Partytime with pop's newest star
You could tell somebody major was about to play in the JJB Arena early on Sunday afternoon, with a steady stream of people entering the tent, this meant a packed and vibrant party atmosphere would help wake up any half asleep festival goers on day 2 at V.
Lily Allen had the same trouble as most on this stage, as the sound quality left a lot to be desired and hadn't improved from the previous day. New single 'LDN' opened the set, and although it was hard to pick up the lyrics, the impact of the overall feel of her reggae, funk and pop inspired music didn't suffer. 'Shame On You', another of the reggae tracks was also an early highlight.
With a set time much shorter than the running time of debut album 'Alright Still', tracks like stand out song 'Friday Night' didn't make the cut, but this didn't stop this from being one of Sunday's great occasions.
With number one smash 'Smile' left near to the end, it was predictable that a number of the crowd would use it's conclusion to beat the rush. Those who stayed were treated to the best track of the show, album closer 'Alphie'. Despite it's tough subject matter of her feeling for her brother's drug problems, this has a nursery rhyme like charm, meant in the best possible way, and was certainly stuck in my head for much of the day.
This set was an opportunity for those with energy to dance around like complete idiots for half an hour, warming them up nicely for acts like Faithless, Groove Armada and Hard-Fi. Already a real star, Lily Allen rode the sound problems far better than most and sent a large crowd on their way with a spring in their step.