V2002 - August 16th - 19th

Friday - 16th
Arrive at lunch time. And it's sunny.
After much hoohaw with mobile phones - I eventually meet up with Steve, Kate and Emma in the red campsite.
We have camped next to a spot which resembles either the remnants of a wicker man or martian landscape.
We reserve a spot for the rest of the gang - Jonathan, Simon, James & Rebecca, and of course the potted plant (who's ceramic pot gets confiscated at the gate because it could cause injury!!!)
The Fire stewards acquiesced after a couple of hours and let us put up Steve's gazebo - it's all down to crowd safety.
Steve has also brought some folding chairs - it's good to be able to bend the knees.
After hanging round the camp for a while, drinking strange concoctions (kahula and coke, etc), munchng Jonathan's oraganic chocolate cookies, decorating the gezebo, the arena eventually opens and we go for a wander.
It's the usual set up with a funfair and main areas sealed off until tomorrow.
We have to obtain tokens to get beer - a good idea to reduce queues at the bars and avoid all the messing about with small change. The jjb arena is open for the evening - a disco to start with then films shown through the night.
Alas I have already seen the matrix and crouching tiger, so it's back to the tent for more strange concoctions and an early night.

Saturday - 17th
The guys have all brought hawaiian shirts - Steve's shirt is like a scene from apocalypse now (very handy to spot him in a crowd). The arena opens at 12 so we go for it. There is no oxygen bar this year but they have the bacardi bar (where Shovel - m people percussionist extrordinaire, is plying his trade). Additional features this year are a cimena, a big dj bus and the red light night club. The usual festival eateries and stalls are available. The toilets are festival norm, i.e. to be approached with caution. At least there is pently of water available from the gynormous tankers.
12:30 v stage - rhianna - young, soulful and curly.
13:05 nme stage - longview - guitar based - highlight: further.
13:50 nme stage - the crescent - a young scouse oasis - highlights: test of time, on the run.
14:35 nme stage - seafood - indie rock - highlights: cloaking, splinter.
15:25 nme stage - the donnas - foxy rock chicks - highlights: you've got a crush on me, skintight.
16:20 nme stage - the coral - querky pop - nice maraca action - highlights: spanish main, dreaming of you, goodbye.
17:25 nme stage - elbow - starting to be regular fest dwellers - highlights: any day now, newborn (dedicated to the drummers new kid),
18:40 nme stage - idlewild - scottish indie at it's best - highlights: a little discourage, you held the world..., i see shapes..., roseability, american english.
19:30 v stage - primal scream - bobby and mani on top form - highlights: rocks, kowalski, movin' on up, swastika eyes,
21:15 v stage - stereophonics - it's curtains for phonics especially the backdrop - all the hits and more - highlights: mr. writer, have a nice day, just looking, handbags and gladrags.
Then it's back to the tent for more strange concoctions and an early night.

Sunday - 18th
There is no travis as neil has been hospitalised - so the chemical brothers have swapped stages and the manic street preachers have been drafted in to fill the gap.
12:30 v stage - ed harcourt - still giving the old keyboards hell - highlights: hanging with the wrong crowd, shanghai.
13:20 v stage - mull historical society - colin macintyre all demins and shades - highlights: mull historical society, watching xanadu.
14:10 v stage - the bluetones - nice sunday afternoon pop - highlights: you're no fun anymore.
15:10 v stage - elvis costello and the imposters (featuring steve nieve) - i intended to have a kip in the tent at this point but got dragged back - highlights: watching the detectives, oliver's army
16:35 v stage - supergrass - it can't be a festival without them - highlights: pumping on your stereo, sun hits the sky, never done nothing like that before.
18:00 v stage - nickelback - canadian rock - storming - highlights: too bad, how you remind me.
Alas the rain comes that has been threatening.
19:30 v stage - alanis morisette - canadian rock part 2 - dressed in a a squaw outfit? - highlights: hands clean, one hand in my pocket.
21:20 v stage - chemical brothers - superstar djs and lots of smoke - a really good set - highlights: leave home, the test, hey boy, hey girl.
I guess it's back to the tent for the last of strange concoctions and an early night.

Monday - 19th
It's all over for another year - nothing to but to dry out the tent, dismantle the gazebo, pack up and leave.
Many thanks to Steve for letting me tag along with his crew. A good crowd and many laughs.