Offset Festival 2010

Photo: Male Bonding @ Offset by Kane Howie

If you were within a certain range of East London postcodes last weekend you may have noticed a distinct lack of girls with ripped tights and boys with single hooped earrings. Where had they all gone? Well they'd only all hopped on the Central Line to Hainult to attend this years Offset.

Now in its third year, Offset has a line up consisting largely of bands from the aforementioned postcode, although the talent isn't exclusively London-based, and thanks to its location, neither are it's audience - fans from Buckinghamshire and Essex are also sweeping in.

Once the tents have been put up and a few ciders have gone down the hatch, Bo Ningen start the party with some industrial psychedelia on the Main Stage. Their enviably shiny hair is swung around, while their flailing limbs (which sport psychedelic smocks), make for an entertaining view. To finish, one member decides to climb the ladder like arch over the stage before throwing his drumsticks into the crowd.

Boosted by a hyperactive smoke machine, Male Bonding get the crowd singing along to 'Yea'rs Not Long', while Lovvers bring some energy to the Loud & Quiet stag: it's a trademark raucous affair, with crowd surfing, stage dives and general sweatiness. After a few more ciders, a fantastic Burrito dinner and Liquid Liquid, the sleeping bag is calling.

Sunday's highlight comes early: Monotonix set up their stage show in front of the stage (this is pretty normal for them) and proceed to run riot in red Garfield boxer shorts. From here on it's a bit of a blur: their lead singer is singing from within a giant dustbin in the middle of the crowd, then he's on the rooftop of the takeaway caravan at the back.

Later on, he'll debate whether the Queen should be "saved or shaved" while the band will invite us to stroke their chest hair and expose their bottoms. The inevitable result is a crowd of gooey smiles and laughs, and when Montonix finally put down the microphones (as well as the bins, drums and stool) everyone is satisfied - much like they are with Offset.