set with melodic, penetrating bass lines and piercing yet soaring vocals the crowd are clapping and cheering as if there were no tomorrow.
Keane may have currently packed the NME stage but there is no doubt that Easyworlds performance will not only have been more varied but far more talented than the more-mainstream chart-toppers who many people seem to think are the only band this weekend that can use a keyboard.
Dav interacts with the crowd in a way that a frontman should he makes everyone feel like they are watching a group of friends rather than unattainable rock-stars. He chats with the crowd and interacts in such a way that you are almost left feeling that youre invited to their dressing rooms after the show.
As the set finally draws to a close Jo looks at Glen giving a knowing smile. The smile has been present throughout tonights show its as if shes been trying to hold back a massive grin. It seems that, finally, the crowd have got the better of her and she cant but help smile at her band-mate.
The audience are applauded by Jo as the set ends and the crowd return the respect theyve been given ten-fold.
Easyworld how V should be.
review by: Guy Powell