Soaking wet fun
It is mid afternoon on the middle day of this wonderful three day festival and we are all waiting for Californian rockers The Airborne Toxic Event to take to the Xbox 360 stage. Then the heavens open. Many go scurrying to find shelter, some have come prepared with ponchos and then there are those who just stand there as if this torrential downpour is a welcome treat. By the time the band roll on stage dressed in their now traditional black suits, the crowd has once again swelled to huge size and everyone is getting wet. Mikel Jollett, front man of the five piece, even apologises to the crowd saying that we need to think of a project to stop the rain but in all honesty as soon as the band started playing opener ‘Does This Mean You Are Moving On’ no one really cared about the weather.
Playing for a blistering hour long set, which the dripping wet crowd loved every second, which includes the now regular playing bass like a cello by Noah Harmon and violinist Anna Bulbrook covering every inch of the stage including on top of the amps. Mikel Jollet still seems shocked that people had heard of The Airborne Toxic Event, which you would have thought he might have twigged by now they are very much loved. Which in truth the whole package of the band, it is hard not to love them, especially lead guitarist Steven Chen’s impressive skills. Even the new tune sounded good.
At the end of the set Jollet realised he forgot to get around to finding a project to stop the rain, something he really should have done as it got heavier, while Anna Bulbrook decided to throw her shoes into the crowd. The good news is that they have a UK tour very soon, so not long to enjoy them again, indoors where it is nice and dry.
Set List:
Intro
Does This Mean You Are Moving On
The Losing
Something New
Magic Moment
Gasoline
Hapiness is Overated
This Is Nowhere
Sometime Around Midnight
Goodbye Horses
All I Ever Wanted
Wishing Well
Innocence