For the early birds scattered on the grass at the main stage, José González is a gentle wake up alarm. Gorgeous classical guitar work and a butter-soft voice help to raise the weary weekend ticket holders - the addition of back-up band members for the odd song gives the dreamy folk a solid backbone. The opener Crosses is hypnotic and the slot concludes with the familiar hit Heartbeats.
Meanwhile, Dublin outfit Spies dish out some sophisticated, layered indie rock at the Whelan's tent. There's gear-changing ability on show – there are mathrock tints in places, but they don't hide from chunkier, chordier choruses. Lyrically elaborate, Quincy Morris goes down well, while Night Games is a more straight-forward foot tapper. A good set, but it's a bit early to make a splash.
Over to the Red Bull Music Academy, where Wife is keeping the party ticking over with bass heavy mixes; it's both airy and dark in all the right places. Producer and ex-metal head James Kelly knows about gloom and that's seen in the meatier synth work. Bodies are moving and the RBMA crowd seems to double quickly; the live vocal hooks are always a nice touch, too.
The first real bite of the day lands soon after on the Main Stage. Everything Everything appear in matching red and orange threads, looking like a handful of Fruit Salad bars. A quick-fire set of poppy electro rock is exactly what's needed to reel the first decent-sized bunch of the day. It's energising and right on the money – Regret is the reigning belter of the afternoon.
Swedish pop merchant Tove Lo then casually jam-packs the Heineken tent. It's a wall of brash indie synth-pop and also an impromptu confessional – she's there to party, we're reminded. There's a selection of big choruses over dance beats, hammered by the dual-drummer set up. Talking Bodies is the peak and the reception is massive. It's samey, but remains a popular set; just the trick for a boogie, but too polished for some tastes.
It's back to walking pace after that and James Blake has the biggest task of the weekend - stepping up ahead of Chemical Brothers on the Main Stage. It's a soulful hour and Blake is a talent, but it's far too subdued for the slot. It's easy listening; the keyboard hooks embedded in synth have familiar warmth and he routinely demonstrates the only way to use auto-tune. It's a good performance, but there was surely a better spot for him.
It's over to four-piece Wolf Alice, who brandish some heavy alt rock that feels much grungier live than on record. It's a busy enough Whelan's tent, but for the majority of the set, it isn't an animated one - guitarist Joff Oddie tries to air-lift the crowd with his arms. Then, plot twist. We're told it's frontwoman Ellie Rowsell's birthday. There's a dreadful lack of party hats, but a communal effort for Happy Birthday actually does the trick and the Londoners dive straight into Bros, which pulses a bit more life into the pack.
It's time. First comes the dry ice. Then the lasers. Then, after a small delay that nobody really cares about, Chemical Brothers. The relief is palpable. It's been a weekend of waiting and a day of mellow sounds fit for a lazy Sunday, but there's finally going to be a party. When Hey Boy Hey Girl builds, the heave has begun – when it drops, there isn't an open drink in Marlay Park that survives the bustle. Ed Simons is away finishing up with his academic studies, which means he's missing on the night, as has been the case for a string of recent live shows. Visual collaborator Adam Smith capably fills the spot beside Tom Rowlands and for 90 minutes, the pair turn Longitude into a sweaty big beat marathon. The light show is all laser and strobe, while the visuals champion giant LED humanoid dancers and one particularly jarring first-person video of a panicked run through some woods. Setting Sun is aptly played as night falls and it kicks on from there. A massive set that's duly lapped up, but you'd expect nothing less.
