Latitude Festival, Suffolk, Sunday 28th July 2024 – Day # 3 of 3

The last day Day of Latitude 2024 had more of the same as the previous two days weather-wise: Scorchio! – plus more of the same chilled, family-friendly vibe set to a backdrop of a vast mix of music genres, bands and artists; from global legends to tomorrow’s stars…

After triumphant headline sets from Kasabian and Future Islands on Friday, London Grammar and Orbital on Saturday, today it’s the turn of Brummie legends Duran Duran topping the bill on the main stage, and Lankum on the second stage.

The Suffolk site has a capacity of 45,000 for each of the three days of the celebrated music and arts festival run by Festival Republic, and was near to sold out across the weekend. The festival began in 2006 in Henman Park near Southwold, Suffolk where it has been based ever since – running for 17 years [2020 was cancelled due to the pandemic.]

Duran Duran

Simon Le Bon and the lads were magnificent. This is no nostalgia circuit act. They look and sound as good as they did back in the day, and their performance was faultless.

The arena was rammed well before the band came on stage at 9.30pm, and even before that lines at the bars started to dwindle as everyone bagged a place in the heaving crowd.

After a sizzling hot day, the temperature dropped a fair bit, but the bopping to this soundtrack to our lives warned everyone up for sure. It is amazing to recall just how many hits this band have had across their 46-year career.

Great songwriters as well as superb musicians. Simon’s voice in fine shape. Still attracting screams and squeals from some females in the crowd at 65-years-old.

Lovely light show added value to the performance…Onset of light show and strobes beaming into the crowd. They kicked off with “Wild Boys’.

Simon asking if anybody in the crowd was hungry, before the band struck up with “Hungry Like A Wolf” – we see what he did there!

After “Invisible”, Simon mentioned how great Chic’s set was, before singing “Notorious”, a song the band wrote with Nile.

“Friends Of Mine”, and “The Chauffeur” preceded “Ordinary World”, which Simon dedicated to all those who failed to tell him his fly was open for the start of the set!

Nile Rodgers & Chic

Nile looking ice cool in a gold designer [Chanel] satin suit and a white beret-style hat, big grin on his face at seeing the huge sea of people waiting to enjoy Chic and this legendary producer and musician.

Telling the audience: “We play dance music. We want you to dance, party and have a good time”, before he and the band launch into the global smash hit, “Le Freak”. Then another smash, “Everybody Dance”, and even more….”I Want Your Love”, “I’m Coming Out”, “Upside Down”, ‘The Greatest Dancer”, and “We Are Family”.

Plus “Get Lucky”, “Lose Yourself” and more…. The crowd are dancing and singing as the last of the sun disappears and not a worry in the world, I am sure.

Nile (71) spoke about getting the 2023 Grammy award for “Lifetime Achievement”, and being grateful for being clear of cancer and the importance of music to him. he has battled cancer twice, and is now in remission.

He was diagnosed with an aggressive form of prostate cancer in 2010, underwent surgery and was told he was cancer free in 2013. But in 2022, he was diagnosed with kidney cancer, which he is now all clear of.

Chic ending their amazing set with the Bowie hit “Let’s Dance”, co-written and produced by Nile, and then the final song in the set at Latitude, “Good Times”, the title of which neatly sums up just what an experience this lovely festival delivers…. Good times indeed.

Rag ‘N’ Bone Man

Rory Graham from Brighton, aka Rag ‘N’ Bone Man chose his stage name/nickname after his love of the TV show Steptoe and Son, which he used to watch as a kid with his grandfather. A comedy classic about an old man and his son running a rag and bone collection business in London.

The main arena was packed for this chart star’s set at 6pm, and he delivered his hits in style, including “Human”, “Lovers In A Past Life” and “Caught In The Crossfire”. Great voice and worthy of a headline slot, so this was a treat with an early evening start.

Baby Queen

Baby Queen aka South African-born Bella Lathum (27) was voted this magazine’s album of the year back in 2021, and tipped as a future star. Her performance at Latitude did nothing to dent that prediction.

Edgy and energetic with a real punch to her performance. Opening with “Quarter Life Crisis”, the title of her current album, followed by “Kid Genius”, “Dream Girl”, and the brilliant “You Shaped Hole” from her 2021 debut album “The Yearbook” [or mix tape as she called it. Check out het song “Narcissist” for some clever lyrics and a song with bite.

