Iggy Pop treats the Get Loaded crowd to an energetic performance

Practically the last festival of the summer, in London, is the 5th Get Loaded in the Park. This year it's headlined by the immortal Iggy Pop with his Stooges but we'll come to him later. Let's do a little bit of scene setting first.

Typically on a Sunday there's a slow consistent drizzle of rain to start the day, which doesn't bode well for an outside festival south of the river. You go there expecting a scene reminiscent of Dunkirk during World War 2 but things pick up and there is no quagmire on arrival. Or tanks, soldiers or gunfire for that matter. It's a crowded festival though which is supposed to be about 20,000 people but seems like a lot more. However, once you've negotiated yourself round the site (not that big) it's not too difficult to find a reasonable vantage site. I go for the left hand side of the main stage, which allows for resting between acts and easy access to wheedle your way to a good spot when there are bands on.

First up for me are The Hives who still wear the black suits and still play, basically, the same song for 45 minutes. They play a bracing set of Scandinavian rock, which is fine for this relaxed crowd. It's difficult to see them topping 'I Hate To Say I Told You So' and I can't see them going for a rock opera as their next release.

However, Gogol Bordello are tailor made for the almost lost rock opera gambit but I'm not sure that too many people would buy it. That would be a shame as I'm sure it would be quite an experience but the live arena is where such a band like this excels. They're great fun and play a fine set of punk-folk-cajun-raggle taggle music whilst looking like the extras from Guy Ritchies 'Snatch' movie. The audience are well up for a raggle taggle dance along and the addition of 2 female backing singers adds a feeling of a strange alternative Cheeky Girls. They could be the house band for the next 'Zorro' film if they wished and front-man Eugene Hutz could always get extra work as a stunt double for one of the 118 118 runners on the TV ads. There's a leap into the throng during 'Start Wearing Purple' and they leave you with a smile on your face and a desire to grow a ridiculous moustache.

Supergrass have ridden the post Brit Pop come down pretty well to my mind. They may not sell bucketfuls of CDs like say Oasis but they have a respectable place in the music world and continue to make highly enjoyable records. There's a smattering of new and old stuff with no noticeable drop in quality throughout the set. They're a 5 piece today and have a defiant power about them, which is epitomised by 'Richard the 3rd' as it kicks more ass than a truckload of donkeys. A spirited 'Moving' gets everyone, well, moving and an energetic cover of the Police's 'Next to You' is a fine addition to a high tempo performance. They finish up with 'Sun Hits The Sky' and 'Pumping On The Stereo' and they leave you with a desire to go for a donkey ride.

Iggy Pop has been around for about 500 years now but still looking good on it. I remember listening to Jonathan Ross's radio show when he commenced his interview with "Hi Iggy, well done for being alive" and it's the sort of comment that could have been pertinent throughout most of his formative late 60's/early 70's career. His position as Godfather of punk is the stuff of legend in a way that combines Brando and Pacino and still not doing it full justice. But he has a body of work that acts as a blueprint for how punk should be and if you have any doubts go listen to the first 4 tracks on 'Funhouse' which is as good as it gets for this genre.

At 7.45pm he bounds on stage and The Stooges lay into 'Loose' and it's a fine start though not very loud. I mean, you can hear people talking clearly during the opening salvo when you expect your ears to bleed rather than listen to neighbourhood chat. However, it does get louder and by the second song, 'Down on the Street', Iggy is simulating sex with a monitor and you know all is well with the world. The big songs keep coming with '1969' and 'I Wanna Be Your Dog' following on quickly and maintaining a frenzied momentum. The latter gives Iggy his first chance to go walkabout into the crowd and it's always nice for a dog to have a runabout.

During 'Real Cool Time' Iggy instigates the now customary stage invasion and continues to get the throng dancing as the song segues into 'No Fun'. Most of Gogol Bordello join the assembled for a small pogo fest. It does feel a little pre-planned as I remember watching them at Glastonbury 2007 on BBC 4 and this event happened at exactly the same stage of the set. You could hardly call it spontaneous, which is what you'd have expected from Iggy in the past, but we all change a tad over time. Maybe organised spontaneity is more easily manageable. It's still quite an amusing sight and the guy who invades with fluorescent lime green trousers gets the fashion vote of the day.

The songs remain up-tempo and no respite is offered. You'd think he'd need a rest but not Mr Pop. 'Funhouse' allows original saxophone player, Steve McKay, to join in for a free form jazz punk romp and the triple whammy finish of 'Skull Ring', 'Search and Destroy' and 'I Got a Right' allows a pogo till you drop feel. Weirdly, it finished at about 8.45pm and after an encore of 'Little Doll' and 'Little Electric Chair' it's all over before 9.00pm. I'm not sure I've ever been to a gig that finished before 9.00pm before and it's odd walking away without the usual panic about getting the last train home.

All in all it was a perfunctory set from Iggy and the Stooges which was reliable and, in a strange way, a little bit safe. There was only one track from the Stooges 2007 comeback album 'The Weirdness' and the song selection could almost write themselves bearing in mind it was Stooges material rather than solo Iggy on display. Having said all that he continues to give consistent amusement and value for money. Here's to the next 500 years.

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