Roskilde, Friday 2nd July 2010

Friday, the first full day of performances at Roskilde 2010, starts off very warm, the sun beating down and the temperature on its way up to what I’ve been told is very unusual for a Danish summer. So it wasn’t just Glasto this year experiencing record heat. Slathering on sun cream is a must; the burnt red lobster look isn’t so attractive on normally pale-skinned Nordics. The performances begin bright and early at noon – I suppose this is bright and early if you’re a drunk and disoriented camper subsisting on little sleep.

Festival-goers encamped in the northwest corner of the property are particularly lucky, as the earliest shows at the festival take place at the northernmost venue, Odeon, and Friday welcomes the Hypnotic Brass Ensemble, who just like the campers must be feeling the effects of lack of sleep after playing with their buddy Damon Albarn the previous night. The band comprises eight incredibly talented as well as fit brothers, and I literally mean brothers, not in the American slang term sense. They are masters of the art of entertaining, knowing full well that the key to happy gig-goers is involving their audience in the show. Their set of beat-laden slightly jazz, slightly hip hop is just what the doctor ordered to get everyone out of their alcohol-induced sleepy stupor and awake and jumping. Everyone has their hands in the air and by the end of the performance, several band members have jumped down to our level and are shaking as many hands in the crowd as they can.

Pavilion’s line-up on Friday is especially strong, beginning with the Bear Quartet from Sweden, appearing at an early afternoon slot. From what I read, this band rarely tours, so this is a special performance at the festival. Their eclectic sound ranges from new wave to rock, from plinky plonky numbers bordering on calypso to softer, slower, more emotional tracks. Then the mood changes with the arrival of Circle, a Finnish theatrical metal band that is oddly centred around their slightly fey keyboardist lead singer. Even weirder, the bloke looks like he’s aping Rob Halford, wearing metal grommet-adorned boots-cum-sandals. Cue the inevitable comparisons to Judas Priest. I’m pretty sure though that Judas Priest’s bassist never faked out an audience by almost hitting their singer with his guitar in an axe-swinging motion, nor has he ever carried Halford around the stage as if he was carrying a baby. I have to say that this band really surprised me with their bombastic guitars and their singer, who not only sang and played keyboards but who would occasionally get up from his seat and strike yoga and kung fu poses.

Delphic, a band that has played less shows in America than can be counted on one hand, is the band I’ve come to see that day at Pavilion. The small tent is I’m sure a shock to them, considering they just played the John Peel stage at Glasto to tens of thousands. But the smaller size allows them to make a better connection with their audience, something that never could not have happened on any of the larger stages at Roskilde. The Manchester-based band and their workhorse drummer don’t disappoint, turning Pavilion into a wicked dance party. ‘This Momentary’ and ‘Counterpoint’ are by far the most recognised; the former becomes a call and response with singer/bassist James Cook, repeating the refrain ‘let’s do something real!’, punters shouting it back to him in a frenzy. By the end, it seems like everyone is clamouring for one of their precious setlists.

I’m so ecstatic from the Delphic performance that continuing the synth pop high would be amazing, so I head on back to Odeon to catch the second half of a set by electropoppers Casiokids. They’re a Norwegian band that was previously championed by NME and Steve Lamacq, endorsements that are good enough for me. Their sunny sound pairs brilliantly with the wonderful weather we’re experiencing at Roskilde. This band is a regional favourite, with their hit song ‘Finn Bijjken’ a loud and lively singalong. Another hit, ‘Fot I Hose’, featured people in bear costumes frolicking across the stage as beach balls sailed and bounced in the air above the crowd. I may not know any Norwegian, but I can certainly tell when people are having a good time.

Long queues for later sets by Alice in Chains and Them Crooked Vultures at Orange are already forming, so I decided to make my way over to Arena for the first time to hear Danish singer/songwriting legend CV Jorgenson. The best way to describe him: he’s the Danish equivalent to Bob Dylan and Neil Young, with a cult following in his home country since the ‘70s and somewhat reclusive, rarely appearing for live performances these days. He sings in Danish so I had no idea what he was singing but the faithful hordes, singing along word for word under the white tent of Arena, was definitely a moving experience. He only played a one-song encore, leading the diehards to boo and hiss, obviously wanting more.

The next act to appear at Arena is Biffy Clyro. As an American music journo who primarily covers British acts, I felt it was my duty to cover the Scottish rockers’ set. Queueing early, I am surprised to learn that the trio have a sizeable devoted following in Denmark. Most of the fans are of the grungy, unwashed, and long-haired variety; the only exception to this that I see in the front pit are a Pete Wentz lookalike (complete with hair dyed black and porkpie hat) and his girlfriend, who disappointingly does not look like Ashlee Simpson but looks more like she was trying for redhead Hayley Williams instead.

The pits at Arena are overrated; the stage is so high up, it is uncomfortable to look up at the band and enjoy the show. Biffy Clyro fans’ rallying cry of ‘Mon the Biff!’ is shouted out many times before the start of the set, albeit in a Danish accent. Then the crazy moshing commences with the first number, ‘That Golden Rule’, singer Simon Neil and bassist James Johnston bare-chested and giving their all on their axes. The audience goes completely mental. This is not for the faint of heart, including myself. So I bid farewell to Roskilde Festivalplads to mentally prepare myself for the marathon up ahead on Saturday.