Mummers at Latitude 2009
It’s early Friday afternoon, the sun is struggling to find its way out of a nest of angry grey cloud that has been battering the Southwold earth for the last 12 hours. People are trying, desperately, to kick start Latitude Festival and get the party (or in this case, a vaudeville waltz) underway, which is where the wonderful Mummers twirl onto a midday stage.
Only at the delightfully open minded and (whisper it) middle class festival that is Latitude could The Mummers supply the soundtrack for what many feel the weekend delivers. The nine-piece band, dressed in suits and ball gowns, led by lead singer Raissa Khan-Panni, twirl and unfurl magically crafted and delicately orchestrated carousel music in the same quirky, teasing, and playful nature that Latitude delivers its secrets and surprises the whole weekend.
Khan-Panni vocals carry strong resemblance to Bjork, but it would be dangerous to palm this band off as anything less than something beautifully unique. ‘March of the Dawn’ has a pomp and strut that flutters around the tent and whips the crowd up into dance floor waltz mood, while ‘This is Heaven’ is, well, heavenly and truly dispels the dark vibes that had been lingering over the crowd after a miserably wet night.
A brave cover of Passion Pit’s ‘Sleepyhead’ then follows which is a clever move away from the stuttering pace of The Mummers debut album and has a more upbeat, fast flowing, but still unmistakably Mummers-esque structure.
Khan-Panni acts as composer to the crowd directing them through each and every twist of phrase or dramatic rise and fall. There are smiles all round throughout the set which quickly spread to the faces of the crowd. It’s a wonder that the audience isn’t pirouetting around each other come the last song; such is the infectious nature of The Mummers music. An early delight that will be hard to top.