Isle Of Wight 2008 Blog
If you couldn't make it down to the festival, find out what we made of the bands who performed on stage. If you were there, read on to find out a few backstage secrets...
Day 1 - Friday 13th June 2008
Day one at Isle Of Wight, what can we say? We survived the ferry, managed to put up our tent (just about, although we think we might have annoyed our neighbours by pitching too close) and even found the time to catch a few bands.
The Hoosiers wowed us as per usual, with their unique blend of odd pop, KT Tunstall got the crowd clapping along to 'Suddenly I See', but it was N.E.R.D. who really got us moving.
Sitting somewhere between hip hop and rock, Pharrell Williams had the crowd in the palm of his hand, as the band performed their hit singles like 'Lap Dance', 'She Wants To Move' and 'Rock Star', as well as giving fans the chance to hear tracks from their new album, 'Seeing Sounds' for the first time.
The biggest cheers of their set though were reserved for a brief cover of White Stripes' 'Seven Nation Army', which the crowd carried on singing long after the music had finished.
Kaiser Chiefs were the deserved headliners of the first night - after all, who else would you want to be listening to when in high spirits on a Friday night? Kicking off with a fantastic rendition of 'Everything Is Average Nowadays', the boys more than rose to the challenge of topping the bill.
Despite us having to dodge the cups of beer being thrown at us from all angles, we heartily enjoyed moshing along to tracks drawn from their 'Employment' and 'Yours Truly, Angry Mob' albums. despite having heard the tunes a million times already (probably). Not only that, but we were also given a sneak preview of some of their new material, which they've been working on with man of the moment, Mark Ronson. 'Never Miss Beat' was catchy enough to rival any of their previous hits, while 'You Want History', with its slight electro tinges, also bodes well for their forthcoming album.
Ricky was an absolute star as usual, commanding his stage with bags of energy and plenty of bottle too - he climbed up on the scaffolding at the side of the stage without breaking a sweat at all. Well, maybe a bit of a sweat.
Day 2 - Saturday 14th June 2008
Day two is in full swing here at the Isle Of Wight Festival - Amy Macdonald was in the press tent earlier and revealed that despite the fantastic line-up she won't be seeing any of it as she's got to rush off. No commitment to rock, that girl.
We overheard One Night Only chatting as well and they were well chuffed to finally be playing at a proper festival. Well, they might have been festival virgins but they certainly didn't show it on stage, giving a confident performance featuring tracks drawn from their debut album, 'Started A Fire'.
Next single, 'You And Me' was a highlight, but unsurprisingly it was 'Just For Tonight' which really brought the house down. Frontman George Craig has a real swagger about him - Liam Gallagher, watch out! Catch 'em at the Xfm All Day Breakfast if you can.
Kate Nash was amazing as usual - the way she bashes them keys she's going to be in need a new piano pretty soon. We weren't sure how well her confessional style songs would go down at a festival, but we're pleased to report that she won the crowd over, getting everybody singing along to 'Foundations'. Our one criticism? She didn't say very much. Boo.
Next up were The Enemy and their patented angst-rock. The highlight of their was undoubtedly 'We'll Live And Die In These Towns', which had the entire crowd screaming at the top of their lungs. Nice.
We couldn't miss out on seeing Iggy And The Stooges... you owe it to yourself to see him at least once in your life. His set was, as you'd expect, full of energy and devoid of shirts.
After a Strongbow or two it was off to see Scouse rockers, The Zutons. 'Valerie' was well-received, but we're so used to hearing the Mark Ronson and Amy Winehouse version, it can't help but sound like a cover version these days. 'Why Won't You Give Me Your Love' was the standout song of the set, while their current single 'Always Right Behind You' had us dancing in the field, possibly in an Oliver Reed stylee, we can't possibly say.
The Sex Pistols finished off the night with their usual vintage anarchy, with John Lydon screaming 'I can't hear you, I'm going to go home now'. Luckily they didn't and their hour-and-a-half long set took in the peerless 'Never Mind The Bollocks' album and beyond.
Day 3 - Sunday 15th June 2008
Phew! Three days, countless bands, a dodgy burger or two and too much free sparkling wine later, it's all over for another year! Scanning today's line up we thought that the final day was going to be a bit of a let down, however, we found ourselves pleasantly surprised by a few acts we'd previously overlooked.
For example, we'd forgotten just how many good songs Starsailor have done - the likes of 'Four To The Floor' and 'Good Souls' are solid gold tracks and perfect festival material.
Scouting For Girls were brilliant as usual, despite us hearing that they were nursing hang overs today after a late night spent drinking with their sound man. Tch tch.
With the weather threatening to turn for the worst, James took to the stage, wowing the festival crowd with a mixture of material old and new, with frontman Tim Booth on top form. When they've got classic tracks like 'She's A Star', 'Laid' and 'Sit Down' in their back catalogue it's difficult to see why they're not held in higher esteem - they were on Factory Records, people! Respect is due.
Despite having played the day before, The Hoosiers were still floating around, enjoying the perks of being chart-topping popstars, while we spotted Newton Faulkner attempting to perfect the art of playing the nose flute. Well, they say the truth is stranger than fiction...
Back on stage, it was soon time for the penultimate act of the festival. Kooks tracks are just made for these kind of shows and they didn't disappoint at the Isle Of Wight - their anthemic hits including 'Naive', 'She Moves In Her Own Way' and 'Always Where I Need To Be' really got the crowd waving stuff and generally acting the goat.
And to finish - a moment most of the crowd had been waiting for all weekend: one of the last ever gigs by The Police. It seems fitting that they headlined the festival on Father's Day, as dads seem to love them, but let's face it, we all know all the words. 'Every Breath You Take', 'Roxanne', 'Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic'... all classic songs and Sting, Andy Summers and Stewart Copeland performed them superbly.
So with the last few strums of their guitars, we were off through the crowd back to the ferry. It's been amazing, but we're absolutely exhausted!
Right, roll on Glasto then...