ATP curated by Animal Collective 2011: Animal Collective (Photo: Sam Shepherd) ATP curated by Animal Collective 2011: Part 1 | Part 2

Comedy has never been a strong fixture on the ATP schedules, so it's up to Mike Baetz to prove previous curators wrong. Instantly hampered by the presence of two children in the audience, Baetz appears to change his set and approach instantly. He self edits, and gets lost within his own material. It makes for an entertaining hour (if only for the Dungeon Master joke) as his rapport with the audience and non-inflammatory material just about keeps the laughs rolling in.

The role of comedy in music has long been debated, and two of the weekend's acts might do well to reconsider their stance. The Brothers Unconnected's set is initially a mild and fairly interesting trawl though country-inflected guitar work outs. For some reason at the mid-point they start throwing in gags about cot-death and putting on fake Asian accents. Some can see the joke, others just walk out. Similarly,

The Frogs are an acquired taste – their stream of consciousness folk rock songs are at times spectacularly offensive. A waltz through their It's Only Right And Natural album is no exception, finding a rabidly appreciative audience at the front of the stage and everyone else outside moaning about them.

Saturday evening provides a rich seam of quality. Meat Puppets put in one of the performances of the weekend as they run through their classic album Up On The Sun, an amalgam of Minutemen treble guitars and country-infused chords, it is utterly sublime. In a similar vein is Kurt Vile's grunge explosion later in the evening – it's like watching Dinosaur Jr rutting with My Bloody Valentine and is over far too quickly.

Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti meanwhile splits opinion with their bizarre rock/'80s pop hybrid. Ariel himself appears agitated and wired, twitching through the set like a disco Kurt Cobain. There are moments that they sound like genius incarnate, and others where the ghost of Jan Hammer is all too close for comfort.

Equally peculiar is Beach House, whose subtle edges are all but lost under the weight of their songs. For some reason they appear abrasive and oppressive as they make their way through their set, Victoria Legrand's vocals are crushed under the weight of the music, as hidden from the audience as her face which is carefully curtained behind a shield of hair.

Animal Collective conclude Saturday's festivities with a set that is at times utterly frustrating and at others irresistible. Their songs drip with self-indulgence at times but when they develop into full on organic jams they induce a trance-like state and succeed in encouraging the entire room to dance, wrestle and generally lose their minds. By the end it can only be surmised that they've just about got it right.

Sunday begins promisingly with the amazing guitar work of Group Doueh and the repetitive rhythms of Orthrelm. However with a frankly bizarre set from Tony Conrad and Jennifer Walshe (stuttering, gibberish and discordant violins) and an all-too-predictable-it's-not-even-a-cliché-anymore no show from Zomby the final May ATP threatens to fall at the final hurdle. Step forward Ear Pwr, whose "Indie stomp by Nintendo" set is a much needed burst of energy. Micachu And The Shapes are on form too, their ramshackle pop songs cut through any pretence perfectly.

On the centre stage Atlas Sound's Bradford Cox receives a birthday cake during his frankly stunning set (it is his birthday and not some kind of weird art statement). The candles providing the only light on stage, as the nuances of the performance and Cox's skill are lost in the darkness around him.

Finishing the weekend in style are Gang Gang Dance and Animal Collective once again. None-more-cool Gang Gang Dance are horrifically loud, but also curiously hypnotic. Chaotic rhythms and electronic soundscapes drive the audience into a frenzy. At the centre of the band is Lizzi Bougatsos resplendent in a leather catsuit. Her voice may be an acquired taste, but it's something to grab onto in the sea of confusion the band creates. By the close, the audience is ecstatic and there are dancers hanging from the speakers waving flags. This is the bang ATP needed.

Animal Collective wrap things up with another trance inducing set, but after a weekend of excess, they struggle to enthral the audience as completely this time around.

The final May ATP might not have been a stone cold classic, but there were enough moments over the course of the weekend to remind those present why it's such a well loved festival and likely to be missed by many next May.

1. ATP curated by Animal Collective 2011:
   Part 1 | Part 2

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