Photo: Dan Medhurst
Laura Marling and James Blake played the Obelisk Arena at Latitude Festival yesterday, both overcoming technical issues to perform stunning sets.
Opening, as has been her wont during recent live shows, with the uninterrupted four song medley from Once I Was An Eagle, Laura Marling swiftly kicked the pace up a notch with the rockier sounds of her latest album, Short Movie.
Even some of the more melancholic tracks on the album, opener 'Warrior' for instance, she injected with bluesy riffs and syncopated drum beats. When she did allow her acoustic style to creep back in, her voice, drenched with a pure and soaring vibrato, pierced the air with such precise clarity that the crowd fell utterly silent.
Later, after deciding on the spur of the moment to perform two songs without the band, she began to close the set with Short Movie's title track, before promptly stopping, unhappy with its tuning. After a second false start, she turned to the crowd and said, a dejected look on her face, "Oh, this is rubbish." It wasn't. It never is.
James Blake, meanwhile, battled difficulties with a subwoofer that sounded "like a blender", but still managed to pull an impressive, widely varied set out of the bag, opening with the electronica samples of 'CMYK' before turning to his more melodic repertoire.
Ever the modest performer, he told the crowd, "I'm writing a new album, er, and stuff. I played one earlier, I hope you liked it. You probably didn't even notice it."
Latitude continues today with performances from Years & Years, Warpaint, Manic Street Preachers and headliner Noel Gallagher. Check back with Gigwise for more news, review and photos.
