Metro Weekender - Get Loaded In The Park
Clapham Common
Sunday 26th August 2007'
by Linda McCormick
On one of the very few sunny Sunday afternoons this summer, Clapham Common played host to another successful Get Loaded in the Park. Now in its fourth year, this mini festival offers those not able to fork out squillions on a weekend festival a chance to grasp some of the fun. Boasting some of the biggest names in the indie-rock and dance world, Get Loaded again proves that, sometimes, the best things in life are right on your very doorstep.
The second day of The Metro Weekender presents chart topping acts The Streets, Dirty Pretty Things, Dizzee Rascal and M.I.A., as well as dance legends 2 Many DJs and DJ Yoda. In fact the quality of acts on offer means that only those with a PhD in advanced timetabling could possibly manage to see all their favourites in the fantastic line up.
Crowds leisurely make their way through Clapham Common, past the wannabe Del Trotters with their £3 authentic designer glasses and the good Samaritans handing out free sun cream to the sun-starved. Even security seems to be happy to have the chance to catch a few rays, making them much friendlier in the process. Sand strewn over wet areas and soft ground are the only evidence that London has been pelted with rain for the past few weeks and with yesterday's revellers attending South West Four, the ground hasn't had a chance to dry out. Where there are dry, grassy spots people are quick to bagsy them with rugs and coats, setting up camp for the day. Others are happy to meander around and vie for the best viewpoint while some, heads down in determination, make straight for the moshpits and prime positions.
It's not a bad layout; plenty of beer tents with amazingly manageable queues, a wine stall serving sealed cups of chilled white, rose or red - genius - a few merchandise stalls and plenty of toilets which seem to have a never ending supply of loo roll. All good and all before we get down to the business of truly enjoying ourselves.
Unfortunately, with the traumas of London Transport we miss a few of the first acts but arrive to see The Automatic in full swing. Cardiff's own whip the crowd into a frenzy with their hit Monster which readies the fans for the day to come and for their encore, the band are joined by late addition to the day, Newton Faulkner, who brings acoustic guitar and vocals to a brilliant version of Kanye West's hit Gold Digger. A premature highlight of the day.
We whisk off to catch The Beats Soundsystem, only to be drawn into the dance tent by a whooping crowd. On stage, Uffie and DJ Feadz are squeezing out every last drop of energy to please their fans and in the interim, gain a few more. Then, after having a sneaky peek into the VIP section, which really doesn't look worth the bother, we reach the Beats tent...and it's empty. Rather disappointed that our detour made us miss The Beats Soundsystem, we check the line-up to see who else entices our eardrums and almost have an apoplexy trying to fit everyone in, but, true to form, with the right plan the rest of the day is jammed pack with indie goodies and dance treats.
Next up on the main stage, after a rest out of the sun and a quick bevy refill, is Brighton based The Go! Team. With vocalist Ninja infected by some sort of bouncing disease and a presence that would make even a girlie Japanese pop group look boring, these guys are simply infectious. Belting out their crossbreed pop/hip-hop/funky hits, it's tiring just watching them and hard to believe they've been around for five years.
Having worked up a thirst we pick through the masses of rubbish to get to the bar and are genuinely surprised to see, in these eco-savvy times, that people have used the site as a rubbish tip even though both normal and recycling bins are dotted everywhere. Maybe next year they should take a leaf out of other festival's books and advertise a leave-no-trace policy or at least encourage people to do the right thing. But then, that's not very rock'n'roll is it?
Over at the XFM tent M.I.A. is whipping up a storm, in fact the crowd in the tent are making more noise than those on the main stage. This chick rocks, or rather, raps. Born in London, Mathangi Arulpragasam moved to Sri Lanka at the age of six months and then flipped between there and India for her formative years before moving back to London, so it's no wonder that her music is heavily influenced by Asian beats with a deep street undertone picked up in the London 'burbs. The atmosphere is pumping, drawing people in from the rest of the festival checking out an act they might not normally go for, which after all is the joy of festivals - you broaden your musical horizons and enjoy it just a little bit more. A cover of Pixes', Where Is My Mind?, sends a cheer into to the top of the tent, loud enough to make the hairs on the back of the neck stand to attention and listen up too. Her cover of Kajagoogoo's Too Shy, Shy though is lost on all but the eighties generation, of which there are few and far between in attendance. M.I.A.'s penchant for fine art and film is on show too, through videos good enough to put some of the best VJs to shame.
Whipping back to the main stage Dirty Pretty Things are in full throttle having shrugged off all memory of their association with erstwhile Libertines fellow Pete Doherty, who incidentally was meant to surprise the punters at today's festival but, to the surprise of no one, didn't show up. But they don't need him now because even though they're there to warm up the main stage before the final act, they rouse the biggest cheer of the day after grinding out Waterloo To Anywhere and the fabulous Bang Bang.
It would be all too easy to leave it here but the best was yet to come in the form of two lads from Belgium, 2 Many DJs. Pushing through the overly packed tent, years of festivaling means we know how to root out a space at the far side of the tent with enough room to dance, this is where it's at. Hands in the air, the crowd, sharing knowing glances and anticipation of what's to come, builds with every mix making for a sizzling atmosphere.
Drawing the day to a close are headliners The Streets who are lucky enough to have no one else playing at the same time, so all eyes are on them. Eager anticipation turns to general disinterest as Mike Skinner starts out a bit too chilled for a crowd still sweating from their respective penultimate acts and many leave, happy with their lot. It's a shame, for if they stayed they would have been privy to the wide-boy banter we're used to and hits like Fit But You Don't Know It and Let's Push Things Forward soon let everyone know why this guy is fit to be headlining, and Get Loaded 2007 ends on a high note before the crowd drifts away, contented for another year.
The Metro Weekender's Get Loaded In The Park was held at Clapham Common on Sunday 26th August 2007. For more details, see www.metroweekender.com.
