The best festivals draw the crowds for their unique atmosphere as much as the bands. Now in its third year, Citadel has established itself as the relaxed, family-friendly music gathering staged on a summer Sunday.
Compared to the hedonism of Lovebox earlier in the weekend at Victoria Park, it’s a laid-back festival with a line-up for the discerning music fan.
It was worth arriving early for a couple of anointed newcomers: Daft Punk acolytes Parcels showed off their dandyish disco, while the Pharrell-approved Maggie Rogers enjoyed herself so much she was high-fiving the front row during the shimmering folk-pop of On + Off.
Glad-handing is not Laura Marling’s style, and the shower that greeted her arrival on the main stage didn’t bode well. But like the weather, she soon warmed up and her strumming performance peaked with a resplendent Rambling Man.
Michael Kiwanuka is an equally gifted songwriter, whose rich stew of folk and funk drew a big crowd to the Communion stage. For those in search of dance tunes, Bonobo’s intricate arrangements adorned with flute and trombone as well as beats may have been the day’s highlight.
Best European Festivals 2017
Opening with the rampaging rock of Mountain At My Gates and Snake Oil, Foals were on apocalyptic form.
“This is another cheery one about the end of the world,” announced frontman Yannis Philippakis as they launched into A Knife In The Ocean. Crucially, Foals’ doomy tunes boasted massive choruses that compared to the stadium-sized Muse. For loyal fans, there was a generous selection from the Oxford band’s 2008 debut, including Olympic Airways.
Foals also had the kinetic rhythms to get everyone dancing, particularly on the thundering groove of My Number. For the epic Spanish Sahara, there was a sense of anticipation as the slow-burning song exploded into a festival anthem.
Stripped to his vest, Philippakis was even more emphatic during an encore featuring a furious rendition of What Went Down, which he bawled among the audience. It was that combination of cerebral rock, huge choruses and angry riffs that made Foals such imperious headliners.
