Music: Get Loaded Festival

All-dayers can be strange affairs. Casual day-trippers with a surplus of money, merchandise and hygiene mingle seamlessly with crazed circuit regulars attempting to cram an entire weekends supply of smuggled in booze into their falafel-starved bodies. But everyone seems to operate at a more hectic pace. They try to cram the festival experience into one afternoon, making Reading and Glastonbury feel like a trip to the Caribbean.

But what about the music? Well the line-up was definitely a little top heavy. The Holloways and Noah and the Whale both belted out underwhelming sets that failed to build on their substantial radio play with any kind of live chemistry or dynamism.

It took the classic rock riffs of The Hives to really ignite some energy into proceedings. Nothing really original here, but the winning combination of AC/DC-inspired riffery, a bag full of strutting and the experience that comes from six years of main stage billing seemed to be enough to win Clapham Common over.

For me, the highlight of the day came from the gypsy punk righteousness of Gogol Bordello. Bursting onto the stage to Zero Time they proceeded to unleash a forty-minute set packed with bucketloads of eclectic and original bohemian antics, taking in a violin, accordion, dancing girls with big drums and enough facial hair to make Burt Reynolds blush. I challenge anyone with an interest in music not to come away covered in sweat wearing a big sloppy grin.

After Supergrass outstayed their welcome with a cheery enough set that clearly entertained their cult following, it was time for the main course.

Iggy Pop burst onto the stage whilst the aptly named Stooges stayed rooted to the spot. However, if it ain’t broke don’t fix it, and when it sounds this good why should you? Age seems not to have withered this band’s insatiable desire for live performing, and they comfortably oozed class. Tight, powerful rhythms were punctuated by the occasional flourishes of dexterity that thundered across Ron Asheton’s fretboard. And then there was Iggy, destroying mike stands, humping amplifiers and inviting the audience onstage much to the chagrin of the meathead security staff. A triumph many should watch and learn from.