The Hives explode on stage at Pukkelpop 2012

I strolled down to the arena early in the morning to watch Dry The River perform on the Marquee stage. Their single 'New Ceremony' is one of my very favourite songs, and I find it a shame that less people are familiar with the London-based folk outfit. Musically they're outstanding, and they seem like naturals at engaging the crowd, so the signs are good. The next Noah and the Whale? Maybe in five years' time. I went straight to the main stage to watch The Joy Formidable. I'm not sure why. They weren't very good. I stuck around for British indie kids The Cribs, who produced a decent performance. I can't really comment on their audience interaction (mainly because Ryan Jarman's Yorkshire drawl is practically indecipherable), but their delivery was impressive, so I'll base my verdict on that. Good stuff, then. The Shins were next to grace the main stage, and the New Mexican indie rockers were quietly captivating. Their simplistic, laid-back delivery resonates perfectly with their poignant melodies - and the whole performance was rather nice. 'Kissing the Lipless' and 'New Slang' were the most memorable moments, but everything here was relaxingly charming. Try them out.

At 18.10, there was an impeccably-observed minute's silence to commemorate the heart-rending events of the 2011 festival. You could hear a pin drop in the arena, with every one of the visitors paying their respects to those affected by the tragedy. A cacophonous round of applause greeted the completion of the stillness, and 15 minutes later peace was shattered for good when energetic garage rockers The Hives strutted onto the stage. Decked out in their usual attire of top hats and tails, the uber-dynamic Swedes proceeded to blow all the other performers out of the water. Singer 'Howlin' Pelle Almqvist couldn't be a more perfect frontman if he'd been manufactured in a lab - he's crazy, cool, charismatic and, yes, a little cocky. Everything a rock god needs to be. The Hives are all real showmen, determined to give the audience an unforgettable experience. Oh boy, do they just. A blaring 'Tick Tick Boom' was the ideal finale to an hour-long show that reminds you why you come to festivals in the first place. From the ninja-inspired outfits worn by the roadies to Nicholas Arson's crazy guitar tricks, from Chris Dangerous throwing this drum sticks up in the air and catching them, to Pelle's insistence on walking into the crowd and high-fiving the audience, there's always something going on. Whatever you do, see them live. It'll be the best decision you ever make. The unenviable task of following the best live band in existence fell to Ohio's favourite sons, The Black Keys. They kicked off with the exceptional 'Howlin For You', and while the rest of the set was very good, it never matched the brilliance of the intro. The band's three most successful singles - 'Tighten Up', 'Gold on the Ceiling' and 'Lonely Boy'- all arrived in a row, seemingly a good ending point? Apparently not. Don't ask me what they finished off with, because I hadn't heard it before. My biggest anti-climax since I watched Inception.

Closing Pukkelpop 2012 were American rock giants, Foo Fighters. Dave Grohl and the gang played an extensive 150 minute set, and for someone such as me who isn't a big Foos fan, it did seem a bit excessive. When one headliner plays for the same amount of time as the other two put together, you start to question if they'll be able to keep it interesting. The biggest crowd of the festival (by a country mile) greeted the legendary post-grunge outfit, and while it's nice to be part of a large audience, it's much nicer to be able to see the stage. Pukkelpop was the first festival Dave Grohl ever played (apparently he was in some band called Nirvana- anyone?), and he seemed to love being back. 'Everlong' finished the set, and that, as they say, was that.

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