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An awesome and ridiculous film that leaves you thrilled beyond the point of your natural endurance
2012
Theatre
The show has suddenly become quite wonderful, and the galvanising factor is the terrific stage debut of Melanie C
Blood Brothers
Music
The British pop music industry may be eating itself but if Muse are the pick of what it can offer the world in 2010 then British music is in rude health indeed
Muse
I was smitten by both Gilberts enormous luxuriant moustache and the intelligence and nuance of this highly entertaining play
I totally recommend Babbo to anyone who is looking for really good and traditional Italian food
Always been a fan but never seen them live. I was ecstatic to be part of this epic event. WOW!
London,
John Aizlewood's rating
Reader rating
No stopping her: Katy Perry sang Don't Stop Me Now
On form: Snow Patrol led by Gary Lightbody (left) headlined
Disco ball: Lady Gaga proved popular despite breaking a heel
Summer heat but no Oasis: V Festival-goers enjoyed the sunshine but were disappointed the Gallaghers pulled out
As might be expected, Wonderwall, Champagne Supernova and Cast No Shadow were highlights of last night’s V Festival, Chelmsford branch.
Alas, they weren’t delivered by Oasis. Despite spending Saturday afternoon watching Manchester City and Saturday evening grappling with the hits at V Festival, Stafford branch, the headliners cancelled at the last minute.
Apparently Liam Gallagher was feeling a little bit poorly, but where once brother Noel (who had also watched City, but from a different executive box) might have taken the vocal reins, he too took the day off.
As a result, poor Athlete were almost booed off when they tried to dedicate Black Swan Song to Oasis, as was Gary Lightbody, whose Snow Patrol were upgraded to headliners, when he referred to “the mighty Oasis”.
Gallery: V Festival Highlights
Ideal second fiddles, Snow Patrol battled manfully and turned Chasing Cars into mass karaoke, but, tellingly, even that wasn’t as well-received as their Wonderwall and Champagne Supernova covers, while the ever-earnest Keane had tackled Cast No Shadow with similar results.
With or without the Gallaghers, the V Festival is a peculiar beast. Now in its 14th year, unlike competitors from Glastonbury and Creamfields to Latitude and Bestival, it makes no effort to engender a special atmosphere and its booking policy is so conservative I half expected David Cameron to MC. Even so, it remains a useful weather vane for the state of British pop. Its organisation was patchy, however. The site was sign-free, leaving countless hordes wandering like a lost tribe of Israel in search of noodles and lager; even discussing the lavatories would break hygiene laws; functioning waste bins and litter collectors would have stopped the site resembling a filthy municipal dump; and chips (even so-called “curly fries”) should not cost £4.
The crush to see Lady GaGa (unfathomably marooned as a support act on a minor stage) was not for the faint of heart, but her set was a triumph, despite her breaking a heel during Love Game.
There were other successes. Elbow offered lovely summery music for a lovely summery evening. The Human League — with Phil Oakey in a suit, shirt and tie — rattled out glorious hits suitably gloriously, while the highly regarded Swedes Miike Snow offered further symphonic synthesised delights and Biffy Clyro’s topless (they must have given themselves terrible sunburn, poor lambs) punk was a testosterone-fuelled burst of energy.
Elsewhere, Paolo Nutini offered something you might hurry past at an Underground station and while Katy Perry’s energetic attempts to escape the one-hit wonderdom of I Kissed A Girl are admirable, her version of Queen’s Don’t Stop Me Now will live long in the memory: I’ll be having nightmares about it for decades.
Details are correct at the time of publication - please check with venue before booking.
Snow Patrol were amazing and it was gratifying to see them win the adulation of the V crowd. Here's a band that loves playing and shows it, compared to Liam who acts like he can just about be bothered to sing - or not. I've seen both twice this summer: Oasis @ Wembley and Roundhouse; SP @ Roundhouse and V so I know of what I speak.
And a little perspective: Gary Lightbody has been singing and playing and launching himself round the stage for 14 gigs since breaking a rib in Deltenheim, Germany at the end of July. He didn't even miss the show the day of his accident. Bless him.
- Debbie, Woking, Surrey
Hear Hear!
- Zx81, Livingston
Snowpatrol did an excellent set and the atmosphere was amazing, would much rather pay to see them again rather than waste money on Oasis who might not bother too turn up.
Snowpatrol put so much effort into their performance it was awesome and the crowd were cheering them not the Oasis song.
Well done Snowpatrol.
- Julie, somerset uk
keep commenting on the negative.. OASIS will stay ALIVE.. because people want to see and hear them.. Form is temporary.. Class is Permanent
- Peter Muldoon, London
have always thought oasis well overated as is lilly allen.
- C May, bromley
Maybe this is finally the end for Oasis and they will disappear for good. I am sick to death of these two Mancky brothers that hate each other's guts. Let them retreat into obscurity, where they belong.
- Peace Maker, Battersea
