Photo: Paul Reed
If there's one word that could perfectly sum up the Snowbombing experience it has to be surreal. Where else would you find a guy dressed as a twenty foot high Yeti swapping pleasantries with the lead singer of The Enemy, or apartment blocks adorned with stuffed ferrits and stoats in the name of decoration? Exactly, and we haven't even got on to the obligatory four seasons in one day, sometimes within the same hour, that actually makes skiing a pleasantly summery experience. Some things never change though, and having sampled the delightful street party where soundsystems collide with wannabe superstar DJs and general mayhem assumes control, we find ourselves sat in a pub surrounded by Manchester United supporters from Torquay and Bedford.
Tonight isn't about some football match though. Instead, it heralds the arrival of guitars into the breaks and beats infused Mayrhofen, and Editors manage to sustain both the tempo and an increasingly captive audience for a full hour. With a set comprised of the best moments from each of their three studio albums, Tom Smith and co. are something of a revelation, switching from the guitar-led histrionics of 'Munich' and 'An End Has A Start' to the electronic krautrock of 'Bricks And Mortar' with consummate ease.
They're followed by Doves at the rather ungodly hour of 1.15am, when most revellers are either off their faces on some kind of plant food or other or just getting their rocks off to some faceless DJ. What this means is that the Mancunian outfit play to one of The Racket Club's smallest crowds, which is something of a travesty bearing in mind both sound and set are near perfect, a rousing double whammy climax of 'The Cedar Room' and 'There Goes The Fear' proving particular highlights. By this time, Team Gigwise is in need of some sustenance, and even if you can take the boys out of England you can't take England out of the boy, and kebabs are duly quaffed in double quick time.
With the festival now in full swing, tomorrow's highlights include Jamie Jones, Too Many DJs and the one that's particularly got us frothing at the mouth, Wild Beasts.
