Friday overview

Before you know it the music has started and with so many people having made the effort to dress up in tuxedo or a gown, it is a quick shifty back to the tent to get changed (into my suit, dress shirt, and bow tie, plus fancy dress beard of course). During which I hear back-ground music including The Levellers & The Farm 'All Together Now' which I feel is very appropriate with the good vibe and camaraderie amongst all that I meet.

Main band tonight are The 10 O'clock Horses a five piece from Worksop. They do a set of mostly original material varied from a frenzied combination of Ska and Punk with a bit of Reggae & Dub thrown in. At one point we have Brazilian Salsa vibe with frantic shaking of maracas & lyrics of "beautiful day" to a strong flavour of Folk. Frenetic use of the fiddle comes into play and for the encore we get a punk version of 'Fields of Athenry' almost reminiscent of The Saw Doctors and the like.

I check out the 'Open Mic Stage' where a bearded bloke in a dress does a great acoustic set but with such a sweet voice I have to look twice at his beard to check not a female singer! This is followed by another acoustic set from another bloke with a beard in a dress who plays a crowd pleasing set of cover versions including two Cure numbers and a fine rendition of 'Ernie, Fastest Milkman In The West'.

Back on the main stage the Friday Night DJ's are in full flow. Tall Sarah and husband Mr B play a great set over the next few hours. Starting with some rare 70's disco & diversifying to include tracks from Alf Moyet, Marc Almond, The Gossip, Goldfrapp, Sisters Of Mercy, followed by Underworld 'Born Slippy' all go down a storm.

And we have a quite surreal moment when Faithless 'Insomnia' is played as dozens of Bearded Blokes dance like nutters dressed in dinner suits & dickie bows and reminds me of a mad moment from Glastonbury 2007 except the field is not so muddy.

A festival friend vaguely recalls Kid Creole's 'Annie, I'm Not Your Daddy' although that just, could have been, his cider addled brain. This is the perfect end to the first night of the festival, well almost the perfect end but only if you exclude the drinking & 'the Craic' back at camp.

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