Metal masters' shock and awe to triumph over the smallest stage
I find it astonishing that they put masters of metal, Napalm Death, on the third stage. I mean, third stage! I don't think even the band could quite believe it, as singer Barney Eastway jokingly introduced themselves as 'Napalm Death, just in case you didn't know'. The jampacked crowd couldn't believe it either, and the band could have played the main stage instead of Feeder, and claimed it as their own.
So, to make up for not headlining a bigger stage, they play loud enough to drown out the main stage headliners (an achievement in itself). Tonight, there is such a mix of old and new, everybody is happy. Eastway gave a special mention to the long term fans, saying they were the people who kept Napalm Death going all those years - that went down mighty well with the fans.
Tonight politics is definitely a theme that's running throughout the whole set. It's clear that it's something that Barney holds close to his chest - the band's ethos being about peace - and he rants about the war in Iraq, Bush and Blair. It gets one of the biggest cheers of the night. It's awesome indeed.
In a bizarre kind of way, however, the main highlight of the night is the second cover they play despite their own material being excellent. Eastway is on form tonight, chatting easily with the crowd who are taking it all in. He introduces the song as being about anti-fascism - something that goes down extremely well - and they launch into 'Fuck Off Nazi Punks' by the Dead Kennedys. Needless to say, it's absolutely superb.