For such a low cost the line up for Splendour was undeniably strong with 4 stages (including a comedy stage) and a truly eclectic range of music for all age ranges and all tastes. Kid British were the first act of the day that really had the crowd moving. Taking to the main stage early in the afternoon, their infectious mix of ska, hip-hop and indie proved especially popular among the younger members of the audience, and the older audience members seemed happy with the band’s obvious nod to the skinhead movement of the 80’s. They made there way through an energetic 30 minute set that included tracks such as ‘lost in London’ and current Radio 1 Favourite and Madness sampling track ‘Our house is Dadless’. While the band may not have the most thought-provoking lyrics (although their music does have a message) or the most innovative musicianship, they did an excellent job of getting the crowd warmed up for the next band that would grace the main stage. The Rifles are in many ways a band for men (sorry ladies), you only need to look out into the 12,000 strong audience and see the groups of fully grown men huddling together in brotherly love to see this was the case. They give a flawless performance that even early on in the day still manages to get the crowd singing back to them (a sure sign of a quality act). The band perform a set that draws strongly from the band’s second album ‘The Great Escape’ however the highlight of the set has to be the band’s performance of ‘Sherwood’, a song the band say is a necessity considering they are in Nottingham.

While a large proportion of the audience may have (foolishly) placed themselves in front of the main stage for the duration and ceased to move for the day, for those who wanted a more intimate musical experience ‘The Big Top Stage’ provided among a headlining set from Ash the very best the Nottingham music scene had to offer. Although not catching a great deal from the stage myself, ‘Love Ends Disaster’ provided one of the most exciting and different sets of the day. The band’s intense fusion of slightly disorientating noise-pop was welcomed by many (the band seemed to have a fair few supporters in the audience), however did leave a portion of the crowd slightly bemused by what was happening in front of them, maybe they would have been better off staying at the main stage.

For those members of the audience who wanted a slice of Nostalgia, this was delivered in the form of rockabilly queen Imelda May, a Dublin born singer who drew one the largest crowds of the day. Her recent debut album ‘Love tattoo’ has been doing amazing well and it was easy to see why she has had such success. Imelda is a supremely confident performer who looks and feels right at home on a stage barely stopping to breathe as she performed an energetic set that saw her cover the Northern Soul classic ‘Tainted Love’, a song that she made her own, as well as giving the crowd a chance to have a sing song.

Singer Songwriter Jon Allen, performed a stunningly ethereal set on the very tiny ‘Left Lion Courtyard’ stage as the evening drew in and managed to keep a modestly large crowds attention, despite a downpour of torrential rain. With nothing to hide behind, (just him and an acoustic guitar) and in such an intimate atmosphere Allen’s tales of love and loss were devoured by the audience and his headlining slot on the stage was well deserved. The Pogues have a reputation, in large thanks to the well documented drinking antics of lead singer Shane Macgowan. The reputation however is all they have, the band themselves are a complete disaster. Opening to a very large crowd, after a couple of songs a large proportion of the audience moved from the stage and reacquainted them selves with the beer tent. While the actual band themselves were not bad, their playing was sufficient, they did suffer from two problems, the songs and Shane Macgowan, the main problem being that most of their songs sounded exactly like the last. The band played one bland Irish jig after the other, offering very little to excite the audience and doing nothing to get the audience into a party spirit ahead of the nights headlining act. The overall problem with the band however was Shane Macgowan, who was in no fit to step onto the stage let alone perform. He fell all over the stage, seemed to have very little idea where he was or what he was doing and added nothing to the songs except a slurred inane drawl of noise.

Madness are a band that tick all the boxes for a top class headlining band, they have tonnes of hit selling singles and every single one of them are memorable and perfect to sing along too. Looking out across the audience it was clear that many people came especially to see them, a band that have become a part of British musical heritage. Opening their 90 minute set with ‘One Step beyond’ the band were energetic, boisterous and note perfect, something that didn’t stop for the entire set. The band’s choice of set list was also spot on, realising perfectly what many of the audience wanted, a greatest hits set, and this is exactly what they gave. Playing only a couple of tracks from the band’s most recent material, a majority of the set took from when the band was at their strongest. They opened with a hit, and they didn’t stop, ‘Baggy Trousers’, ‘Our House’ ‘House of Fun’, the audience, young and old lapped it up and the band proved why they have been so successful for more than two decades. The band proved a perfect headlining act and left the audience smiling and demanding more even after their encore.

Splendour Festival although barely publicised out of its ‘catchment’ area of Nottingham is a little hidden gem in an increasingly over-crowded festival scene. Splendour combined an eclectic range of artists, a wide ranging age group of people and put them together in a dazzlingly beautiful setting that made the perfect one day festival. More Splendour next year please!

Kevin Angel