From the dawn of prehistory
Despite their near legendary status Dinosaur Jr pretty much passed me by first time around and judging by the half full tent it seems they missed a lot of other people too. They only reformed in 2005 (after an 8 year break) but recent appearances here perhaps have removed the impact of their presence and the curiosity value for many?
Guitarist and the only ever present member of the band J.Mascis is instantly recognisable with his long, flowing silver hair. Once again the sound is good in the NME/Radio 1 tent and this really serves to highlight what a good guitarist Mascis is. His solos are solid and he turns in a really good performance. It's an enjoyable set, largely melodic though often with a melancholy feel; inevitably the songs burst into life at some point and head off into an extended jam but they always manage to retain the interest of the crowd with a series of hooks and solos.
Vocal duties are shared between Mascis and bassist Lou Barlow and both do able jobs without either being a particularly great singer. They play a good mix of material from the back catalogue and a fair few from the new album, all of which go down well with the small but enthusiastic crowd. There's not a great deal of interaction with the crowd and they don't move around too much but still they manage to hold the interest and have a strangely mesmerising presence to them.
Dinosaur Jr have impressed enough today to warrant a dip into their back catalogue and I imagine a full headline set would have an even greater impact than the 45 minutes they get today.