Hard Rock Calling, Hyde Park, London, Friday June 26, 2009 - Festival Review and Setlist

Hard Rock Calling 2009, Hyde Park, London
Coverage from Friday, day one of the three-day festival
Review and setlist by Music Vice contributor Francesca Howell - August 3, 2009

On any normal day, Hyde Park in London is a haven for walkers, runners, horse riders and many a picnic-er in the summer. But Friday 26th June was no ordinary day. Sweet birdsong was replaced by the sound of thumping bass lines, and quiet chit chat was drowned out by the sound of 45,000 people all kicking off their summer of 2009 in the glorious sun.

I made the 5 hour journey down to the capital in the early hours of Friday morning and arrived, sleep deprived (as it’s pretty much impossible to sleep on a rickety National Express coach for more than 10 minutes) at around lunch time. The gates didn’t actually open until 2.30pm and the music didn’t start until 4pm, so I had plenty of time to catch up on some sleep and have a slow stroll through Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens. There were only a few wispy clouds dotted in the crisp blue sky, so all looked good on the weather front. The concert was going to be rain free, which was a well received bonus for me, as I had neglected to pack my coat.

"This being the day that Michael Jackson died, many of the bands paid tributes or dedicated songs."

At around 4.20pm, I was inside the area and making my way over to the main stage. Chirpy electro beats filled my ears as first act Chew Lips played to a small crowd. Most people were sitting on the grass with friends or getting drinks and food from the many stalls on the perimeter. I chose to secure my place for the day instead and managed to get myself a barrier spot. This being the day that Michael Jackson died, many of the bands paid tributes or dedicated songs. Front woman Tigs did just that and dedicated ‘Gold Key’ to the late singer. I hadn’t heard any of their songs before going to the festival and only caught the last few songs of the band’s set, but their newest single and set closer ‘Solo’ was by far the best from what I heard.

Next on the main stage was Passion Pit, another electro outfit, who sounded like Black Kids, only without the two somewhat annoying female singers, with a dash of Hot Chip. ‘The Reeling’, which is the first single taken from their debut album Manners, was a song that has stuck in my mind and I’ve been listening to it since coming home.

"...whilst listening to them and occasionally chatting to the people around me, I wasn’t sure when one song ended and another one started. Only the smattering of applause from the crowd gave me a hint. "

Howling Bells offered a pleasant alternative for those who aren’t really fans of electro. I prefer their type of music to electronic sounds, but whilst listening to them and occasionally chatting to the people around me, I wasn’t sure when one song ended and another one started. Only the smattering of applause from the crowd gave me a hint. In other words, I found that most of their songs sounded the same. Listening to some of their tracks on my return home, I’ve found that they have an individual sound which I can now appreciate and if I was to see them live again, I would probably enjoy it more.

During the half hour wait before The Kooks took to the stage, the crowd grew considerably in size with many people choosing to watch the Brighton band over Echo and the Bunnymen, who were playing at the same time over on the Pepsi Max stage. Just after 7pm, Luke Pritchard and his gang began their one hour set with recent single ‘Always Where I Need To Be’, followed by a handful of tracks from their debut album including hit singles ‘Naïve’ and ‘She Moves In Her Own Way’. The latter track received the biggest sing-a-long of their set, yet the crowd didn’t seem to be enjoying it all that much. At times, they chose to pelt a few crowd members who had put umbrellas up for some bizarre reason with plastic beer bottles instead of listening to the catchy indie-pop sounds the band had to offer. Despite his best efforts, Pritchard couldn’t get the crowd singing and dancing along. Those who were joining in thoroughly enjoyed the 17 song set, whilst others just seemed to be waiting for the headliners to appear. Another tribute to Jackson popped up when the frontman dedicated the gig to him and invited people to ‘raise their glasses’ (or bottles in this case, I’m guessing). Towards the end of their stint, the other band members left the stage so that Pritchard could sing an acoustic version of a new song called ‘Princess Of My Mind’ which, he said, ‘may feature on the third record’. For fans of The Kooks, there wasn’t a dull moment in the set and Pritchard was really giving it his all.

Music on the Pepsi Max stage finished at 8pm, so soon after The Kooks had left the stage, people flocked to the main stage area to await the arrival of the evening’s headliners; The Killers. This would be my third time seeing the band and the second at an outdoor event. My heart was set a-flutter as I saw the stage being set up like a miniature tropical island, complete with the giant ‘K’ keyboard stand at the front of the stage, and as I heard the familiar walk-on music, I knew I was in for another exciting Killers gig.

The opening chords of recent single ‘Human’ whipped the crowd into what seemed like a riot if you were to compare their reaction to the ones received by previous bands. The set included a handful of Hot Fuss hits, a sprinkle of Sam’s Town and a single song, ‘Shadowplay’, from Sawdust. Being from the North West near Manchester, hearing their Joy Division cover was one of my personal highlights of their set. The main body of the set was songs from their latest release, Day And Age, however, songs from their earlier albums got the best response from the crowd. Crowd favourite ‘Mr Brightside’ had everyone dancing and singing along, while lesser known album tracks still had fans mouthing the words. Brandon Flowers called for the gig to be temporarily changed into a ‘mighty disco’ as the band launched into love-it-or-hate-it track ‘Joy Ride’. Personally, it’s one of my favourites from the third studio album, but the atmosphere seemed to die down during the song. Speaking of the atmosphere, even though the crowd were enoying themselves, I couldn’t help but feel that they were holding something back and not really having the best time possible... there just weren't enough people that into it.

Brandon Flowers looked comfortable and confident playing to the 45,000 strong crowd, pumping his mic stand to the beat of anthemic ‘All These Things That I’ve Done’ and bounding around the stage during ‘Spaceman’. The crowd chanted ‘I’ve got soul but I’m not a soldier’ during the break before the band returned to play a short but sweet encore. Three of my favourite Killers songs were played to end Hard Rock Calling Day 1 – ‘Bones’, ‘Jenny Was A Friend Of Mine’ and ‘When You Were Young’. This was the perfect way to end the gig and left the crowd wanting more, but sadly the 10.30pm curfew was looming over the Las Vegas band. I’m eagerly awaiting their next UK tour and as I listened to their songs on my iPod on my journey home made me realise just how great they are as a live band.

The Kooks setlist:

Always Where I Need To Be
Matchbox
Eddie’s Gun
Ooh La
Sway
Naïve
Time Waits
She Moves In Her Own Way
Mr Maker
Do You Wanna?
Cap
Love Is Like A Rainbow
Shine On
You Don’t Love Me
Princess Of My Mind
Stormy Weather
Sofa Song