Sunday 19/08/07 Day Two @ V Festival, Weston Park, Staffordshire

With the heavens well and truly open, a joke was needed to brighten up the dullest of days. Cue Just Jack to provide such a laugh. Following on from his (one-song-too-many) two track set at T4 on the Beach, he had managed to bag the opening slot on V fest’s main stage. Bemused and a little curious to see why, Gigwise pulled up a pew. What followed was a simple waste of time. His ‘other’ songs are limp imitations of the track every early bird had actually turned up for. That tune is obviously ‘Starz In Their Eyes’. A dancefloor filler granted, deserving of gracing the main stage? I think not.

As another one-hit wonder once sang “Things can only get better” and sure enough they did courtesy of the sublimely understated Editors. Oozing stage presence that transfixed the growing audience, it was apt that dank, dreary weather should form the backdrop for such a moody set. The Birmingham lads have divided opinion somewhat of late, with their recently released album ‘An End Has A Start’ not being as fondly received in some media quarters than their stunning ‘The Back Room’ debut. But as they seemed so at home in the vast surroundings they filled from corner to corner with the most spine-tingling charm and emotion, the only knockers today were those of a plump lady thoroughly enjoying every moment. 

The indie scene is swamped with young pretenders clinging on to their one and a half decent songs, praying to get that lucrative record deal and myspace hype that The Cribs recently hinted at. The Wombats though are thankfully the real thing. Gracing the Virgin Union stage grouped over one microphone with only their voices as an instrument, their barbershop quartet-esque opening certainly claims the most surprising entrance award. ‘Kill The Director’ ignited the enthusiastic young crowd and a right indie-romp was upon us. The pint-sized bassist spun and leapt around while giving the vital ‘ooohs’ in most of their choruses. Yes their formula is basic, and no they aren’t scene-setters or ground-breakers, but they are bloody good at what they do and certainly entertain from start to finish.

Ok so you have two big urban acts booked for the weekend, (sorry Lemar your ears maybe burning but its not you) Kanye West and Dizzee Rascal. Surely you can find two appropriate slots that will enabled their fans to view both. What’s that? You have a better idea? Why not have both on the same day at exactly the same time on different stages? Genius! So Gigwise’s dilemma was shared with the majority of disgruntled fans. Dizzee or Kanye?. The fact Mr West had travelled all this way was the lame deciding factor, therefore off to the main stage we ‘bounced’. Many bands and artists are highly influenced by previous songs or work very closely to someone else’s sound. Kanye West just goes right ahead and steals the whole damn thing. Re-working it to an interesting and fresh sound yes, but it’s certainly a lot harder to build the house in the first place than just to move in and decorate it.

Sporting an absurd red jumper that had a cartoon McDonald’s fries character on it, Kanye soon showed how to perform. His instant rapport with the mass audience was evident as he ran from stage corner to stage corner trying to involve everyone, conducting his disciples to wave their arms side to side as ‘Gold Digger’ bellowed out thanks to the backing choir and orchestra (as randomly dressed as their master). ‘Diamonds From Sierra Leone’ sounded awesome, the lack of originality holds it back but the re-working is certainly one to marvel at. “When I first started out and people doubted me, I used to look in the mirror and say to myself ‘before the day I die, I am gonna touch the sky’” reveals West before the inevitable mammoth hit ignites the crowd. He sure knows how to entertain, but respect is reserved until he produces a few more original pieces.