Review: Splendour Festival

Nottingham’s Splendour festival has become the biggest and most prestigious stage for local artists to perform on.

It was therefore fitting that headlining this year’s event was the phenomenon that is Clifton lad Jake Bugg.

And anyone who had wondered whether he had the charisma or character to be a headline act must have been more than convinced after an impressive performance that brought the event to a wonderful, buzzing climax.

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Not known for smiling or chatting to the crowd, Jake let his music do the work once more.

He played a set that included the best tracks from his number one album, as well as giving fans a taste of what is to come on his new one.

But what made this performance stand out were two things - the fantastic guitar solos that Jake played, injecting a bit more rock into the live gig, and the sense that he did actually feel really proud to be headlining this gig.

He even cracked a shy smile to affirm this after greeting the crowd with, ‘Good evening Nottingham’. He was home, he was loved and it was a performance to remember.

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Jake provided a fitting ending to what had been a fantastic day for music in Nottinghamshire.

A cloudy cover protected the bumper crowd of around 20,000 from what had seemed like inevitable sunburn.

Luckily the large audiences had no choice but to gather close for warmth as they crowded around the four stages in great numbers.

Other highlights of the day were Nottingham band Dog is Dead, who were very popular with the teenage girls, and KT Tunstall, who played a confident and entertaining set.

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Headlining the Jagermeister stage, Maximo Park showed why they are firm festival favourites, while upcoming act Saint Raymond and Peter Hook and The Light, who play New Order and Joy Division covers, contributed to a popular second stage line-up.