Sunday overview

Sunday and those at IOW probably wake early with temperatures in the tents reaching boiling hours before the arena opens. Newport is also bustling with many of the bars opening early doors. Eventually the arena opens all nice and clean for us and ready for more revelry on this day for veterans.

Lots of veterans of the IOW festival play today the first one being Countermine, who have developed nicely since last year and are perfect to gather a crowd in the arena. Next up is Kate Aumonier debuting delightful, gorgeous and destined to be a star. The Subways follow her with a pounding set and energy in bucket loads. The skies darken but it’s a welcome relief and it doesn’t rain.

Another veteran of the festival is Caravan’s bass player Jim Leverton who last played the IOW in 1969. They take us back to another era of music and their experience shines as does the sun again!

New to the music scene are the fabulous Magic Numbers, it’s their biggest gig by some way and like Snow Patrol the year before they steal the show, a good crowd gathers to hear their melodies and the songs go down a storm.

Then it’s two more IOW festival favourites returning, first the tormented (but happy) Starsailor please the crowd with their dark overtones. Filling between two returning festival bands are Embrace who play Good Good People, which starts everyone singing and jumping about. Then it’s more returning heroes in the form of the glorious Snow Patrol who send a packed crowd soaring with old tracks and unleashing new stuff from the forthcoming album upon us. There’s a magic moment in Run as on the last chorus the sun drops below the crowd to light up the crowd. Magical!

And then headlining is the mighty REM with this more than likely one of their warm up shows for the Live 8 gig, they plunder their greatest hits to deliver a jaw dropping set of warmth. The crowd is huge and nearly everyone on site is in front of them as they make it a night to remember forever. Glorious, it’s one of their best gigs I’ve seen in years and an emotional closer to another fantastic festival.

With there being no Glastonbury next year and the festival rumoured to be increasing to two stages get your tickets early for another glorious weekend in the sun.

There'll be full reviews as well as fantastic exclusive photos online in the next few days.

article by Scott Williams

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