CHATTIN' BREEZE: FIELD DAY

Line-up: Neneh Cherry, Jamie Xx, Simian Mobile Disco, Pixies, Dusky, George Fitzgerald, John Wizards, Jessie Lanza, Sophie, Todd Terje, Erol Alkan Btb Daniel Avery, Gerd Janson, Ghostpoet, Moxie, Ryan Hemsworth, Sbtrkt, Metronomy and more...

Some of our most embarrassing moments happened on school field trips. An opportunity at the age of eight to sing — despite no previous vocal training — at the Royal Albert Hall was ruined when this correspondent trod in dog poo in Hyde Park, only to have to change trousers and come on stage wearing bright green polyester PE shorts. These days, however, the only real days out we have to worry about are the odd work gathering, family outing and, thankfully in this case, Field Day — that two-day festival in east London.

Twisting the fun day theme into a full weekend of dance/indie madness, attendees have a chance to take part in sports day races — egg and spoons, sacks and beanbags, the lot — between getting sweaty in the Bugged Out! tent or moshing at the main stage. With a brass band on a bandstand in some woods and the likes of Neneh Cherry presenting her new live project with Rocketnumbernine, alongside the likes of Simian Mobile Disco, Dusky, George Fitzgerald, Todd Terje and Erol Alkan — even The Pixies on the main stage — Field Day might just be the best day out ever.

WE ASKED THE DJS TO TELL US ABOUT THEIR FUNNY FIELD DAY STORIES...

RYAN HEMSWORTH
“In sixth grade, the teachers took us all on a bus to this tiny town outside of Halifax, where we pretty much chilled and played games. It was like my first taste of staying up late and partying. We all drank so much root beer and had an ice fight because someone discovered the ice machine at our motel. But I drank so much root beer I pissed the bed in the middle of the night — not to mention I was sharing the room with four of my best friends. So I woke up and strategically changed the sheets, slept on the floor and woke myself up before the others. There was never any suspicion. Hopefully I don't piss my pants at Field Day, but if I do at least I'll know what to do.”

TOM BAKER
“I was about 15 or 16 on a coach as part of a school trip to Paris on a French exchange. I was sitting with a friend at the time, Bill. I remember him having a huge bag of rather red, overripe, juicy tomatoes (no idea why a 16-year-old would want a bag of tomatoes). A bit of an argument broke out between us (no doubt about something very stupid), he then threw one of the tomatoes at me, I ducked and it smashed against the window and exploded everywhere... I grabbed one and threw it back until we had between us got through the whole bag. The seats and windows were totally covered in tomato juice and seeds and skins... the other kids shouted, 'The teacher is coming, the teacher is coming'. Bill and I didn’t know what to do, so we sat silently and hoped they wouldn’t notice! Of course they would, the coach even smelt of tomatoes!'”