Kasabian open the NME stage on Sunday with panache and aplomb. Currently going from strength to strength in the charts, they do nothing to dampen their reputation as one of the best young bands around. If the remainder of the day’s bill had half their attitude and half the quality of tunes like ‘ID’ and ‘LSF’, then V would be a much nicer place.
Chikinki follow with a sound at times beautifully layered but often over-intricate. When they manage to get the baffling array of squeaks and beeps under control they are brilliant, but all too much of the set is proggy electro hell. Possibly the strangest stage presence of all is Goldie Lookin’ Chain. Effectively consisting of ten versions of Bez alongside four rappers, it’s all a bit too much. Their sound is equally confused, simply ripping off a succession of classic rap and hip-hop tracks in a ‘terribly clever, Tarquin’ way. Novelty’s worn off lads, you knows it.
It’s a credit to V Festival’s, erm, eclecticism that Jamie Cullum can follow Kosheen without being bottled to fuck, and for those into Daily Mail jazz (quite a few then), it ranks even above a day out at the high street for Sunday entertainment.
Snow Patrol have been kicking around for years on Jeepster, never managing to break out of mid-size venues. It’s a pity their break for the big (ish) time came off the back off such a shit album. While they’re tight and reasonably anthemic, the music is hardly going to thrill anyone outside the Radio 1 playlisters. But then that doesn’t seem to matter too much, as the crowd they draw seriously dwarfs that of Muse the night before. It’s a sad state of affairs when things like that happen.
Scouse droogs The Zutons no doubt suffer from the lack of 'shrooms on site, thus denying their audience the full glory of their music. Still, they excellently hold together both the dispossessed dance fans and the rock fans too. Twitching beats and lightly dazzled guitars meld perfectly into a great big trip…perhaps there was a 'shrooms stall after all?
