Micachu & The Shapes at Field Day 2009
The biggest problem that plagues Micachu & The Shapes on this mid-afternoon slot set is the appalling sound of the Adventures in the Beetroot Field tent.
With an album that relies on the softer moments as much as the screaming disjointed racket The Shapes can serve up, the set is a struggle from start to finish.
It’s those softer moments that are completely lost in a tent that even headliners Mystery Jets struggle to get the better of much later on in the day.
But first the positives, of which there are still many, the main one being that M&TS are so original and refreshing sounding that when they are on it they are really thrilling. ‘Lips’ is a tasty bite size chunk of angular delight, and ‘Vulture’ is like punk as made on the moon.
The trouble is that even when they are playing at their loudest you still have to squint and really focus to work out the intricacies of the music. When Mica Levi goes solo with just an acoustic guitar, and an even quieter microphone, 70% of audience can hear NOTHING.
This is not to say that M&TS are not worth catching live in the future, but maybe only see them on their own terms in a proper venue.