An Impressive Show
Howling Bells claim to be the only band to have played at Latitude every year since the festival began; it may be a relatively new festival but it's still pretty good claim to make as proof of the fact that both bands and the audience love the chilled attitude at Latitude. This year the Aussie indie group are on the Uncut Stage, the festival's second stage, and it's a far better placing than last year's afternoon slot on the Obelisk Stage, which left the band struggling to capture the attention of the massive field. Today the band are eager to showcase some new material, playing new track, 'Into The Chaos', comprising of a howling intro, insistent beats and a smooth, sexy melody and giving 'Nightingale' its first festival airing as they try to get the crowd to clap all the way through the tune. This does seem surprisingly successful as those within eyeshot of the band keep up the regular beat even through dreamy vocal sections. 'Wishing Stone' also sees the crowd willingly obliging with some hand clap action over echoing guitars and a myriad of haunting effects. The band's gothic and experimental rock seems to be extremely well-received and another new tracks, 'let’s Be Kids Again', with idealistic lyrics and lilting vocal line is a great closer. It would definitely be nice to see Howling Bells again at Latitude, hopefully with a wealth of new material and not returning to the Obelisk Stage.