Reviews >Reviews 2006 > V2006

Review by Rob.

Kula Shaker - Surprise act of the day

Adverts broadcast on the big screen between bands, a double glazing stall, the re branding of the festival the 'Virgin Mobile V Fest'. Yes welcome to the UK's most commercial and corporate major festival. A mere 7 pounds to park your car (roughly one pound for each hour it takes to get out of the car park at the end) and the best part of a tenner for one of those neck guide laminates, it succeeds in pissing me off yet again. So why do I keep returning. Simply it's the line up which boasts some of the biggest acts around today plus several 2006 exclusives, Radiohead, Beck, Bloc Party and, ahem, Girls Aloud all falling into this category. Add in a top supporting cast and you have the makings of a memorable day musically. Would it turn out like that?

Things were slightly different this year as I only purchased a Sunday ticket (cheers Steve). In the event this didn't seem a bad choice as it arsed it down for most of the Saturday, and by Sunday morning the worst of the weather had passed and we were set fair. Boots were still needed as there was a bit of liquid mud on the fringes, but surprisingly the main arena was pretty dry. There were a few changes to not this year, the Channel 4 open air stage had been turned round 180° creating a new field, thus eliminating a lot of the overcrowding of last year when the big bands played that stage. It gave the festival area the feel of Other Stage at Glastonbury, and wonder of wonders, they even had installed video screens. There was also a village area where you could chill out and some giant flags and sculptures. Clearly the organisers had planned to give the place the feel of Glastonbury though it was still unmistakably V. The JJB indoor tent was huge this year much bigger than before so there were no problems with getting in to see the bigger bands. Predictably the queues for beer and food were on the massive side though, good job I wasn't drinking today.

First up its the Dead 60s on the main stage. They play a pretty good set, though their Clash fixation is beginning to go a little too far, even including some reggae elements into their songs. Two new songs are aired, one of which sounds excellent. It drags a little towards the end though 'Riot on the Radio' lifts everyone again. A pretty good start then. Last year i confessed to falling asleep when Biffy Clyro were on at Download. Well this time i'm wide awake and its a good decision. They play a well heavy set spanning their entire career and even piss off a few folk around me who were not expecting any metal on the bill. I liked this bit especially. It is almost ten years to the day since Kula Shaker came on the scene with the K album spawning several major hit singles. Singer Crispian Mills hasn't changed one bit even down to wearing the same checked shirt and waistcoat combo. They kick off with 'Hey Dude' in front of a huge crowd, and although the set is criminally short (not their fault) they play some stuff from the debut, '303' and 'Tattva', a couple of newies including a quirky thing called 'Dictator of the Free World', and thrillingly end with a stonking version of 'Hush'. There's life in the old dogs yet. Check out the new Revenge of the King EP.

Beck - Pulling all the strings

Classic pop tunes under sunny skies are a sure winner at festivals and the Magic Numbers are more than happy to indulge us. Running through the best of the debut album plus a couple of average sounding new tunes, they make everyone really happy. Perhaps they are a bit too nice and there is something slightly sinister in a religious cult sort of way about the way they smile constantly at us, but fuck 'em i'm not joining. I will buy the records though, if the tunes are all as good as 'Forever Lost' and 'Love me Like You'. No 'Wheels on Fire' loses them slight marks though. One of the trump cards in the line up is the inclusion of Bloc Party who produced one of my favourite albums of last year. I was really looking forward to hearing lots of stuff from the forthcoming album too. In the event they play only one new song but it hints at a slower, darker direction like Interpol or good Radiohead. In truth they do look a bit lost on the main stage at times, and a brief rainstorm puts a downer on it but the ending couplet of 'Like Eating Glass' and 'Helicopter' saves it for them. It is probably fair to say they are better to see at their own show and I will be first in the queue for when this happens. Oh and guitarist Russell is the first true hero of the axe on show today. There's just time to say that what I saw of Echo and the Bunnymen in the JJB was up to their usual high standards and 'Killing Moon' and 'The Cutter' will always be 2 of the great songs from my youth.

Illness has forced the Ordinary Boys to cancel their set on the Channel 4 stage so We are Scientists get an extended slot, as it's too late to source a replacement. Maybe they suffer from having to play a longer set than planned and the band dip into a few b sides which must have delighted the hard core fans, of which there are quite a few. Russell from Bloc Party guests on 'Nobody Move' and 'The Great Escape' comes across as an epic sounding punk song. By the end they have made quite a few new friends in the sizeable crowd, seeking refuge from the monotonous drone of Keane on the main stage. The main stage is the destination next for a rare appearance from Beck on of the great eclectic and eccentric artists of our time. Like others of his ability, notably Prince and possibly Lou Reed, he can be a tad self indulgent and moody, but as the slide guitar intro to early hit 'Loser' strikes up second song in it is clear this will not be one of those occasions. Beck and his band mix in a few new songs with some of his best album tracks along with crowd pleasers 'Devil's Haircut' and 'Lost Cause' the latter being part of an acoustic set which included snippets of Radiohead's Creep and The Flaming Lips' 'Do you realise?'. Stage prop wise it is probably just another run of the mill show with an amazing puppet show going on in the background mimicking the exact moves of the bands, an absolute hoot of a video featuring the puppets trashing the Radiohead dressing room after having a few, and a dinner table percussion session, using the pots and pans, by the rest of the band to bring the main set to a close. Even with all these visual distractions it is the music that ultimately triumphs when an amazing version of 'Where its At' and a storming 'E Pro' close the show, leaving a lot of very impressed people looking forward to arguably the main attraction of the whole summer season.

Radiohead - Hits r us

Spring saw Radiohead back out on the road playing some low key ish shows to test new material from their forthcoming album. Tonight however they play a huge show at V, their biggest show in the UK since Glastonbury 2003. Tonight the audience were after something a bit special and the band oblige, turning in a dream of a greatest hits set. It starts fairly quietly with 'Airbag' and '2 + 2 = 5'. 'My Iron Lung' hints at the quality to come and by the time the familiar A chord intro to 'Fake Plastic Trees' is strummed it is clear it is going to be a special night. Everyone sings along to this most beautiful of songs and the effect is very special. Behind us a girl shouts for 'Creep' - now come along dear, don't be so stupid they never play that now. A couple of average sounding new songs, one of which is called 'Nude' is thrown in which does in truth peg the show down a bit, but things really lift off with 'Paranoid Android' which provides 6 minutes of glorious heavy rock. Behind the girl shouts for creep again - for fuck's sake listen to me they WILL NOT play it now get back to your ironing or something. More classics follow in the second half of the set including a brilliant 'Lucky' and 'Just' and they close as usual with 'Street Spirit'. During the break for the encore the girl shouts for 'Creep' again' - Look honey, if they play it I will show my bottom to everyone driving out on the A5 after the show, now piss off and let me watch the rest of it.

Of course they return and treat us to more gems including 'Karma Police' and 'Everything in its Right Place'. Thom thanks us very much for turning up and listening. Then that's its for another year, not a bad day out with some good bands and half decent weather. Pity about the advertising but that's the nature of this festival, now lets go and find the car but.... Hold on they are coming back. Thom says something like 'Just this one left then' and they start a song that sounds a bit like, no it can't be, oh buggering bloody hell they only go and play THAT song. Creep is magnificent and a worthy climax to the day, but I now have a forfeit to honour and head off for the A5. Fortunately the usual V traffic jams mean that nobody at all gets away from the site on time, so the sight of a bare arse shining in the headlights of exiting cars is spared to the lucky punters of V.

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