We had come to see Cleo Sol, Sault and Chronixx headlining the first day of All Points East, the annual series of concerts in Victoria Park.
Mostly we saw a long and conceptual stage production, with the music worked into a meandering play.
I should say now, I was not very familiar with Sault before I came.
But after seeing their second ever live show, I am not any more familiar.
The main stage was spectacular, with a desert landscape leading along a walkway in the crowd to a vast pyramid.A pyramid stage for London: A guitarist stood alone at the peak during Sault (Image: @jrcmccord)
Various characters dressed in robes stood on top of the pyramid while dancers moved on the walkway or people processed onto the stage.
There were long exchanges on the theme of war, and at one point two people in motorbike helmets chased after each other. This much I can say for certain – but not much more.
None of the people I asked could explain to me the plot, except that it was perhaps something to do with the Old Testament.
The band released five albums “as an offering to God”, according to a social media post, and there were heavy religious overtones here.
But as a live show it lacked any momentum. Sometimes these scenes would last 30 minutes, while an impatient crowd waited for some music to start.
A song would be sung and everyone would get excited – then the play started again.
The whole main stage play/performance lasted from 5 to 11pm with all the other stages closed during this time.
This meant many other acts played around 4pm, seven hours before the end and before many people arrived.
People then had no choice but to watch the main stage, if they enjoyed it or not.
The evening was saved by Chronixx, Jamaican reggae musician and also a member of Sault, but standing on the stage, in front of the crowd, the old fashioned way.
Him and his double denim band hugely raised the energy before Cleo Sol emerged again and everyone got to see the headliner they wanted to see.
A twilight desert sunset was projected behind her, slowly becoming a starry night as the warm east London evening fell, and it was all quite beautiful.
Near the end the actors explained they were from a local performing arts charity in Hackney, softening your heart towards them. 
But the production as a whole was flawed. A festival is simply not the right setting for something like this.
Maybe the show is best thought of as Sault’s jukebox musical, hoping to share a deeper insight into the band than just their music.
This may have been interesting for their fans, but as a show, I expect it to be entertaining. It was not.
It is great for a band to want to say something, or to put on a performance. But please, make it interesting.
