V-Festival 2012 Day 2

Still in a bit of a Blog Funk and struggling to get anything together – Mrs B may have hit the nail on the head when she said that I probably need to move on with the content, which is getting a bit long in the tooth.  I’ve just about managed to finish of V2012 Day 2 – My advice is to enjoy the pictures in this one and then come back fresh for my assault on Japan…..

The second day – the Sunday - was not as hot as the previous day, although we knew we were in trouble when the BBC weather site threatened blue skies all day - inevitably it rained about midday but fortunately only enough to soak us thoroughly from head to foot.  We managed to keep bits of ourselves dry by sheltering under other bits of ourselves, taking it in turns to ring out each other’s soggy extremities..... The rain only lasted about half an hour before outbreaks of non-rainy cloud pushed their way in and settled down for the rest of the day....

I had my one and only band clash of the weekend, which was resolved when I left Mrs B watching Dodgy on the Channel 4 stage while I rushed over to the main stage to catch the start of The Stranglers before hot footing it back to catch the end of Dodgy’s set......After that it was pretty much as the Saturday - staying at the Channel 4 stage for the first 4 acts before moving to the main stage for the final run of five acts.... we came across a very selfish group who set up their six chairs in a u shape and took up far more room than is decent. They then proceeded to get very shirty with anyone who dared come near them –which is quite difficult not to do in such a crowded area.  The situation was not helped by a second group who spread their chairs in a long line just behind the U seaters.  This created a funnel for the transient festival goers to get trapped in when the inevitable happened and groups of people tried to funnel in from both ends. As the day went on and people got considerably drunker it led to some very entertaining (to watch at least) confrontations,  as groups crashed head on like waves onto the rocks – a very apt description particularly for the people carrying drink, which inevitably exploded on all in close proximity ...... Sadly I fear the V- organisers are trying to optimise profits by squeezing bigger audiences into the same size venue…..  Making it harder each year for people to move around between the stages. Aaaarrggh the joys of corporate greed....                                                                                                                                                              

The Stranglers (main stage)

They have been around forever and it’s a long time since the days of the hits – plus the original vocalist left over 10 years ago. So, not vintage but certainly a curiosity worth seeing, if only briefly. (I can tick the box “seen The Stranglers”)…It certainly gave me and The Beast some exercise running between the stages.  

Baz Warne - guitar, lead vocals 

Jet Black – Original Bassist

 Although “Slightly Greying”

would be a more apt name

for him these days….

 Dodgy (channel 4 stage)

Always been a bit of a fan, having seen them a few times live – Even at The Bishops Stortford Festival a couple of years back – surely not the sign of a group on the rise, unless they are teenagers playing their first gig…

.Dodgy are certainly not covered by the teenager description, not even if you just count the age of the group itself which has been going 22 years ….

Nigel Clark – Lead singer
"Good Enough" No.4 in 1996

Andy Miller – Guitarist

"Staying Out for the Summer" No.19 in 1995

Dodgy were joined on stage by fellow 90’s singer

Nick Heyward the old Hair Cut 100 vocalist

Not sure who the woman is – possibly famous?

I was coming back from the Stranglers when

they came on stage so missed her introduction

and Mrs B was not listening…. 

If anyone recognises her feel free to

let me know…..

 The Rifles (channel 4 stage)

The Rifles were inspired to become a band when Joel Stoker and Lucas Crowther attended an Oasis concert at Knebworth (The first of the two Oasis concerts I have attended and failed to see them live, unless you count seeing the top of the stage they were performing on – or watching them on a big screen – which personally I don’t).  All that Oasis inspired me to do was not go to so many huge venue events (he types having just attended V for the 5^th year running……Doh!)

