Sinister: The Lonely Passion of Judith Hann

[Geysel Frass]

Hello darlin',

The ATP experience this year was, like the weather, a bit mixed.  A
heavily US-centric bill probably put paid to any notions of a 5-a-side
football tournament ("football?  But we don’t have any helmets..."),
which was a great shame, as it provided a nice point of social contact
between the punters and the popstars in their fancy luxury chalets in
’99 and ’00.  Oh, and we did win the thing last year.

Funny that folks seem to be labouring under the idea that this was
another dronesome post-rock seaside experience - the line-up was much
more varied than Mogwai’s guitary choices of last year.  It was
practically all hip-hop on the second stage on Friday, and full-on
electronica, avant-jazz and improv elsewhere.

Highlights for me: the freestyling Atmosphere, Mr Charisma himself Mike
Ladd (I was an infesticon!  Fuck the majesticons), Boards of Canada
(whose ‘performance’ was little more than uninflected LP tracks
reproduced at immense volume through the PA with wobbly interludes and
uninspired visuals - but it hit the spot for me), Autechre (I
considered it a point of principle to stay at the front for the whole
65-minute set, buffeted by spazzing German teenagers in the throes of
mathematical ecstasy; Ae were as ferociously dense as I hoped, all
locust-piloted helicopters dragging open zippers in the earth’s crust
and spilling runny silicon over misfiring spark-plugs.  Like being
battered by a robot).  "One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest" and "Down By
Law" on the telly.  The full-moon sea at night.  

Less than wonderful: Lambchop bookended a soporific set of unfamiliar
material with a ‘Nixon’ track and a Sisters of Mercy cover (or was that
just a joke?  I only saw the new stuff), Calexico - great horns, bad
vocalist.  Poor sound on Friday and Saturday seemed to mar much of the
main stage performances.  Broadcast had friends raving in unseemly
ways, but I missed two-thirds of the set and heard only shuddering
wig-outs.  Derek Bailey was ‘enjoyable’ for a punishing 15 minutes but
then close to intolerable.  Tortoise vexed me even more than they do on
record. Television and The Sea and Cake I missed in their entirety. 
YLT meandered, but not in a good way.  My inevitable sore throat.  

Worst of all - the non-appearance of NYC legends ESG.  Of course, one
relied on word-of-mouth about things like that - I don’t think
Foundation attempted to post this information on-site at all (nor did
they announce the alterations to show-times as a result, attempt to
replace the missing acts [difficult, I know] or breathe a word about
Black Heart Procession’s vanishing act either).  Oh well.

Socially, a joy as ever.  I won’t name names because, well, I don’t
really exist, do I?

Knocking back the zinc and OJ,

GF.


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