Live Review: V Festival, Day Two

McFly were a laughably early miss to Sundays V festival bill in Staffordshire, their pop antics a little too old for the kids and a little too old-hat for the adults, it taking Dizzee Rascal to unreservedly restore the ‘yoof’ vote. ‘Bonkers’ and ‘Sirens’ were clear crowd favourites finding the most cynical of hip hop opposers throwing their arms towards the clouds and giving yelps of adoration to the London, ahem, poet.

Later on the main stage and the absolute highlight of this years V came from the newly reformed Specials who’s decades old songs lifted an already soaring crowd to rapture. ‘Friday Night Saturday Morning’ was missing, but armed with’ A Message To You Rudy’ and ‘Monkey Man’, they gave pretty much every new band here a run for their money with timeless tracks stacked to the rafters, delivered with as much energy as any 20-something, and twice as much significance. ‘Ghost Town’ was of course the absolute highpoint of the set, and the whole of V festival 2009.

Unphased though a semi-inebriated Lily Allen proved herself as a leading pop voice of her generation, now working her way through genuinely enduring songs like ‘The Fear’ she was a fabulous main stage treat. Believe the hype, people.

Over on the Virgin Union stage The Sunshine Underground were out displaying new tracks amid their ‘Raise The Alarm’ material. Neither better or worse than they were during their 2006 heyday, they had a dedicated crowd going ape-shit for ‘Borders’ and critically unsung anthem ‘Commercial Breakdown’, which found one fan bouncing around the moshpit with his forehead oozing blood. Just the kind of hardcore fan this Yorkshire band deserves.

Razorlight were finishing on the main stage as our attentions turned back to the big names of the event; the band at last agreeing with their audience. We really, really wish we could be somewhere else as well, Johnny. Really. Not our sentiment for the Sunday headliners though, The Killers. They may still be musically defined by their astonishing debut record but it’s their later material which works better live, ‘Spaceman’ opening proceedings as Brandon Flowers is at last the charismatic and confident front man they’ve needed since ‘Hot Fuss’.

He poses and gallivants around the stage with as much poise as Freddie Mercury, jumping onto monitors and riling the swelling crowd into near frenzy. We didn’t really need the Joy Division cover, but really this was the most coherent and exciting set we’ve ever seen them do, ‘This Is Your Life’ showing some Talking Heads-esque diversity and all the anthemic charm of crowd-pleaser ‘Mr Brightside’. It was however ‘Bling’ that was the surprise highlight as Flowers threw himself into the air, silhouetted by their epic backdrop, it was ‘one of those moments’. Their records might not be as good these days, but live their newer material is far more momentous, older tracks like ‘Jenny’ being resigned to mere reminiscence. Cue the pyrotechnics and a fabulous end to V 2009. What a vintage year.

Day One