Not many pauses in the set, with some songs running straight into the other. She did not turn up to Latitude to mess about. Ms Bella means business. If she is a new name to you, change that situation soon maybe…

The Darkness

What can we say about The Darkness and Justin Hawkins that has not been said before? Fabulously fun band and bloody good musicians too. Local lads, from Lowestoft in Suffolk originally.

On the main stage daytime and it was hot; so much so, Justin did the whole set topless, showing off his tattoos and his nipple piercing! Too warm to be doing acrobatics, but his trademark handstands and “clapping” with his feet, and his high leaps above the drum kit were part of the show as usual.

One of the largest crowds for any act of the festival and still sounding superb after 24 years. Entering the stage in a silver sequinned cloak, which he removed with a grin before getting straight into the performance.

Kicking off with “Growing On Me” and then “Get Your Hands Off My Woman”. Shouting for the crowd to clap along while he did his handstand schtick.

Justin giving a shout out to his mum who was sat off stage watching, before the band performed “Motorheart”. Justin also gave a shout out to the photographers for taking his picture.

Of course, they ended with the big 2003 hit, sounding timeless, “I Believe In A Thing Called Love” and his crazy high falsetto vocals definitely intact.

One young lad in the crowd holding up a sign, sat on someone’s shoulders, asking drummer Rufus Tiger Taylor if he would sign his drum sticks. Rufus, the son of legendary Queen drummer Roger Taylor.

Lottery Winners

One of the best sets of Sunday was The Lottery Winners on the main stage. Really cool stuff and Thom the frontman was having a whale of a time. Although the first photo here captured by our super snapper Liam Battersby may not give that impression!

Thom, Robert on guitar, Katie on bass and Joe on drums won huge cheers as soon as the walked onto the stage – Thom commenting on it being their first time at Latitude.

He cheekily describes himself as looking la cross between Elton John and Rag ‘N’ Bone Man. He put a good shift in and his banter is funny and likeable.

He revealed he was looking forward to seeing The Darkness who has been one of his favourite bands since he was a youngster. He told the crowd he was going to go off stage and when he comes back, everyone needed to cheer as if he was Justin Hawkins! [Met with laughter and a mighty cheer from the crowd.]

Kicking their set off with “Worry”, and soon, despite the blistering heat, thousands were jumping and waving along to the music. The song “Meaning Of Life” was well received.

Thom spoke about the struggles he has gone through in life, and how ADHD was not always his “super power”; recalling being kicked out of two schools as a child.

Many recognised the track “Letter To Myself”, before a cover which Thom says they performed on television recently – shown at 3am. He said only his mother watched it, and then reported it to Ofcom “as it was shit.”

That comedy moment had most of the crowd laughing loudly. Their cover of the 1981 Madness hit [penned and originally sung by Labi Siffre in 1971] ‘”It Must Be Love” prompted a mass singalong.

Thom explains the goal of their shows are to leave people feeling a little bit happier than when they started, and that they certainly achieved at Latitude. They closed the superb set with “Much Better”, ‘You’re Not Alone” and “Start Again”.

Talia Rae

One to watch for the future….Talia Rae performing in The Alcove, off the main track into the arena. Providing a wooded area with areas to sit in the shade and enjoy a cold drink from the cocktail stand. The stage is housed in a small open-sided tent, and Talia kicked off with a small crowd gathered, but the place filled up as her set progressed, and people liked what they heard.

Strong vocals from Talia, backed by keyboards, guitar and cello. Impressive. The young East London-based singer and songwriter included a recent single, “Rocket Woman” in her set, which was produced by Mike Spencer who has worked with Ed Sheeran, Labrinth and Kylie Minogue. The track is Talia’s second release, follow up to “Not A heartbreak”.

She will go far…

David Duchovny

X Files actor David Duchovny and his band on the second stage, Sunday evening….

Pillow Queens

Irish band Pillow Queens are another band who are being talked about in the right circles. Performing in The Alcove at Latitude, another stage tucked out of the way but plenty managed to find it and enjoy this band’s very nice set.

Imelda May is a fan of this band and tipped them to us when she did an interview for our “Track Record” Q&As. Take a look in the “Track Record” Zone…

Picture Parlour

Picture Parlour have created a real buzz and this magazine has tipped them for some time to break through in the near future.

At Latitude, they have a daytime slot in the Sunrise Arena on the Woodland Stage which requires a hike through the woods to get there.

They compete with The Darkness clashing with their slot, but still pull a decent size crowd who like what they hear. Worth checking out if you have not seen them or heard of them yet.