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.
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Dahoum, Guardian.co.uk
Borathigh5, Youtube
Borathigh5, Youtube
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
NevW47479, UKTV.co.uk
A D Ward, Twitter
A D Ward, Twitter
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
DVDhth's grandparents, Twitter
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Patrick Kavanagh, Guardian.co.uk
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Henry Howard Fun, Twitter
Anon, westhamonline.com
Anon, westhamonline.com
Guest1001, Youtube
Guest1001, Youtube
Mpf1947, Youtube
Mpf1947, Youtube
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Gwaites, Digitalspy
Funday’schild, youtube.
Funday’schild, youtube.
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Microcuts 22, Twitter
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Robert Gavin, Twitter
Keilloh, Twitter
Keilloh, Twitter
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Lucinda Locketts, Twitter
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Mini-x2, readytogo.net
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Sweeping Curves, Twitter
Mearecate, Youtube
Mearecate, Youtube
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Anonymous, don'tstartmeoff.com
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Karen Laidlaw, Edfringe. com.
Meninblack, Twitter
Meninblack, Twitter
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Lents, redandwhitekop.com
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Cabluigi, Guardian.co.uk
Brighton Argus
Brighton Argus
Peter Ould, Twitter
Peter Ould, Twitter
Visualiser1, Twitter
Visualiser1, Twitter
98rosjon, Twitter
98rosjon, Twitter
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Neva2busy, dontstartmeoff.com
Rudeness, Youtube
Rudeness, Youtube
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Slothy Matt, Twitter
Richard Herring, Comedian
Richard Herring, Comedian
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Stokeylitfest, Twitter
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Carla, St Albans, Dailymail.co.uk
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Alex Quarmby, Edfringe.com
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Clampdown59, Twitter.
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Genghis McKahn, Guardian.co.uk
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Dave Wilson, Chortle.com
Jackmumf, Twitter
Jackmumf, Twitter
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Mrdavisn01, Twitter
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Guest, Dontstartmeoff.com
Peter Ould, Youtube
Peter Ould, Youtube
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Bobby Bhoy, Twitter
Leach Juice, Twitter
Leach Juice, Twitter
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Lenny Darksphere, Twitter
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Spanner, dontstartmeoff.com
Z-factor, Twitter.
Z-factor, Twitter.
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Esme Folley, Actress, cellist, Twitter
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Birmingham Sunday Mercury
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Aaron, comedy.co.uk
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Carcrazychica, Youtube
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Anon, BBC Complaints Log
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Johnny Kitkat, dontstartmeoff.com
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Joskins, Leeds Music Forum
Bosco239, youtube
Bosco239, youtube
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Meanstreetelite, Peoplesrepublicofcork
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Aiden Hearn, Twitter
Jamespearse, Twitter
Jamespearse, Twitter
Wharto15, Twitter
Wharto15, Twitter
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Pudabaya, beexcellenttoeachother.com
Sidsings000, Youtube
Sidsings000, Youtube
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Fairy Pingu, Twitter
Joycey, readytogo.net
Joycey, readytogo.net
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Iain, eatenbymissionaries
Tokyofist, Youtube
Tokyofist, Youtube
Pudabaya, Twitter
Pudabaya, Twitter
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Brendon, Vauxhallownersnetwork.co.uk
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Rubyshoes, Twitter
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Nicetime, Guardian.co.uk
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Joe, Independent.co.uk
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Neolab, Guardian.co.uk
Hiewy, Youtube
Hiewy, Youtube
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Horatio Melvin, Twitter
Kozzy06, Youtube
Kozzy06, Youtube
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Frankie Boyle, Comedian
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
Gmanthedemon, bbc.co.uk
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
General Lurko 36, Guardian.co.uk
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Anonymous, The Northfield Patriot
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Foxfoxton, Youtube
Pnethor, pne-online.com
Pnethor, pne-online.com
BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
BBC iPlayer edition of discussion of Stewart Lee on A Good Read
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
Anon, dontstartmeoff.com
John Robins, Comedian
John Robins, Comedian
Shit Crit, Twitter
Shit Crit, Twitter
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Sam Rooney, Youtube
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Zombie Hamster, Twitter
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Rowing Rob, Guardian.co.uk
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
Shane, Beverley, Dailymail.co.uk
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
James Dellingpole, Daily Telegraph
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Liam Travitt, Twitter
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
Gabrielle, Chortle.com
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
12dgdgdgdgdgdg, Youtube
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Someoneyoudon'tknow, Chortle.com
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Coxy, Dontstartmeoff.com
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Whoiscuriousgeorge, Youtube
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
Pirate Crocodile, Twitter
GRTak, finalgear.com
GRTak, finalgear.com
Idrie, Youtube
Idrie, Youtube
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Cyberbloke, Twitter
Peter Fears, Twitter
Peter Fears, Twitter
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Yukio Mishima, dontstartmeoff.com
Stuart, Chortle
Stuart, Chortle
Danazawa, Youtube
Danazawa, Youtube
Etienne, Chortle.com
Etienne, Chortle.com
World Without End, Twitter
World Without End, Twitter
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Tweeter Kyriakou, Twitter
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Syhr, breakbeat.co.uk
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Deepbass, Guardian.co.uk
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Tres Ryan, Twitter
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Ishamayura Byrd, Twitter
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
Chez, Chortle.com
Chez, Chortle.com
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Contrapuntal, Twitter
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Maninabananasuit, Guardian.co.uk
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Secretdeveloper, Youtube
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Tweeterkiryakou, Twitter
Al Murray, Comedian
Al Murray, Comedian
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Dominic Cavendish, Telegraph
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Dick Socrates, Twitter
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Lancethrustworthy, Youtube
Tin Frog, Twitter
Tin Frog, Twitter
Len Firewood, Twitter
Len Firewood, Twitter
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Lee Mack, Mack The Life, 2012
Anamatronix, Youtube
Anamatronix, Youtube
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Alwyn, Digiguide.tv
Fowkes81, Twitter
Fowkes81, Twitter
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Emilyistrendy, Youtube
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
Cojones2, Guardian.co.uk
FBC, finalgear.com
FBC, finalgear.com