Citadel Festival review and Tame Impala setlist

Image: Citadel (credit)

Launched in 2015 to "re energise the day of rest", Citadel Festival has been maintaining its promise over four editions, this year basking in the glow of two of the most unlikely scenarios; one of the hottest summers in living memory and the success of an England football team in a World Cup.

Past headliners of the all day event in London have been nothing but impressive, with Ben Howard and Bombay Bicycle Club, Sigur Ross, and Foals all topping the bill in years gone by, and in 2018 a UK festival exclusive from no other than Tame Impala.

Spirits were unsurprisingly high around Gunnersbury Park, the first time the location has been used for Citadel, and while the promised screening of the World Cup final on the main stage had England got through would have been an indescribably magical experience, the team's semi final loss to Croatia at least meant the day was focused on music and nothing else.

However, this didn't mean that football fans weren't catered for with the World Cup final between France and Croatia beamed out on a big screen - with a healthy French contigent in the crowd enjoying the outcome, naturally.

Musically, the afternoon provided a variety of acts with rowdy newcomers Shame and indie stalwarts The Horrors impressing early on the main stage, as did Goat Girl with their set on the Clash & Last F.M Stage. A difficult decision between Leon Bridges and Pumarosa was decided by the fact the latter finished with more time to catch the day's headline slot, and the London 'Industrial Spiritual' groovers did not disappoint one bit,with tracks from their 2017 debut The Witch delivered excellently in the early evening sun.

Kevin Parker's Tame Impala were their usual, resplendent selves, the Aussie psych rock giants once again proving the seismic impact of their 2015 third release Currents, with a setlist that was littered with the likes of sumptuously perfect 'Let It Happen', along with 'The Less I Know The Better', 'Yes I'm Changing', 'New Person, Same Mistakes' and more.

Away from the stodgy grooves and glittering disco feel of their most recent record, Parker and co also let rip with numerous clanging, guitar heavy gems like Mind Mischief, Why Won't You Make Up Your Mind, and Alter Ego (among others) from their exquisite opening duo of albums.

Parker himself was in typically fine form, ushering an already exuberant crowd into further ecstasy between most tracks throughout the set.

Buoyed by the success of drummer Julien Barbagallo's native France in the World Cup final, the outfit's only UK show of the entire year served as a reminder of how much of a live powerhouse they truly are, and also how much of an impact Parker's genius has had on such a large scale following Currents' gargantuan success. The pressure is now on the Australian maestro to tap into the rich vein of songwriting again, and there's little doubt the festival headline slots are only going to increase in stature if he pulls it out of the bag again.

Tame Impala played;

1. Nangs

2. Let It Happen

3. Sundown Syndrome

4. The Moment

5. Mind Mischief

6. Sestri Levante

7. Keep on Lying

8. Yes I'm Changing

9. Elephant

10. Why Won't You Make Up Your Mind?

11. Eventually

12. The Less I Know The Better

13. Alter Ego

14. Love/Paranoia

15. Apocalypse Dreams

Encore:

16. Feels Like We Only Go Backwards

17. New Person, Same Old Mistakes