Two festivals, two days, one location. The only major difference, save for variations in the line-up, between Underage Festival and Field Day is that the former requires the crowd be no younger than 14 and no older than 18, whereas the latter is a strictly 18-plus affair. Both events premiered last year, with Underage receiving relatively ecstatic reviews and Field Day getting a general thumbs down for reasons that we'll come to shortly, meaning this year there was high expectation for Sam Kilcoyne's festival.
High-pitched vocals are the order of the day at Underage, and not just from the kids. A laptop-focussed Fryars and his operatic pitch draws a devoted crowd to the NME stage, while pop-rock band Team Waterpolo combine exuberant falsetto with anthemic choruses and thumping rhythms. They are truly terrible, especially as the increasingly excellent Wild Beasts (whose singer Hayden Thorpe has a dexterous falsetto of his own) are kicking into action on the nearby Domino stage. It's a shame they're unable to wrestle many of the crowd away from this Killers-esque concoction. Elsewhere a tiny, tiny trio of girls called Care Bears on Fire loiter patiently onstage while sound levels are adjusted before kicking into action with their straightforward but nonetheless adorable take on Riot Grrrl rawk.
Considering we came to Underage anticipating a crowd shrieking like crazy with the giddy thrills of youth, we're not entirely convinced. That is, until, we come face to face with the hysteria during the Foals' headline slot, when officials take to the stage after two songs to berate a crowd member for climbing a piece of apparatus. For the most part though, the crowd comprises of young men holding their balls intensely and girls travelling in packs, dressed exactly the same as at least one of their friends. Coyness and manners: they're the new rock'n'roll.
A disgustingly busy cigarette bar signals that we are now in the company of the older clientele at Field Day, an event which managed to top a Guardian.co.uk/music poll of worst festivals ever after only one year in existence thanks to too many people, too little toilets, not enough beer tents and not enough volume.
Organisers had gone all out to ensure this year wasn't blighted by queues for the loo so long they wind round the site but they couldn't do anything to ensure a decent forecast. Miserable, windy weather puts a damper on the day, and though the likes of Lightspeed Champion, New York art-punkers Les Savy Fav and drone-pop trio Telepathe provide stand-out performances, there is little that can be done to save the festival from being a generally damp experience.
Whatever anticipation you have for a festival comprising of 14-18-year-olds, you're likely to be disappointed. Underage's atmosphere doesn't feel particularly exciting compared to, say, Reading and Leeds (also a young crowd), and for the most part the crowd just looks vulnerable and self-conscious. But then they're not here to be judged by us olds, they're here to enjoy, improbable as it seems, the likes of Team Waterpolo without constant fear of being asked for ID. Let them drink Cola Red Bull, while the rest of us endure grim weather and overpriced beer.
