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Friday night saw those that were still standing head over to the Eristoff forest for a party to sign the week off in style. However, before we dissect the nonsense that is DJ Yoda and Fatboyslim either side of the majestic De La Soul, Gigwise must make a special mention to one of our heroes of the week.
Hans' butchers shop "Gasser" on the Hauptstrasse was quite simply sensational. Fresh roast pork sandwiches, beef, meat balls, chicken, ribs, all 2 quid a go. Open all day, it's what Gigwise has been dreaming of finding at a festival for years. As for the man himself? Rumour has it he lives in the biggest house in Mayrhofen and drives a Lamborghini. Need we say more?!
Tickets on the door for the Forest Party were 60 euros which seemed a little steep for any locals fancying a Friday night away from the mrs. The sound quality again was brilliant, as it has been all week in every venue. The only question was why hadn't this venue been used all week? Not even DJ Yoda's attempt to 'ave it could spoil the mountain setting.
Hip hop beats layered with theme tunes is what we've come to expect from Yoda and he duly obliged. Harold Faltermeyer's 'Beverley Hills Cop' turned into P Diddy's 'Bad Boy For Life'. Fatboy had a brief airing with a 'Praise You' sample before an even shorter version of MGMT's 'Time to Pretend'. The Looney Tunes' 'That's All Folks' summed up a set that was hard to take seriously.
De La Soul's 45 minute set banished Yoda into the background. Clearly pumped up for Snowbombing, they played a best of set, opening with 'Potholes In My Lawn', which sounded as fresh as it did all those years ago, the 3 MCs still as tight as ever. 'Saturdays', 'Me Myself and I' and 'Ring Ring Ring' completed the set in what seemed like 10 minutes.
Fatboyslim's arrival at 830 made Gigwise thankful for the proximity of the bar. A predictable intro that fused 'Praise You' into Amy Winehouse's 'Rehab' left no one impressed except for the biggest crowd of the week going absolutely ballistic. It's been a surreal week but this will take some beating.
The Fatboyslim brand is massive and afforded the best slot of the week he smashed through a predominantly electro set with the likes of 'Let Me Clear My Throat' and 'Eye of The Tiger' thrown in like a school disco.
His own tunes went down biggest with 'Right Here Right Now' and 'What The Fuck' seeing people dancing in trees and on the roofs of the bars before one overzealous security guard literally pulled them down. Quite what Fatboyslim gets paid to play House of Pain's 'Jump Around' would probably make even The Queen cry and she has the stiffest of all British upper lips. Bob Marley's 'One Love' follows before 'Praise You' is belted out in full for his finale.
A fantastic headline act if you're smashed off your face or have no taste in music but with so many better DJs out there surely festival organisers will see through his lazy ineptitude soon? Giving someone else a chance to headline instead of booking someone who couldn't have spent more than five minutes planning his set is definitely the way to go.
Gigwise then heads to The Racket Club, undoubtedly our favourite haunt of the week via Mo's Bar where a group of Dalston wannabes are duly put in their place. It's all about Friendly Fires though, and any fears that their post-midnight set would attract little more than the odd mashed waif and straggler is quickly dispelled by the sight of 2000 revellers in full swing.
'Jump In The Pool' and 'Paris' are dispatched early doors as is a new, as-yet untitled song that resembles Hot Chip at their insidious best. However, the shoerave of 'Ex-Lover' sums up their cross-pollinated genre collision best, and with the evening - and week - at a close, Gigwise makes their way to bed.
Overall, Snowbombing has to be one of the most unique festivals we've ever attended, with pretty much something here that caters for everyone. There have been so many highlights this past week that it would be difficult to list them all, but we're already planning boarding lessons ready for next year! Now beat that, Reading, Leeds and Glastonbury?!?
