Men brandishing accoustic guitars and lopsided grins provided the theme for V2001 - the weekend the sensitive indie boy fought back. Coldplay are already old hands at pulling at the heart-strings, and their recent trek across the globe appears to have brought out the lurking rock-star beast behind the cosy veneer. Singer Chris Martin bristled with confidence before the huge crowd, his hushed vocals outshone by his command of the stage. Yellow came complete with not only strings, but Martin jumping off the stage to shake hands with the faithful, his Bono impression falling flat thanks to a mad dash back to the stage for a breathless conclusion to the song.
Despite the muddy field, the tunes of Turin Brakes mysteriously came alive, the anthemic qualities drawn out effortlessly. New song Jet Trail is no great departure, providing a love-hate ode to London, but its "drowning in concrete" imagery and its singalong finale bodes well for the next album.
The problem with being winsome is balancing it with enough attitude to be likable. Starsailor managed this easily. "You're meant to drink the beer not wave it around, fuckwits," James Walsh announced to the crowd as the band served up their homages to love and alcohol. Walsh threw in verses of both the Charlatans' Telling Stories and Somewhere Over the Rainbow, which neatly summed up the up-for-it mentality and impassioned vocal style the band employ so well.
Although Muse impressively revelled in their gothic, rock-opera grandiosity and Tricky showed off his six pack for a stunningly intense performance, it was a disco diva that caused the most havoc. Kylie Minogue was the one everyone wanted to see and very few actually glimpsed. Opting for the sweaty intimacy of a tent, Minogue sounded fantastic and looked like a diminutive dominatrix in a black basque and skirt slashed almost to the hip. She wiggled her way through the likes of Shocked, On a Night Like This and Step Back in Time. For the hundreds of people shut outside of the tent - many of whom had queued for hours - the attempts by Minogue and her entourage of dancers to bring a little bit of Hollywood sparkle to this leafy Essex enclave didn't enchant. But for those lucky enough to revel in the full-on glamour and outright fun it was magical, and proved that a few sequins beat angst-ridden authenticity every time.
