Leeds 2001 Review - Sunday

Despite my best intentions to have a lie-in this morning (in order to recharge sufficiently for this evening's inevitable carnage), I awake to find myself being microwaved in my tent at some unearthly hour. My daring mission to have a shower leads me into the hi-tech police compound, where I am swiftly apprehended and ejected. Well, at least it's a nice day, so off we venture to the local Sainsbury's. In my mind, I now resemble Tom Hanks in Castaway. But so does everyone else, so there's no fun to be had in scaring the locals. The bastards don't let anybody use the toilet, and they're sold out of all barbeque food except for Venison Grills. Bambi burgers tonight, then!

Back on-site, first stop: The Evening Session tent, where I find Gorky's Zygotic Mynci spreading love, as they do so well. From the looks of some of the faces in the front row, these people could really use some lovin'! As well as new material from their forthcoming album 'How I Long To Feel That Summer in my Heart', we are treated to the jewels that are 'Dear Johnny', 'Spanish Dance Troupe' and a frantic 'Poodle Rockin'. Only snag: No 'Hush the Warmth', sadly.

And now for something completely different... It's a short hop over to the 'Concrete Jungle' tent (replacing the Dance Tent for one day only) where we find Melbourne-based skate crew 28 Days ripping the place to shreds. I lose count of the crowd surfers. We catch up with the band backstage, after the gig, and the exhausted singer can't even stand up!

Out on the Main Stage, it's a welcome return for Oxford fun-rockers Supergrass. Opening with the brilliant 'Mary', it can't get any better, and it doesn't. There's nothing much new to air and the familiar stuff is definitely getting a bit too... familiar. Interestingly, it's the oldest material ('Caught by the Fuzz', 'Mansize Rooster') that wears the best. Come on lads, show us something new and inspiring!

There could be no greater contrast of excitement between frenzied crowd and ultra-chilled band, as the Fun Lovin' Criminals 'lounge' onto the stage, greeted by raw hysteria. Huey, is simply the picture of Gangster chic - cooler than Frank Sinatra at a mafia convention. The set is fairly mellow - they even do the Mimosa version of 'King of New York', but the crowd are cranked upto 11, and are going at least three times faster than they were for Marilyn Manson the other night!