It is unlikely that Hylands Park in Chelmsford has ever seen as much bare flesh as it did over the weekend. As temperatures soared, the crowd delighted in getting their kit off.
It is equally unlikely that when The Proclaimers wrote I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles) in the late 1980s they imagined they would be singing it almost a quarter of a century later to 10,000 scantily-clad Essex girls.
However they did, and it was oddly splendid.
Poor old Dappy, the rapper from N-Dubz, pulled out of V last week in order to concentrate on his long-awaited solo album. He was replaced by The Charlatans, who played a set of swaggering indie standards.
Local grime artist Devlin played to a packed big-top. He drew heavily from his 2010 album Bud, Sweat and Beers – which pretty much summed up the day – but it was when he was joined by Ed Sheeran that the roof was really raised.
Sheeren had a busy V. As well as playing (All Along The) Watchtower with Devlin, he guested with rapper Wretch 32 and headlined in his own right. He may look about 12 and play the world’s smallest guitar, but Sheeran was clearly the hero of the day and reduced audience members to tears.
Keane are about as cool as the weather was, but they proved that they have a way with melody. And while dance maestro David Guetta headlined the 4 Music stage, Noel Gallagher started the run of ‘old man’ music on the main stage.
He played much of his recent solo album and a raft of Oasis hits and B-sides, including Half the World Away and Don’t Look Back in Anger. Judging by the crowd’s reaction it was easy to tell that the older Gallagher sibling has won the tussle for the nation’s hearts and minds with his younger brother Liam.
Then came The Stone Roses, playing the only big southern gig of their lengthy reunion tour. By this stage in the proceedings the Manchester legends should either be hating the sight of each other, or playing amazingly well.
Thankfully it was the latter. Musically they were as tight as two coats of paint, with drummer Reni acting as the glue with phenomenal playing. Ian Brown’s voice held up well and 50,000 people sang as one all the way through the victorious 90 minute set.
A speaker blew during This is the One, which can only be a good thing, while I Am The Resurrection was a moment of pure collective euphoria.
By the time The Killers bought things to a conclusion last night, it wasn’t half a bad shuffle.
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