More on: Sam Sparro

Date: 26/07/08
Rating:

Saturday morning is the perfect opportunity to rest weary legs and sore heads after the onslaught of the previous evening's frivolities. Even at barely 2pm however the Polysexual tent is bringing us a hard dance lesson in bosh from a tough as nails remix of 'You've Got The Love' to the creepily familiar 'Music For Tomorrow' from Technikal Meets Ainso which one spiky haired raver manages to lose himself completely in. It is then time for Chase & Status to liven up the crowd on the Random Concept stage with a mixture of their own productions and anthems from the likes of DJ Zinc and Benga & Coki. The MC who performs with them is tight, but there are only so many times somebody can say "Oh my days" before it becomes painfully tedious.

Moving to the Main Stage and Aussie hitmaker Sam Sparro seems remarkably pleased to share an afternoon with the great unwashed, dressed in a gigantic stripy poncho, zebra print trousers and a gold chain that would send Jimmy Saville green with envy. Ably assisted by a trio of larger than life female singers with the letters S, A and M on their shirts, the camp Antipodean races through a bunch of tracks from his recent debut album with a canny medley of 'Gypsy Woman' and 'Ride On Time' thrown in for good measure. He even sneaks in a bit of Estelle and Kanye West's number one smash 'American Boy', which he performs on human trumpet, manipulating his vocal chords to generate the sound. Mark Ronson collaborator Taiwah is then brought on stage for set closer 'Black & Gold' but is severely blighted with mic problems. Sam laps up every second of it however by running manically around the pit high-fiving his fans and getting them to sing along.

After an extended display from the Red Arrows it was over to the pint-sized Robyn to take up the musical baton and she delivers with a performance that combines killer songs with an unshakeable energy and stage presence. Starting off with 'Run Baby Run' and 'Crash and Burn', the diminutive Swede then takes up drum pad duty for a fun skip through 'Who's That Girl' which sees both drum sticks hurled into the crowd, rock star style, at its conclusion. After some brief words about taking it back she performs a medley of classic Eighties tracks 'Buffalo Stance' and 'Push It', with a snippet of her naughtily titled 'Sexual Eruption'. We are also treated to an outstanding stripped-back take on 'Be Mine' and a well-received new track in the form of the upbeat 'Dream On', which is complemented by some very old school Madonna-like dancing. An effortless skip through an emotionally-charged 'With Every Hearbeat' proves what a strong voice the white-haired singer possesses whilst ably abetted throughout by a pair of smartly dressed male drummers and skilled keyboardist. The verdict - Robyn 1:Sparro 0.

Elsewhere, Eric Morillo gives us an anthem-laden set from the likes of Energy 52, Robin S and Ce Ce Peniston, whilst Armin Van Buuren and the mighty Above & Beyond brings mass euphoria with a mix of uplifting and harder-edged trance. Before attempting the briefest of rests there is just enough time to sample the French delights of David Guetta, who is somewhat disappointing despite a string of pulsating tunes, including many of his own productions. His set seems to lack any real structure, but there were flashes of brilliance, such as the Run DMC meets Bodyrox intro and the future anthem 'Pjanoo' from Eric Prydz, which shakes the tent to its very foundations leaving a string of smiling revellers heading back to campsite. A truly eclectic weekend of music and entertainment with heaven-sent weather.

Greg Inglis

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