ATP: I'll Be Your Mirror - Alexandra Palace, London - 23rd & 24th July (Feature)
Friday, 24 June 2011
Written by Ben Bland
As ever, All Tomorrow’s Parties have managed to provide something delightfully eclectic for us all with the inaugural London “I’ll Be Your Mirror” festival. Taking place at Alexandra Palace on the 23rd and 24th July, the festival is being co-curated with ATP organisers by none other than Bristol trip hop legends Portishead, whose relationship with ATP stretches back many years.
It is certainly the case that nowhere else this summer will you find the likes of PJ Harvey, Swans and Caribou under the same roof over the course of a weekend. With everything from the hefty, testosterone filled rumble of Nick Cave’s Grinderman project through the spiky art punk of Liars to the extravagant delicacies of Godspeed You! Black Emperor, there isn’t much ground left uncovered at this festival. Indeed, this bringing together of the primal and the sophisticated is really what ATP events are all about and this event is no different. With this event also taking place over just a single weekend in London, it is a prime opportunity for music lovers who do not have the time or funds to attend one of ATP’s more extravagant events such as “Nightmare before Christmas”. Of course, it is also a refreshing antidote to the usual summer festivals. For those who think that the likes of Reading & Leeds have lost their roots and their atmosphere, “I’ll Be Your Mirror” is set to be the perfect haven. This is a festival that reflects not only the eclecticism of its curators but also the fact that a really good festival line-up is one that focuses on a truly diverse cross section of music rather than sticking to what is commercially popular at the time or focusing on one single genre. “I’ll Be Your Mirror” provides everything that mainstream festivals are so frequently forgetting about nowadays.
Alexandra Palace will be host to aggressive riffery, peaceful tones and reverberating beats across the course of two days that, in typical ATP style, will also feature a vast array of other activities alongside the musical options available. In addition to the traditional musical attractions there will also be chances to experience top quality DJ sets and visit a cinema showing quality films such as Richard Ayoade’s 'Submarine' and Locardno film festival Best Director winning title 'Curling' from Denis Côte. That’s if you have time to tear yourself away from the terrific musical line-up. With rare sets from the likes of Geoff Barrow side project Beak> and the first UK show in ten years from the original line-up of Company Flow, there is plenty on stage that attendees shall be privileged to see. Far from least amongst the performances is the last ever performance from jazz-punk fusion pioneers Acoustic Ladyland. Whilst they may be ending their career there are also plenty of up and coming bands at the festival. The likes of S. C. U. M. and The London Snorkelling Team come to “I’ll Be Your Mirror” looking to impress newcomers to their musical twists and turns.
Above all, the two headline sets from Portishead are set to be their only UK dates of 2011, thus presenting your only opportunity to see them live for a while. Tempting though this already is, it is made somewhat irresistible by the fact that you get to see them supported by a series of equally incredible acts. Whether it is the terror of Swans or the heartbreak of PJ Harvey, “I’ll Be Your Mirror” comes with some of the finest supporting acts you could ever wish to see. This will be one of the events of the summer and hopefully will mark the first of many similar annual festivals in the capital.
“All Tomorrow’s Parties: I’ll Be Your Mirror” festival takes place at London’s Alexandra Palace on Saturday 23rd and Sunday 24th July. Weekend tickets are sold out but there are day tickets still available. Click Here to Compare & Buy I'll Be Your Mirror Tickets
A free 2 hour mixtape put together by Portishead featuring artists on the bill is available from www.illbeyourmirror.com
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It is certainly the case that nowhere else this summer will you find the likes of PJ Harvey, Swans and Caribou under the same roof over the course of a weekend. With everything from the hefty, testosterone filled rumble of Nick Cave’s Grinderman project through the spiky art punk of Liars to the extravagant delicacies of Godspeed You! Black Emperor, there isn’t much ground left uncovered at this festival. Indeed, this bringing together of the primal and the sophisticated is really what ATP events are all about and this event is no different. With this event also taking place over just a single weekend in London, it is a prime opportunity for music lovers who do not have the time or funds to attend one of ATP’s more extravagant events such as “Nightmare before Christmas”. Of course, it is also a refreshing antidote to the usual summer festivals. For those who think that the likes of Reading & Leeds have lost their roots and their atmosphere, “I’ll Be Your Mirror” is set to be the perfect haven. This is a festival that reflects not only the eclecticism of its curators but also the fact that a really good festival line-up is one that focuses on a truly diverse cross section of music rather than sticking to what is commercially popular at the time or focusing on one single genre. “I’ll Be Your Mirror” provides everything that mainstream festivals are so frequently forgetting about nowadays.
