Saturday 19/07/08 Groove Armada, Manu Chao @ Lovebox, Victoria Park, London

“Putting the heart and soul back into festivals” proclaims the stage banner on Lovebox’s main stage.

A brave declaration for any festival, but when the first thing you see entering the site is a fruit fight advertising stunt sponsored by a well known confectionery brand, you start to think things have gone a bit awry. “I’m here to represent immunity!” cries a man dressed entirely in green spandex with a red cape and a perma-tan – three things that inspire fear into the hearts of the bravest men. You then realize that the reason that this bizarre commercial hell is the first thing you bump into, is because it is thrust right into the natural space of the main stage. In fact everything seems to intrude into the natural space of the main stage, as year on year, more and more sponsors encroach on the natural spirit of the festival.

Don’t get Gigwise wrong, Lovebox is still a great festival, in fact Gigwise has been there every year since inception to support, cheer, whoop, eat and excrete in its favour. However, for a festival that started in spirit and style like the London-based Bestival, it seems now to have a lot of logos hitting you over the head. Festivals are expensive things and no mistake- everyone needs a helping hand and some tie-ins are appropriate. London freesheet Metro hosts an awesome food market that makes Gigwise run wildly from burrito bar to pork spit roast counter for example, but the overwhelming amount of colours, leaflet muggers, coupon forcers and nipple-crushing freebies is quite daunting.

All this leaves a bit of a bad taste in the mouth, but it is something quickly sorted by a mohito. And then another. And let's face it, without a certain white rum brand, Gigwise wouldn’t have those mohitos with which to enjoy New Zealand’s Black Seeds. Soulful, relaxing reggae vibes are a convenient way to acclimatize yourself to your field (well, park) based weekend. While Mark Ronson has made these kind of Ska-infused brass vibes more acceptable to the mainstream, perhaps the Black Seeds draw a bigger crowd than they would have a few years ago. It’s hot and sunny, and the mohitos are slipping down nicely.

The Human League have escaped the has-been tag attributed to many ‘eighties that still refuse to retire, mainly because their music was pretty good, fresh and inventive. Phil Oakley’s voice still has a powerful punch, and while their staging is a little lazy they don’t seem too out of touch to be wowing us with their catalogue. The bizarre set-up of sponsors pushes you so close to the mainstage you can practically read Oakley’s shirt size, but this helps create quite an intimate atmosphere to create the first act of the day on the main stage that really makes an impact. ‘Love Action’ pricks up the surly drinkers’ ears so that by the time ‘Don’t You Want Me Baby?’ resonates across Victoria Park, a mass karaoke war is going on.

Since Lovebox is Groove Armada’s festival, it would seem disrespectful to not witness them. Usually the band headline, but tonight this honour has been given to Manu Chau. As a result, Groove Armada have raided the staging budget for whatever toys they can get their hands on to spice up their set. In fact they have paid quite a lot of attention to what can be quite a lethargic set for repeat visitors. The graphics are snazzed up, the set a bit tighter, so that what results is an atmospheric hour of beats, tricks and pulses. Practically the entire festival is crushed up against the main stage (a vast amount of free smoothies attest to ths), since after years of careful work Groove Armada have a back catalogue to be proud of. ‘At The River’ is an early crowd pleaser, and by the time ‘Mutya’s Song’ is performed (as a deft remix), everyone is moving and enjoying the beat, bodies pressed against drunk hippie armpits. By the time perennial favourite ‘Shakin’ that Ass’ comes on, you feel a bit bad that Armada have gone to town so much with fireworks, confetti and flames – with the park still bathed in twilight, this is a set that truly would have benefitted from a bit of night time. ‘Superstylin’’ seems to go on forever before dancers drop exhausted to the floor – the perfect position coincidentally for Manu Chau.

While Manu Chau is a passionate performer, with a band filled with percussion and opportunistic ad-libbing of an amazing musical quality, it isn’t long before Gigwise’s itchy feet wonder off and are delighted to find the Young Blood Brass Band on the Amnesty stage. Unsigned sadly in this country, but full of life and vivacity with a belting set of variety. Plus on a stage that is the biggest solar powered rig ever – oooo!

Day One in pictures: