Corinne's review of V festival 2006

v festival. what a mish mash of cultures and sounds.

it was obvious that radiohead were going to be the best thing about it, and it was going to be one dickens of a show, but i also enjoyed watching bands that i didnt like too much, for example 'The Feeling' who did this beautiful song about alcohol called 'rose' but you say it like rosay. i dont know how to do accents. i also enjoyed watching razorlight. they are actually really good. that bloke on drums. the power of that voice. jonny took his top off, which i thought was a bit pointless, but there we go. the songs are good, but he didnt say what they were called so im going to get the new album.

on sunday, ohmygoodness. magic numbers were their usual boring selves. get the moaning out of the way. The divine comedy were quite good, they did that national express song and the new one about being a virgin or something, but they also did a cover of nelly furtado's maneater which was totally random, and at the end the guy goes "dont ask". at that point we were at the tshirt stall and i got a beck one for later, which subsequently got covered in mud. anyway, magic numbers were on before bloc party, we got closer for them. kele was good with the crowd, everyone was dancing around. apparently matt got a satsuma chucked at his head, i didnt see that. i dont think they did any new songs at all. they did 'two more years' and most ones off the album. like eating glass was excellent.

then was the big one. Keane. i was anticipating a good show after i saw these weird pipe things being wheeled onstage, and at least 4 keyboards and really really posh drums. lol... first tim rice-oxley came on and played 'the iron sea' which is just him on the weird keyboard with the synths. i thought it was good, nobody else did. then tom and richard came on to rapturous applause (not) and they played everybodys changing which got an ok singalong. ...... im not going to go through all the songs because that would bore you but tom was good at introducing the songs, he said a bit about what various ones meant to them like 'A bad dream' which is about this guy who flew in a plane in the war. i cant remember what else he said. lol. excellent set tho, they played crystal ball so i was happy. and somewhere only we know, that had to be the highlight.

Beck. americans eh. crazy sense of humour. i dont think the crowd really got it, but never mind. mmmmmmmh. it would take me ages to explain it all but basically there was a puppet version of everyone in the band and a mini stage with the puppeteers behind doing the mouths and the dancing. there was a 'puppet cam' and a video of the puppets going around on the rollercoaster and in the toilets and trashing radiohead's dressing room which was really funny. the voices especially. excellent acting... but. the songs were amazing. the band, just no words for how good it was musically. they played the ones the crowd were most likely to know like 'E-pro' and 'Girl' and they played a few from the new album. probably did some from odelay but i dont have that album so i wouldnt know. beck on his own did some covers, first of creep and then something else i knew but i forgot now. and then something else. but the rest of the band were sitting at this table eating, and eventually beck went over and they did a song.. with them like making drum noises out of things. that was good. i was impressed by that as well.

Radiohead. we waited, what was it. 45 mins from beck ending to them coming on. i was tired, my legs hurt..etc. and i needed a drink. but its radiohead, come on. but they did eventually. and everyone went crazy. for the first few i was in the pit with all the sweaty men which was horrible, but i got pushed back a bit and i had more space there. my favourite ones they played were pyramid song and idioteque, but paranoid android got i'd say the best response from the ppl around me. i feel crap for not remembering everything. in the first encore they did 'you and your army' which was really good, thom working the audience. the screens at the back as well. the blokes laughing at thom's face. the beer cups and bottles landing everywhere. 'creep' was, i dont know how to say. it was amazing because its radiohead and... lets be honest. the lyrics are fantastic. but i was a bit... well they gave in didnt they. but i think they enjoyed it too.
i left feeling numb. it hadnt sunk in, and it still hasnt. it was a great weekend though, no doubt about it. went so quick. i didnt see everyone i wanted to, i missed most of Rufus Wainright's set. he's easy to get to a gig to see tho. i might do that.

peace out V.