O2 Festival

Saturday at the O2 festival, on the main stage alone, promised to be a stilted affair in comparison to other days (Strokes on Wednesday: David Gray on Thursday; Massive Attack on Friday; and Depeche Mode on Sunday) - James Blunt closing the Saturday show ahead of Zero 7, Eels and Nizlopi. All decent in their own right but none having that ‘must see' tag. Beth Orton was the exception. The rest of the day was unashamedly devoted to the lesser known gods at the Myspace, XFM and the Acoustic stage (bandstand), the likely arenas of tomorrows stars.

Orton's effortless, classy, folk pop, largely lifted from her exquisite new album, Comfort of Strangers, was the perfect accompaniment to a cross legged helping of sweet ‘n' sour chicken noodles. At £5 a plate it was nice to see the price hadn't increased since last year, though the quality was arguably inferior. The beer at £3 a pint could have been worse, and a lack of Guinness was noticeable among the black stuff enthusiasts. The festival, overall, has been praised for its impeccable organisation and friendly vibe (who says Londoners aren't friendly?) and rightly so. However, if it goes ahead next year, I'd advise punters to print off the band running order in advance – not making that info freely available on the day, and charging £7 for a programme is a bit naughty.

Back to the music. Among the musical champions of the Myspace stage were Emma Rohan, a folk pop KT Tunstall with a punch, and the wonderful Catherine Feeny, showcasing her Hurricane Glass album. The stand out track , Mr Blue drawing comparisons to Aimee Mann. The XFM stage welcomed a compelling performance from this years Willy Mason, Paolo Nutini. His warm, slightly gravelled vocals, mature beyond his 19 Scottish years, enchanted with a cool version of Loving Spoonfuls ‘What a day for a daydream'. Later, the legendary Nile Rodgers, funked the tent with Chic, and classic disco standards Thinking of You, My Forbidden Lover, Freak Out and Good Times. Top notch drums courtesy of rhythmic main man, Omar Hakim.

Before Mr Rodgers and co delivered the impossible to ignore grooves, a star in the making, Thom Stone, gave a deservedly appreciated performance of his young folk pop. The small but perfectly formed crowd at the bandstand (aka acoustic stage) spontaneously clapped their way through his final song. Those in proximity took him to their hearts on confession of this to be the greatest day of his life. He was equally chuffed earlier to have met Beth Orton. We were chuffed to have discovered him. And double chuffed that he stood by his promise to hand out free CD's. They were snapped up in no time. Check him out at www.myspace.com/superthom

Other acts worth a mention include the Highland indie jangling of King Creosote, the ever impressive teen/pre teen sister duo, Smoosh, and the increasingly confident Zero 7. As for the main event, the word on the street was Colonel Blunt exampled his unique voice to strong effect, though not to all tastes. But for me, the minnows ruled the day. Long may they rock. And look forward to seeing them tomorrow.

Rob Barnett, Music News