Field Day

After the mayhem of Lovebox, the madness of Madstock and the metal of High Voltage, comes the relative calm of Field Day. July's final festival in Victoria Park is an altogether more laid-back affair, seeking to capture the relaxed sunshine-and-cider vibe of a small, rural festival. To that effect, around 5,000 visitors flock to the East End park for what could be described as a psychedelic village fete, complete with a Village Green area boasting coconut shies, tombola, sack races, bowling for bacon, old fashioned tug-o'-war bouts and enough hay bales for an impromptu (but good-natured) fight. Music is, of course, the centre piece of Field Day with an array of bands and folksy electronica playing aural delights across five stages all day until the doors close on the rustic merrymaking at 10.30pm. This year's headline act is the catchy French synthpop outfit, the Grammy Award-winning Phoenix, who will be joined by a cluster of top acts including Caribou, Gold Panda, Andrew Weatherall, The Fall, These New Puritans, Moderat and much, much more. The organisers of Field Day haven't been lucky: poor sound and inadequate facilities marred the inaugural event in 2007 while heavy rain made the last two years a bit of a washout. But surely lightning can't strike a fourth time in Victoria Park? If anyone can save them, Phoenix can.