Festival Review - Fort Rox at Newhaven Fort (continued)

And finally, British Sea Power, who have chosen all the other bands, and now run the risk of being blown off the stage by their predecessors. They’re a serious bunch: eyes are drawn to the lead singer, who is wearing a red cycling shirt, and the lead guitarist, who is wearing a button-down blue shirt. People are waving tree branches in the crowd, and there’s quite a lot of serious head-nodding, but you can tell that the crowd aren’t going to dance, even now. The singer has attitude. When he’s not howling into the mike, he looks around the stage, glassy eyed, like a cross between David Byrne and a wounded animal. The band are from the north, but based in Brighton: the music has a Smithsy, Joy Divisiony sound to it. There’s a slight Bowie whine to the vocals. I drift away for a time, and then back again as their set moves towards its crescendo. For the last song a female violinist wanders onstage, followed by someone in a ten-foot bear suit. For the first time in the whole festival I’m forget-everything-else mesmerised, the sound and vision takes over my mind. A cathartic moment, and one I’m grateful for. When it’s all over I realise I’ve missed my lift home, but I don’t really care. AL