Isle of Wight Festival, Seaclose Park, Newport
Since being reincarnated, the Isle of Wight Festival has become the unofficial opener to the festival season and 2006 had the best line-up since Hendrix’s appearance at the legendary 1970 festival.
It’s criminal to deny the awesomeness of Placebo, but a 45 minute ‘co-headlining’ set in blazing sunshine just didn’t do them justice, whereas Richard Ashcroft reminded us exactly why it was the everyone bought Urban Hymns in 1994. The Foos proved, unlike the Prodigy the night before, that you don’t have to be on pills to think that you’re having a good time.
Goldfrapp and her fellow minxes brought a little spice to the event whereas Lou Reed was under the illusion it was okay to be fourth on the bill and play none of his hits. Maximo Park kicked the proverbial faeces out of a mediocre Kubb and I’m reliably informed the Proclaimers were smashing (unfortunately I was watching England).
But most importantly, Coldplay demonstrated why all those who brand them as boring or depressing really need to experience them live. Uplifting and anthemic, they justified why it is worth being (as Chris Martin put it) ‘a Coldplay fan in this cynical world’.
A perfect end to a perfect weekend.
