Introduced by hilarious comperes the Cuban Brothers as being "present courtesy of Her Majesty", Pete Doherty's arrival on stage was in itself a success against the odds.

The fact that he was sober was a welcome bonus, and the excellent performance he delivered at Sunday's Get Loaded in the Park festival was something of which the crowd had scarcely dared to dream.

Babyshambles were a natural choice for the 20,000-capacity event, now in its third year. As its name might suggest, Get Loaded celebrates the druggy, edgy side of pop music, bringing the Happy Mondays out of retirement to headline the past two events.

While retaining the policy of interspersing old and new, this year's event saw a greater proportion of guitar-based rock. Punk legends The Buzzcocks pleased the crowd, which contained a fair few who would have remembered them in their Seventies heyday. The Young Knives also put in a strong performance with their dirty, screechy brand of indie rock.

Veteran drum 'n' bass pioneer Goldie appeared, alongside M C Lowqui, whose generous-spirited rhymes rode Goldie's epic, rolling beats effortlessly, enhancing what was already a cheery, chilled-out atmosphere. Lily Allen gave one of her most polished performance to date, enhancing her music's ska flavour with a brass band.

But Babyshambles were the only act to bring crowds running from all corners of the site. By his (admittedly low) standards, Doherty looked relaxed, confident and healthy as he led his band in a powerful reminder that underneath his personal life lurks a major talent.

The crowd bounced as Babyshambles hammered out What Katie Did with Doherty loping and falling around the stage, almost out of control, but not quite.

Albion was a highlight, showing off Doherty's subtlety, both lyrically and musically. His intricate, bluesy lead guitar on a version of the Libertines's Time For Heroes was particularly impressive. On a day that seemed to squeeze the last drops of sunshine and warmth out of the dying summer, the organisers' gutsy choice of headliner paid off handsomely.