Visions Festival, review: A jubilant racket in the East End gloom

Now in its third year, Visions Festival’s sell-out was apparent from the Soviet-style queues. Lining up in the sunshine to enter the dark, dingy Laundry venue was just about worth it to witness the ferocious racket of Girl Band (actually a quartet of Irishmen).

Down the road at Oval Space there was natural light and a genuine all-female group from Madrid. “Hola! Hola! Hola!” cried singer and guitarist Carlotta Cosials as Hinds launched into their jubilant garage-rock and Eighties-sounding indie, including rough-and-ready harmonies on Trippy Gum.

Back at Laundry, shaggy-haired TOY’s squally psychedelia was even more retro, though the Brighton band were relentlessly joyless. Fortunately, there was fun to be had in the gloom with Fat White Family, whose guitarist Saul Adamczewski lit up a fag and announced that singer Lias Saudi was “having a poo”. When the wide-eyed frontman finally arrived, he was a confrontational presence.

Despite these Brixton agitators’ reputation for naughtiness, it was the sleazy tunes and creepy psych-rock that made this febrile performance memorable — except for those still queuing outside.

St John-at-Hackney Church was a sanctuary for indie-pop fans, who cheered the versatility of Sweden’s Jens Lekman and danced to headliners Camera Obscura.

Their songs were so good you almost forgot the queues that hampered this urban festival.

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