A relaxing day in the sun with Chase & Status Quo

Okay so Rock Choir.. we get it! Being camped next to the Main Stage means we HAVE to get it... 3 more times from 10am until well past midday. Rehearsal, another rehearsal and then the live show... which is the same as the day before! Living in an episode of Glee, set at a festival is now getting tedious and we eventually escape into the site a long way away from anyone singing 'Aint No Mountain High Enough'.

Having checked anyone from a large choir is no longer on stage we ventured back to the Main Stage hill and find it is filled with picnicking locals and its difficult to move around the sea of chairs but managed to get a spot and caught some Pama International which is unsurprisingly decent Sunday afternoon dub and reggae.

Realising we haven't done our duty, we venture along to the eFestivals.co.uk sponsored Comedy Tent to catch a couple of the opening acts. Simon Fox the compere is a bit painful to listen to with not so funny quips about all manner of things but the first act, Danny Ward is hilarious with his spot on observations about shopping for random tat in Lidl and tomato ketchup sachets with allergy warnings. May contain Fish?!?!! Cant remember the name of the next guy and after him nearly making a young kid cry in the audience we decide its time to move on.

And so its off to the Rock Sound Cave to check out Subsource. Oh my lord... wow! Prodigy eat your heart out, these live dance/rock masters crank out their cyberpunk trance and dubstep to another all ages audience (with the younger ones in a mosh pit melee of sweaty, tshirtless mayhem in the middle of the tent). A marvel to witness and with the sound levels beyond perfect making everyone's bowels move in time to the filthy noise of the live dubstep I stand there amazed and blown away for the third time this weekend. Put this band on a bigger stage next year please!

Time to take it down a level and onto the Good Time Guide Stage for some Simon Friend (of Levellers fame). Turns out its too low-key for me and I head off to the Theatre Tent to catch the Little Sisters of Poughkeepsie performing the 'Nuns Get One Over the Rainbow'. Another surreal affair where we are all invited by camp men and women dressed as nuns to be Friends of Dorothy, follow the Yellow Brick(!) and help the 'Cow'ard to find some courage (no lion costume, only a cow could be found for him!) A hearty sing along to 'Somewhere Over the Rainbow' ensues and its time to head back to the Good Time Guide Stage for Seth Lakeman.

You cant go wrong with this lad can you? Beautiful blazing hot sun on your back, a fiddle playing lovely on stage, free Grand Marnier cocktail samples within staggering distance and the inevitable jig dancing to Kitty Jay towards the end of the set reminds me why I love sunny Sunday afternoons at festivals.

After a quick trip back to the tent to restock for the rest of the night it's back to the Main Stage for more of Guil'retro'Fest and Level 42. I am told by those stood beside me that the last time they saw them play was headlining Glastonbury in 1986! More tunes to sing along to and to be honest a realisation that they just don't make bands like they used to these days. Mark King is as strong a performer today than 20 plus years ago and his slap bass action is still one of the best on the planet.

I feel the need for being around sweaty teenagers again and so head off to watch some of the Chase & Status (DJ Set) in The Funky End. It's sweaty, it's full of teenagers but again, a lot of mad fun. It would seem that dubstep has brought back the joys of mental bouncy mosh pits not seen since the early '90s and the days of long haired and sleeved indie fans. Smiles all around, no injuries, more filthy dubstep and top drum and bass and the Chase & Status' own tunes bring about great cheers from the tent.

BUT... its nearly the end and I've done the Chase... I need the Status... of Quo! I arrive back to 'Rockin' All Over the World' and a very busy, happy hill of Status Quo fans at the Main Stage. What follows is shameful air guitaring to my heart's content and singing very badly along to the likes of 'In the Army Now', 'Deeper and Down' and 'Whatever You Want'. A sea of inflatable guitars raised in the air greets the end of the show and the end of a brilliant and eclectic family festival that certainly deserves all the plaudits that get showered on it year after year.

I would recommend this festival to absolutely anyone. It is a perfect mix of every little element that goes to making a festival just right. Great people, great attitude, great music, great food (although more veggie food would have been appreciated), all in all a great festival. Bring on the 20th anniversary next year.

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