V Festival, Weston Park - Saturday 18/08/2007

Saturday gets off to the worst start possible.

And not just because the first band we see are McFly.

No, I’m talking about the shadow hanging over the site. A big, grey, miserable sky lingers overhead all day. It threatens storms but delivers only an occasional shower of light rain. Things could be worse we think. Then we step into the JJB tent and come face to face with the aforementioned act. A glorified boy band with guitars. The tent is packed but you get the impression it’s more from a purely ironic stance than a genuine love of the band. Which I guess is kind of their problem. Sullied by a kids TV, screaming teenage girls reputation, they’ll struggle to attract an adult crowd that will accept them unless their music develops beyond the one dimensional Beach Boys aping pop that they specialise in. And depending on your mood, they’re either deeply offensive or so inoffensive as to barely register. They finish with ‘Five Colours In Her Hair’ which is kind of fun and the crowd disperses in good spirits leaving us to sneak to the front for Rilo Kiley.

The tent refills and is busy if not heaving for Rilo Kiley, who ease us into the festival mood with a solid set mixing old favourites with a couple of new tunes. Jenny Lewis dazzles in a one piece hot pants outfit. She plays guitar, does some 60s style dancing, hits her cowbell and has every male within drooling distance eating out of her hand. Clearly enjoying themselves, Rilo Kiley do the best they can with an unfortunate slot in the no mans land of mid afternoon. Jenny sounds in fine voice and the band play an accomplished if not particularly stunning performance. ‘Portions For Foxes’ is delightful and offers the first highlight of the weekend.


Despite protestations that I’d rather eat my own ears than listen to Mika, I find myself dragged to the Channel 4 stage by my girlfriend. The field is packed and the whole thing is as camp as a row of tents. Pitching himself somewhere between Scissor Sisters and Queen, Mika makes the kind of music that attempts to promote self confidence and strength in being who you want to be. Sadly, it’s so middle of the road it’s got lines painted through it and is about as empowering as a conclusion on an episode of Jerry Springer. It’ll sell bucket loads to people who don’t like music and think of Snow Patrol as alternative rock. I last three songs.

Rushing away to the Main V stage, James are busy running through their hits, trying to resurrect interest in their reunion. Surprisingly high up the billing, they succeed in evoking past glories and for a while, ‘Sit Down’ and ‘Out To Get You’ remind us how good they were. Unfortunately, by throwing a couple of new songs into the mix, they also remind us why they broke up and why some things are better left well alone. Lacking any real passion, they are nothing more than a moment of reminiscence. Worryingly, the main stage also appears to have employed the world’s worst sound system. It’s far too quiet and unless your stood dead centre, seems to be affected terribly by atmospherics.

Thankfully then, we head back inside to the tent for Iggy And The Stooges where it’s as loud as it is hot. Sweat pours off us as they destroy the calm, reserved nature of this most corporate of festivals. Topless as ever, Iggy devours the stage with seemingly boundless energy. He bouces, jives, climbs and spins, stopping only to douse himself in water. The band are tight, raw and devastating. They rip through’ No Fun’, ‘I Wanna Be Your Dog’ and ‘1970’, taking no prisoners in their wake. It’s an electrifying performance. One which puts younger bands to shame and shows them for the charlatans they are. Some legends can never live up to their reputations. Iggy And The Stooges, on the other hand, reinforce theirs and make you wander how anyone can possibly top them.

Back to the main stage and to The Killers. The kind of band seemingly designed to close festivals. Big songs with plenty of sing along opportunities is the expected order of the day. Sadly, it never really materialises. Their set is affected by the main stage volume issues and while they deliver all the hits, they never seem to get the crowd thoroughly excited. The songs are perfect for the occasion but the occasion never truly occurs. It’s enjoyable. The crowd sings along. But nobody seems that focused on the performance and Brandon and co fail to connect on any real level. There's little to no interaction and despite a valiant effort their cover of Joy Division's 'Shadowplay' falls on pretty uninterested ears. With echoes of Iggy still ringing in ours, it’s a disappointing end to an average day.

Rilo Kiley - portions for foxes (live XFM session version)

Iggy & The Stooges - no fun (live at Glastonbury Festival 2007)

The Killers - can't take my eyes off you / shadowplay (Joy Division cover live at Glastonbury Festival 2007)

mp3 / music / live review / v festival 2007 / mcfly / rilo kiley / mika / james / iggy and the stooges / the killers