Friday 07/09/07 Day One @ Bestival, Robin Hill Country Park, Isle Of Wight

Thank god Bestival is about far more than just the music! You’ll find out why we’re opening with this line by reading on…

While Glastonbury is overtaken by the middle aged, middle classes and Leeds/Reading is becoming an overpopulated emo playground the annual takeover of Robin Hill Country Park on the Isle Of Wight that is Bestival is now becoming the place to be for the insane, random and completely carefree. This is Gigwise’s second trip across the Solent to Rob Da Bank’s end of summer party and even before we get to the bands we can categorically state it is better than ever.

Talking of bands, we may as well get this confession out of the way now - we only witnessed one on our first day. However, this is not our fault. No, the blame lies in the hands of ferry operators who delay our arrival enough to mean we’re forced to erect our tent in the dark (And as it turns out, right in someone else’s porch) and only make it to the main stage just in time for the Chemical Brothers. And you can’t exactly call them a band!

Just so you know, some of the bands we sadly missed included The Go! Team, The Noisettes, The Maccabees, Fields, The Duloks, XX Teens and Shy Child - we shake our collective fists at you oh ferry man!

Anyway, back to the Chemical Brothers. Now Gigwise witnessed their set on the final night of Glastonbury and although it attempted to liven the spirits with a wave of beat induced euphoria it was sadly beaten down by the torrential rain and knee deep mud. Not so tonight as thankfully the weather is set fair and Ed Simons and Tom Rowlands are on top form.

As with all their shows the visuals are simply stunning with huge screens and lazers projecting over the natural bowl of the main stage at Bestival. The set mixes the much of their latest offering ‘We Are The Night’ with tracks from ‘Surrender’ and ‘Push The Button’. ‘Galvanise’, 'Hey Boy, Hey Girl’ and ‘Do It Again’ stand out as the buttoned on anthems and have the huge first night crowd baying for more and thankfully they’re not left wanting as a the set climaxes in pulsating fashion.

And so that's our live music fill for the night but as we pointed out earlier there is so much more to Bestival than the live music alone. Be it shimmying to the Samba in the Come Dancing tent, avoiding the attentions of the numerous worse for wear attendees or simply sipping tea at 7am there is more than enough 'randomness' going on to entertain us untul deep into the second day and beyond.