Remember sitting at home, making mix tapes for a friend or girl who took your fancy? Remeber sitting there wondering how amazing it be to see all these bands play at one festival, but then realising to your dismay that most festivals boil down to watching the current 'NME' hit parade whilst being surrounded by lager advertisments and mud covered teenagers desperate to make it look like the legal high they payed over the odds for actually works.
Since 1999 All Tomorrows Parties has offered an alternative to the mud and madness of the traditional music festival. Set in an out of season holiday camp ATP offers alternative music fans the opportunity to see thier favorite acts whilst still maintaing thier home comforts, with tents being replaced with chalets and large uncovered outdoor stages swapped for intimate indoor venues. This documentary was made to portray the uniqueness of this much loved festival and why so many people return to the seaside every spring to enjoy it. The director uses a mixture of 'found' footage, fans contributions and old super 8 film to construct a compilation of some of the highlights of this festivals ten year stint. In doing so the powerfull live performances are captured beautifully, no more is this evident than in the opening montage where old Pontins footage is merged perfectly with scences of Battles performing 'Atlas' at the Explosions in the sky currated event.
This though is a film aimed at fans of the festival. With no real narrative to follow anyone lacking in the experience of the festival will find the music sets too short and a lacking of narrative direction. But take it for what it is, a window into one of this countrys most eclectic festivals and you'll find yourself desperatley rooting around your wallet for your deposit for next springs festival
Patrick Gamble
Bands: Battles, Portishead, Hawk and a Hacksaw, Nick Cave, Micah P.Hinson, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Mogwai, Boredoms. Lightning Bolt (Including outdoor set)
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