Loops at Crossing Border

Last weekend we made our annual pilgrimage to The Hague (and for the first time, Antwerp) for the pioneering festival dedicated to Music and Literature, Crossing Border. This year Loops hosted a series of events, readings and performances. Wild Beasts played a predictably brilliant set, confirming their burgeoning reputation as one of the most stimulating British bands since The Smiths. Check out one of the great albums of the year here.

Richard Milward at Crossing Border

Elsewhere Graham Massey of 808 State provided a unique soundtrack to preface Kevin Cummins’ conversation with Paul Morley about Manchester’s pop iconography and James Yorkston played an intimate and memorable set.

The highlight, for me, was Richard Milward’s classic meeting and interview with psychedelic legend, Sonic Boom, of Spectrum and Spacemen 3. An interview in the true gonzo spirit of Hunter Thompson, Milward was largely unfazed by Sonic’s benign reticence and Louis Behre, founder of Crossing Border, was impressed enough to proclaim the performance one of his personal highlights of the festival’s 15 years.

Richard Milward & Sonic Boom

A joy to behold! Steve Earle, Stephen Malkmus, Natalie Merchant, Monsters of Folk, The Low Anthem, Mumford and Sons, Jay McInnerney, James Kelman, and the editorial presence of the most vital journal of the day, The Believer – yet again Crossing Border confirmed its reputation for quality, innovation and passionate commitment to music and spoken-word performance.

Nick Kent & Faber's Lee Brackstone

It has now become commonplace at festivals like Latitude, Camp Bestival and Green Man to mix music with literary performance in the same space; Crossing Border was the original and still the best. No mud or tents either. What’s not to like?

www.loopsjournal.com – Issue Two out in March 2010.

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