Wild Beasts and Beach House Highlight Dot to Dot Festival

Glittering performances from Wild Beasts and Beach House, amongst others, ensured Dot to Dot Festival's expansion into a three-legged affair this year proved successful. Manchester was the final destination for the event that had already stopped in Nottingham, May 29 and Bristol, May 30 -- where it began in 2005.

Drawing the largest crowd on Monday were Leeds-based four-piece Wild Beasts who revelled in another trip across the Pennines. The group sold out the 800-capacity Academy 2 in March, and the same venue was again filled as the indie oddballs delighted fans with a set drawing heavily from last year's acclaimed 'Two Dancers.' Only two of their nine songs came from 2008's 'Limbo, Panto;' debut single 'Brave Bulging Buoyant Clairvoyants' -- apologetically announced as an "old song" by bassist Tom Fleming -- and 'Devil's Crayon' warranted inclusion, before a finale of recent re-release 'Hooting & Howling.'

Wild Beasts lived up to their onstage promise that they'd be watching Beach House play Club Academy; front man Hayden Thorpe and guitarist Ben Little were present as the dream-pop duo seduced a packed venue amidst a stage backdrop of shimmering silver polygons. Victoria Legrand was in fine vocal form, showing no lethargy from the group's trip to Spain's Primavera -- a soaring 'Take Care' proved their set's apex.

The inter-band communal feel was present thoughout; Los Campesinos! shared a dressing room with Liars, whilst Small Black attended White Hinterland's haunting set of sparse rhythms and delicate vocals. Singer Casey Dienel didn't start until her audience had closed their eyes and imagined a Friday midnight, as opposed to Monday afternoon's slightly less charged atmosphere.

With many punters dashing between stages, as groups started when others finished, bands like Goldheart Assembly were intially met by tiny crowds. Just three people were present for the group's summery acoustic-tinged pop at the outset, before ranks swelled to around 200 by the show's end.

This, alongside other noteworthy performances from Liars, Washed Out and Ruby Suns, ensured Dot to Dot Festival found itself more than comfortable in its new surroundings.