Day 1, Saturday 2 July 2011.

So what am I doing here? I mean the Saturday opening day is strictly for children and misguided mothers. No, this Radio 1 et al musical extravaganza is not what we are about, and never will be. However, the organisers have put together a targeted lineup and deposited it on arguably one of the world’s special horse racecourses - right in our backyard. Also, I have to admit a degree of mischevious curiosity relating to the live skills of these manufactured pop acts, and in the case of the Sugarbabes a remanufactured and recycled pop act. Make no mistake, Chester Rocks was fun and enjoyable for the punters that attended, and even this sceptic was impressed.

Getting in to the place was a breeze; a quick visit to the Holiday Inn next door to the hallowed turf for my pass, and within minutes I’m in. And what a place it is! To get to the guts of the place you go through a short underpass to find weedless and manicured grass, loads of posh eateries and a general feeling that this is the place where big money is lost and found. For a large music festival it’s unusual to find the venue surrounded on three sides by very close domestic dwellings. For this reason the ‘activity’ areas were located in one corner of the racecourse leaving bags of space for car parking. In addition, the organisers had provided free double tickets to those residents living closest. To say that the organisers had achieved their aims of not annoying the locals is an understatement. When I left on Sunday night during Leftfield’s gig I could hardly hear a beat as I walked by the homes closest to the main tent.

Now I won’t dwell on this aspect but if this festival is repeated next year (as it should be) then please, in addition to shaded seating press area hows about some (free) cool refreshments (and not the cheapest Nescafe at £1 a spoonfull), a bit more artist information and perhaps press conferences… Also photo pit access closer to the alternative venue where unsigned acts are playing desperate for press coverage. I was surprised to find that the closest and easiest access was forbidden due to the possibility of us photographers taking pictures of acts in the backstage area, just prior to going on stage. I’ve covered enough festivals to know that that does not happen. So instead we have to enter from the other side effectively doubling our journey - not clever.

Punters loved it though and I guess that’s most important. Saturday was the busy day with the fair, takeout eateries, ice-cream vendors and booze merchants doing a roaring trade. In fact so busy was it that one mother told me she had to queue for an hour to get food for her family! There’s a pleasant, relaxing feel about the event especially with so many families attending. And it was great to see them claiming their patch of earth in front of the main stage complete with chairs and picnic gear.

First act on the main stage was a singer/songwriter called Stephen Langstaff with his backing band. Here’s some PR blurb about the young man:

“Stephen Langstaff is rapidly becoming the UK’s most prolific singer songwriter. His songs are powerful and subtle. His voice is unique. Stephen’s soulful style has earned him exciting comparisons with artists such as Jeff Buckley and Tracy Chapman. Stephen has the rare gift of blessing the listener with something honest and direct. Stephen has made several festival appearances and has recently done the 02 ‘Academy Live’ tour, which showcases the UK’s newest and most exciting artists. He has also toured the UK supporting the Lightning Seeds, once again captivating new audiences and critics. He is a major emerging talent. Humble yet fearlessly confident, he is a breath of fresh air in these days of mass marketed idols.”

Okay… Look he was decent enough but not a patch on those aforementioned heros. The songs were so-so while his voice sounded strained at times. So in summary competent but no rare talent. The building crowd in front of him liked what they heard and showed it.