Queen Return to Hyde Park

United Kingdom | | 25 June 2006

Wireless Festival paid homage to Queen on day three with Pharrell Williams and the Flaming Lips both playing classic covers, as the central London event attracted its biggest crowds yet.

The Flaming Lips provided easily the highlight of the day with a psychedelic version of 'Bohemian Rhapsody' with the crowd singing along to every word. Singer Wayne Coyne ensured a vocal response by dedicating the song to England's World Cup hopes, telling the crowd: "The louder you sing, the better the chance England have of winning the World Cup!"

Coyne suffered with a sore throat throughout the set, but the energy of the Oklahoma band, which the compere had introduced as "a way of life", made them one of the runaway highlights of Wireless so far - especially when the singer travelled over the audience inside a giant inflatable bubble. The stage was flanked one side by dancers dressed as Father Christmas and aliens on the other, while giant astronaughts bounced and hugged at the back. Other set highlights included 'The Yeah Yeah Yeah Song' and 'Yoshimi Battles The Pink RObots'.

Pharrell had started the Queen revival with a cover of 'Another One Bites The Dust'. The N*E*R*D also paid tribute to Nelly's 'It's Getting Hot in Here' and brought beat-boxer Killa Kella on-stage to perform the hit Williams had scored with Snoop Dogg 'Drop It Like It's Hot'.

The other highlight of the day was Gnarls Barclay who got the party started with a sun-drenched crowd lapping up every song. Singer Cee-Lo was on great form, geeing up the crowd and ordering everyone to dance and be happy, even treating them to a glimpse of his belly at one point. Set highlights included 'St. Elsewhere', 'Gone Daddy Gone' and, inevitably, 'Crazy'.

Metric had kicked off the day with a great opening set, ensuring an electric atmosphere that remained throughout the day, until headliners Massive Attack sent Wireless' biggest crowd so far home in ecstacy with a greatest hits set that included 'Angel', 'Teardrop' and 'Unfinished Sympathy'.

The 02 Wireless Festival continues tomorrow (June 24) with a headline set from James Blunt. Depeche Mode headline on Sunday (June 25), the final night.