V Festival is one of the most predominant festivals of every year, held around the same weekend every August, this year numbers were in excess of 150,000 at both venues.

This was my fourth V Festival, my third in a row, every year it rains, this year was no exception. I already got my wellies out and waterproofs weeks before in anticipation of the rain! The day started out really sunny, even much so I wore a t-shirt, wellies and waterproof trousers, a sight for sore eyes, but the rain did turn up, just as Stereophonics graced the stage.

Sunday was the better line-up, with Muse and Prodigy providing the headlining acts on the V Stage and Channel 4 Stage.

I must admit to being quite a big fan of Phonics, it’s all my Sister’s fault, giving me Performance and Cocktails and telling me to listen to it, this was Ten years ago!.. Hard to realise that this band have been around for little over a decade, pumping out classic album after classic album and touring the world numerous times over.


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A brilliant band live and they always do themselves proud in a ‘LIVE’ arena. Tonight they didn’t disappoint, blistering through a 70 minute set, Kelly Jones in his trademark leather jacket and Raybans, with his sexy husky voice, which has you transfixed and mesmerised, leaving you lingering on every word of his self penned lyrics.

The line-up had one new addition, Adam Zindani, previously from Spider Simpson has been providing lead guitar on the Pull the Pin Tour and Jack Daniels Tour of Germany last year. He is a fabulous addition to the line-up, even featuring on all the bands new promo posters for the forthcoming greatest hits album ‘Decade in the Sun’, due out on the 17/11/08.


The set was amazing, but over too quick. The audience picked up on all the Phonics anthems including Local boy in a Photograph, Bartender and a Thief and Phonics only No1 single, Dakota, this made an absolutely stonking set finale with the audience jumping up and down and mouthing every single lyric, punching the air in tribute, made me have goose pimples on the back of my neck, reminded me of the Pull the Pin Show at the NEC last year, simply superb.

A few songs from each album, quite a mix including: T-shirt Suntan, Mr Writer, It Means Nothing, Bank Holiday Monday, Have a Nice Day, Just Looking: Hopefully what the new tour in December is going resemble, a mix of old and new, classic Phonics.

One of the best British live bands with an army of dedicated fans to boot.

Check out their tour in December at a venue near you and see for yourself just what I’m going on about!!??


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Review and photos Michelle Owen