Lee Burgess - Drums

Joel Stoker – Lead singer and base player

The Feeling (channel 4 stage) 

Certainly not the force they once were, with the failure of their last studio album "Together We Were Made" Dan Gillespie Sells (although apparently not very well  in the case of "Together We Were Made") is a very accomplished live performer 

Ciaran Jeramiah - Keyboard and dodgy beard wearer

“Spare Me”

from –  2008’s “Join With Us”  

Looks like the Roadie is trying to hand Ciaran a Shaver 

Richard Jones,  bassist and known to the world 
as Mr Ellis Bextor

"Turn it up"
from "Join With us" 2008

Misunderstands the instruction when 
they asked for more volume

Dan Gillespie-Sells

“The kettle’s on”

from

2006’s “12 Stops from Home”

“Brilliant make mine a tea with

three sugars – thanks….”

Dan giving it full welly

“The Greatest show on Earth”

Possibly not, but very entertaining all the same

 Shed Seven (channel 4 stage)

The only group from York that I have ever heard of.  I believed named after a railway shed just outside York station.

Rick Witter
"Immobilise"

"Chasing Rainbows"

"Going for gold"

Rick getting in amongst the crowd

 Madness (main stage)

The nutty sound of squirrels chomping through their winter stores

Lee Thompson – Saxophone 

“Embarrassment” 

Yes that is a skirt…..

Suggs

“One step beyond…”

Chris Forman and Suggs

Is that

“A night boat to Cairo”

No it’s the 

“House of Fun”

 Tom Jones  (main stage)

I've seen him twice now and although not a big fan of his music I have to admit the boy from the

valleys sure can sing.... If only Paul McCartney had kept his voice like Tom's the Olympics might have been a less painful experience for people forced to endure McCartney's  impromptu live performances at every Olympic events he attended this summer....  

Tom suddenly has an epiphany and realises

 that being a judge on The Voice is almost

 as embarrassing as the lame acts

that flop out of the show each week…

pants….Sexbomb

Or has the aging crooner

 pooped his pants....

Yep that’s the look of someone who went for

“A dry and mighty” but ended up with 

“follow through”

Thank the lord for tenor pants for men…..

 Tiny Temper  (main stage)

Didn't expect much - as not a wrap fan - but proved entertaining and a good filler between Tom Jones and Snow Patrol. Certainly had the audience bouncing and at one point stripping....

More like a large tantrum ...

Snow Patrol  (main stage)

Always good value live 

"Spitting Games"

from 2004s

"Final Straw" 

Nathan Connally - Lead Guitar

"Post Punk Progression"
from
"Up to Now"

"Chased by ...I don't know what?"
from 2001's
"When it's all over we still have to clear up"

Gary is menaced by his own shadow

 The Killers  (main stage)

They were excellent and certainly made up for Saturdays headlines the Stone Roses....

Brandon Flowers

"Spaceman"

Dave keuning - Lead Guitar

"Leave the Bourbon on the shelf"

"Shadowplay"

"Neon Tiger"

Faces in the crowd

Some of the unfortunates who got caught in the view finder of The Beast at this years music festival

The real story of Harry Potter  (Part 1)

"Harry Potter and the short lived adventure" 

Despite strong protests from J.K.Rowling
the "Sorting Hat" had no option but to put 
Hermione Granger  in Slitherin House - the 
long tongue  was bad enough but the
 clincher was swallowing the mice whole 
and still alive......

Without her help Ron and Harry barely made
it through a short story before "He who shall
not be named" triumphed - Hermione had Draco's
love child,  was expelled and was last heard of 
living off  the state in a single room flat in Hackney.
Hence forth known as Hermione Scrounger .....

Sid was relieved that despite his love for
men - pairing pink with red meant he could
never be considered truly gay....

Peter Pan had really gone to seed and once the drugs
 wore off Wendy realised he was just an aging pervert
with a passion for the  young ladies...

"Clearly the love child of Robin Hood and Big Ears....."

If you find yourself starting to flag, you can

always  pop  in for a refill....

The real story of Harry Potter  (Part 2)

With the loss of Hermione - Ron got in 
touch with his feminine side.....

The inevitable beer box turned into a cheap and
 humorous hat it was more original and carried off 
with  better style last year....

The next posts will be from Japan - Tune in if the poisonous Blow Fish doesn't get me...