Psicle: The Brockwell Park Windmill... and the Oval Gasworks

A series of coincidental events have led to me and Debbie awaiting Poppy and Tom's arrival from Leeds. Including Simon highlighting the line-up, Olly having 4 tickets he can't use and me bailing out of End of the Road due to a continuing cough and general malaise (soz Rams & Jo). Soon after the young ones arrive we Uber to Brockwell Park and we're inside the Wide Awake festival in time to get a round in before seeing the first band which we saw on a Windmill Lock Down video streamed event... Tiña are a 4 piece who I've seen before at the Windmill both live and lock down virtually with the brilliantly unique Pet Grotesque on keyboards. Probably not his real name. They play lovely soaring indie stuff which the singer's high pitched (falsetto?) vocals nicely match. They came from the Fat White Family sort of grouping and there is a definite weirdness in there but also a gorgeous dancey vibe reminding me of the loveliness of very early St Etienne. They do get rocky hard at times verging on thrashy which is what makes them special. A great way to start the day. By this time Pete has arrived and fairly soon afterwards Wendy direct from the dodgy leg clinic. And a variety of friends of Poppy and Toms including bits of his band. Musically we stay at the Windmill Stage, to be honest we stay here for every band and when we do try to wander off we gravitate to the good old Windmill. The crowd looks like every person who's been at the Windmill, bar the locals watching Italian football, Anyways, next up are a band who are unlikely to play the Windmill itself as it's the big and getting bigger Idles. They are on early as they are playing again tonight at their own day festival on Bristol's Clifton Downs which Jon and Scottie are going to. They play an excellently hard energetic set which goes down well with the crowd and with us. A bit less of the preaching today than the last time I saw them, we did vote on leaving the EU mate, and they seem to have ditched the few songs that sounded like anthems which is a good move. So very satisfactory if not surprising. They also have a cameo of the biggest saxophone ever made. Afterwards we split up and the London Windmill Crew wander off in search of A Certain Ratio. Unfortunately we get the stages wrong although I guess it means we get to see and hear a few bands we wouldn't've otherwise. We give up as Pete wants to see Squid (at the Windmill of course) and so we wander back downhill. Squid are Squid and deliver a great set of their quirky rock and roll which Talking Heads would have been proud of, I'm sure. See previous blogs for a fuller review. Me and Debs wander around a bit and have a bite to eat before coming back to see PVA who give us a lovely slice of electronic dance. We're not in the mosh due to a variety of reasons including me not wanting to being enticed to dance vigorously and Wendy finding it difficult walking let alone mosh. She's a trooper. Anyway it's nice to sit back out of the mayhem and drink in the atmosphere watching the young uns release their pent up post lock down energy. I must check out when PVA are somewhere small, dirty and sweaty. Windmill is the best bet I bet. Next Debbie and I are on a mission to catch Dry Cleaning who've been recommended by a couple of friends but maybe it's cos their in a tent or maybe it's us but they sound very flat and after a few songs we decide to throw in our chips with Goat Girl who we know will deliver a rocking set. Back at the Windmill of course. Strangely GG are not as rocking as they were although they do deliver an interesting and very enjoyable set of competent modern tunes. Debbie particularly liked them but I was a bit cooler. Maybe I need more food. And drink. Wandering past Snapped Ankles (I won't put in bold as I can't say we lingered) we loop round the festival taking in the sights before coming back to see two bands that Debbie is not particularly enthralled by but happy enough as we've caught up again with Pete and Wendy. Black Country, New Road give us an excellent set of their oddly engaging indie rock with all manner of other genres thrown in getting a group near us, towards the back again, jigging about frantically and then as the sun goes down behind us Black Midi take the stage to serve up their version of odd engaging indie rock with all manner of other genres thrown in backed by a brass section which adds another layer of warmth and depth to their already deep songs. I think there was an extra person on with BCNR than when I saw them a couple of months ago. Last up are Shame who are good and quirky but as I've seen them at least twice before, at the actual Windmill, and I'm seeing them soon a the Brixton Electric we leave with Pete and Wendy who wants to avoid the rush due to hobblingness. Debbie and me of course immediately lose them but stream out with the other punters through the closed off barriers until we reach Brixton Hill and get an Uber home. Poppy and Tom come back a fair bit later than us and by that time Debs and I are sound asleep. So hardly the same as a 3 or 4 day festival under canvas but a day in the park and sleeping in my own bed is quite enough excitement and activity for me at the moment in my fragile state. The rest of the weekend is lazy and we say goodbye to Tom and then Poppy. Monday sees me at the Oval for the 5th day of the 4th test and whilst the morning session held out some mild hope of an England win it was the many Indians in the crowd who were singing and dancing as England hit the end of the road wicket wise. Mind you not bad value for £20 for a front row seat up in the balcony for a whole innings finishing at gone 4.30pm.