Charlotte Church performs at ATP curated by Stewart Lee Natasha Bright
Comedian and writer Stewart Lee’s curated ATP got off to a nightmare start. John Cale, Saturday’s headliner, pulled out and issues with chalets meant they weren’t ready for four hours after initially stated. On top of this, Friday’s headliner, Roky Erickson, looked set to collapse as one of his bandmates paced the queue saying his band hadn’t been paid for a previous ATP-promoted show the night before. The whole festival looked set to crumble before it had begun.
Stewart Lee’s short stand-up set was mainly poking fun at the mess that ATP had seemingly found itself in stating “as if there’s going to be another one” which, given the news of this weekend’s Manchester events being cancelled due to a funding crisis suggest he’s right.
The dilapidated holiday site with its crumbling walls, antiquated interiors and so many missing letters from its pub sign you couldn’t even tell what it was originally called, proved an antithetical environment to some carefully curated alternative and experimental music. Liverpool’s Ex-Easter Island Head were a rousing early highlight, their neo-classical take on Glenn Branca-esque minimalism crept from contained ambience to euphoric expulsions.
Sleaford Mods injected some seething bile into the room with their performance whilst Richard Dawson’s unwaveringly unique and powerful take on folk music was astonishing to behold, his huge voice filling the room as he cast it out like it was a demon that needed ejecting from his body. On day two The Heads played the loudest set of the weekend by some stretch and The Fall were on excellent form despite leader Mark E Smith stopping the gig midway through and pulling his band off stage for a talking to, for them to up their performance. Charlotte Church’s Pop Dungeon was the surprise hit of the weekend, a genuinely incredible set with a full band playing a variety of pop hits from Nine Inch Nails to David Bowie and Beyoncé to Neutral Milk Hotel. It was a joyous and electrifying performance.
An exodus on day three occurred and everyone seemed to leave, the half-empty holiday camp taking on an eerie and slightly depressing air that felt emblematic of the festival’s dying moments. Sun Ra Arkestra brought some life and colour with their closing set but all the energy and enthusiasm of the audience that was there on Friday and Saturday seemed to have vanished, and the festival fizzed out on a whimper rather than a bang.
BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
Stuart, Chortle
Stuart, Chortle
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Guest1001, Youtube
Guest1001, Youtube
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Shit Crit, Twitter
Shit Crit, Twitter
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Rudeness, Youtube
Rudeness, Youtube
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
Peter Ould, Twitter
Peter Ould, Twitter
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Tokyofist, Youtube
Tokyofist, Youtube
Chez, Chortle.com
Chez, Chortle.com
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Leach Juice, Twitter
Leach Juice, Twitter
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Mpf1947, Youtube
Mpf1947, Youtube
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
Funday’schild, youtube.
Funday’schild, youtube.
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Bosco239, youtube
Bosco239, youtube
Wharto15, Twitter
Wharto15, Twitter
98rosjon, Twitter
98rosjon, Twitter
Richard Herring, Comedian
Richard Herring, Comedian
GRTak, finalgear.com
GRTak, finalgear.com
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Pudabaya, Twitter
Pudabaya, Twitter
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Fowkes81, Twitter
Fowkes81, Twitter
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Hiewy, Youtube
Hiewy, Youtube
FBC, finalgear.com
FBC, finalgear.com
Len Firewood, Twitter
Len Firewood, Twitter
Brighton Argus
Brighton Argus
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Peter Fears, Twitter
Peter Fears, Twitter
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Peter Ould, Youtube
Peter Ould, Youtube
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Idrie, Youtube
Idrie, Youtube
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Borathigh5, Youtube
Borathigh5, Youtube
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Keilloh, Twitter
Keilloh, Twitter
Jamespearse, Twitter
Jamespearse, Twitter
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Z-factor, Twitter.
Z-factor, Twitter.
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Jackmumf, Twitter
Jackmumf, Twitter
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
World Without End, Twitter
World Without End, Twitter
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Anon, westhamonline.com
Anon, westhamonline.com
A D Ward, Twitter
A D Ward, Twitter
Al Murray, Comedian
Al Murray, Comedian
Meninblack, Twitter
Meninblack, Twitter
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Visualiser1, Twitter
Visualiser1, Twitter
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Mearecate, Youtube
Mearecate, Youtube
Joycey, readytogo.net
Joycey, readytogo.net
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
Etienne, Chortle.com
Etienne, Chortle.com
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Tin Frog, Twitter
Tin Frog, Twitter
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Danazawa, Youtube
Danazawa, Youtube
John Robins, Comedian
John Robins, Comedian
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Kozzy06, Youtube
Kozzy06, Youtube
Anamatronix, Youtube
Anamatronix, Youtube
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Sidsings000, Youtube
Sidsings000, Youtube
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com