Friday overview

A trio of pop bands kicked off this year's opening day of the Isle Of Wight festival, with The Hoosier, The Wombats, and Joe Lean & the Jing Jang Jong entertaining the growing crowds as the audience swelled before the main stage.

There's stiff security checks on the way in and the usual bottlenecks of queues, even with people already having their wristbands this year. For those festival goers travelling by ferry there was a morning disruption to the service which knocked on through out the day.

For many the party had started the night before in the campsite, or earlier today in the pubs in the town of Newport. By the time KT Tunstall took to the stage much of the crowd around me were the worse for wear.

The site itself has gone through changes this year, with the open spaces of previous years now filled with fair ground rides now amongst the crowds rather than at the back of the arena, a brightly lit ferris wheel spins close to the main stage, and another ball catapult beside this year's new addition of the second 'big top' stage.



Located in Strawberry Fields, an area of the festival which always has a nicer vibe than the crowded arena, the large tent sees acts such as Curved Air, who have a terrific show, and The Duke Spirit play to growing numbers.

This area also has a market area, a proper Cuban rum place, rather than the fake American stuff, a popular Guitar Hero stall, the Hipshaker playing sing along festival tunes, and the Strongbow Bowtime, and its crazy oppressive queuing system, I go to see Subsource but end up outside listening to them.

With N*E*R*D playing shouty rock, hip-hop fusion, with two drum kits and a lot of “Come on Isle of Wight!” the crowds are swinging one arm in the air. I head back to the haven of Strawberry Fields through the busy crowds where groups are partying and the occasional hammered festival goer pin balls through the masses.

As night falls, the skies are occasionally overcast, but there's no rain and fairly clear skies bring a cooler evening. There's a band called Floors and Walls who sound like Senser on at the Bandstand who are great. The rides have music blaring from them and at each there's a few dancers digging the tunes.



The crowds are busy now and there's a real sense of revelry as the PA plays popular songs and the queues for the loos are a chorus of voices. The Kaiser Chiefs have the crowd in full voice and prove to be a good headliner, their well known songs provide the crowd with an opportunity to let loose.

Moving through the masses is easier than I imagined as we make our way to see The Stranglers, the site is well lit, and the festival has settled, beer tokens can be bought immediately, and only the queue for the cash point is as long as ever. We wander around the ring of catering vans, food and drink are pretty expensive for festival prices. We take in the market at night, chatting, playing poi, relaxing on a sofa, (there's not much seating about this year), and being dazzled by fairground lights and sounds. It's a well created festival vibe, with the dodgems and walls of giant cuddly animals forcing those childhood memories of carnivals, fun fairs, and circus excitement into our minds – at times I'm sure I can smell candy floss, but it could be the roasted nut sellers. The Stranglers close the night in top form, playing to a tightly squeezed tent, the sound seems to steadily improve and get louder throughout their set of classic hits.



The night is much warmer as we head for our beds, there's more bumbling drunks, but there's no animosity, the throngs have enjoyed this opening day of the festival, and we all look forward to tomorrow and more sunshine at this giant fun fair festival.

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