LARMER TREE SUNDAY: All good things must come to an end

The Ugly Bug Ball Bloc ready to move on the G8

Day four, and we be still rockin’.. and the sun is still shining. We have been up and about early every morning because the heat in the tent gets unbearable by about 07:30, but we usually hang around the gazebo chilling. Today we make a point of heading into the main site early though to catch a lunchtime set by another bunch of Iguana favourites, Dorset’s very own Pronghorn.

Songs about death and interbreeding in Dorset... surely not!

PRONGHORN: These boys (and girl) had the honour of being interviewed for Issue four of the Peppermint Iguana fanzine. They describe themselves as ‘hogbitch dogshit cowpunk’, and I don’t think I can top that. Playing country with punk attitude they belt out a mix of their own compositions and covers of stuff like ‘Ace Of Spades’ and ‘Smells Like White Spirit’ at full pelt, like a tractor out of control, but always with a smile on the face.

The next generation of Pronghorn

This afternoon’s show was typical Sunday afternoon cabaret stuff to get the drinking muscles relaxed and the jigging legs loosened up. A nice touch was various Pronghorn kids added to the line up playing drums, harmonica and washboard… yes, they have two washboard players; it is that sort of band.

Dug deep for yet another CD, Pronghorn's latest, 'Londis calling'.

Marin Harley and gang buskin' with a full PA
(Tip for taking photographs in the day, change the settings you were using in the dark!)

MARTIN HARLEY BAND (Again): If we had not come across these boys busking on the Saturday night we probably would not have bothered checking them out, but hearing them on a decent PA confirmed what I had originally thought, this band are CLASS. Melting folk with blues they sound like a cross between John Martyn and Ry Cooder, slick but laid back with plenty of slide guitar. Perfect for a Sunday afternoon. As soon as they finished I was off to the CD stall to pick up the album.

Too much sun and not enough cider can do terrible things to your head

CARNIVAL PROCESSION: While we have been hanging around enjoying the sun the kids and some adults have been tucked away making costumes for this afternoon’s carnival parade. And what a sight it was, there must have been about 500 kids all dressed up in blocs with a different theme. To add a bit of noise to the colour were two marching bands; Brighton’s Carnival Collective and Orkestra Del Sol.

I was disappointed that Stan from Flannel was not with the Carnival Collective; he has been working with them for a few years now. I have not had a chance to speak to him since Bloke shuffled off this mortal coil and it would have been nice to have a drink with him.

The Blues take on the Reds

BALKAN DATERIA SOUNDCLASH: After the procession the two bands took to the main stage for a bit of a sound clash thing, which was noisy to see the least. Carnival Collective doing their samba thing, while Del Sol added their Balkan polka vibe. Then it was back to the gazebo to get ready for…..

"Did you spill me cider?"

PRONGHORN (Again): There are quite a few bands that turn up at the Larmer Tree on a regular basis, but Pronghorn have closed the Sunday night on the big top ever since the festival started. And what a way to finish, feisty drunken moshing like there was no tomorrow, which of course there wasn’t.. in terms of the Larmer Tree.