Closing the Friday for us was the Manic Street Preachers. Kasabian were technically the headliners but for us the Manics were the highlight - Kasabian pale in comparison, and have nowhere near the number of hits that the Manics do.

Clearly loving the beautiful setting for the festival, James Dean Bradfield and co treated us to a greatest hits set which showed off their amazing back-catalogue. Opening with “Faster” JDB echoed the sentiments of many bands over the weekend: “this is the last festival of the season for us, and it’s amazing to be in such a beautiful place as this!” he smiled before launching into a high velocity “Motorcycle Emptiness”.

“You Stole the Sun From My Heart” provided the first genuine festival sing-along, with the natural ampitheatre of the Oyster main stage providing amazing acoustics for the anthemic sing-along.

JDB introduced “Walking Abortion” from their generation-defining “Holy Bible” by joking that “those who are expecting one of our newer ones with strings can go to the bar for this one!”

“They said this was like an older version of T in the Park…I may need a hip replacement but that’s so not true - you’re all looking amazing tonight!” he smiled before launching into a cover of Rhianna’s Umberlla, which was one of the most inspired (or stupidest) choices of cover, dependent on your level of Manics fanaticism.

Motown Junk was dedicated to Richie Edwards, their missing guitarist and lyricist who has now been missing for over 13 years, and provided a reminder of the bands early days, and shows just how far they’ve come in their career.

Large photos and setlist after the jump.
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Next band we caught were Liverpool’s Ladytron, again on the Guitars and Other Machines stage. A decidedly smaller crowd than Noah and the Whale, they opened with “Black Cat” then current single “Runaway”, along with old favourites “Seventeen” and closing with “Destroy Everything You Touch”. The people who had come to see them danced like loons clearly enjoying seeing them at their first Scottish festival.

Plagued by sound issues throughout, they werent very good at glossing over them but musically they were on top form.

After the jump: More pictures.
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First band up on our list to watch is Noah and the Whale over at the Guitars and other machines stage. Opening with “Give A Little Love” they drew a rather young crowd, who willingly sing along and give the feeling that the band are much bigger than their one top ten hit. Ending with “Five Years Time” and “Rocks and Daggers”, a proper festival moment ensued as girls on guys shoulders fell about the place, cheesy clapping and mass singalongs abound.

Photos are after the jump.
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So first day at Hydro and we’ve made it despite the 8 hour trek from South Oxfordshire.

Its a bit of a mud bath and a 30 minute walk from the car park, but spirits are high. Once we’d got our tent up in a spot which surely will become a river at first rain, we wandered down to the main arena to find our way around.

Greeted by huggers who gave everyone a free hug as they went in the place has all the elements of a fairy tale castle: gorgeous landscapes and beautiful people.

Photos etc to follow next week

Guilty Pleasures ahoy! The Pipettes have announced a string of UK Tour dates for October around our fair shores.

Tickets for all dates are on sale now at £10 a pop. Catch them at:

Thursday 11th September - Kingston New Slang
Thursday 23rd October - Leeds Cockpit
Friday 24th October - Derby The Royal
Saturday 25th October - Bristol The Cooler
Sunday 26th October - Oxford Academy
Tuesday 28th October - Winchester The Tower
Wednesday 29th October - Cambridge Soul Tree
Thursday 30th October - Leicester The Charlotte
Friday 31st October - Darlington Inside Out

This post originally appeared over at Londonist.

The New York university system seems to be doing well at the moment - first they turned out the amazing Vampire Weekend, and now Syracuse, New York, has turned out the brilliant Ra Ra Riot who played a headlining set at Monto Water Rats last night. Things got hot and sweaty as they ploughed through their 45 minute set in the tiny backroom, playing with so much energy you’d barely believe they’ve played a gig every night this week.

Earlier in the evening, The Daves warmed things up a bit with their radio-friendly anthems. They’re just like Dave TV too - a guilty pleasure, nice to dip in and out of, but also very predictable and unoriginal. Quickly followed by In Between Days, who sounded a bit like Lostprophets in a mixing pot with Biffy Clyro - good, but not really main-support material.

However there was no hiding who we were there for - Ra Ra Riot came on and gave us their rather unique mix of traditional bass, drums, guitar and keys augmented by violin and cello with enough energy to get everyone dancing, even the boring post-work crowd complete with unimpressed girlfriends. By the end of their set everyone was dancing like it was 1999, drenched in sweat with derranged smiles on their faces. As lead singer Wesley Miles commented: “This may not be our biggest gig this week, but you’re certainly the liveliest!”

Closing out their set with the double header of current single “Ghost Under Rocks” and previous single “Dying is Fine”, it was amazing that the six of them managed to stay on stage long with the amount they were bouncing into each other, falling over and generally having an amazing time. The poor soundguys were going to have fun - the cables of mics and guitars were amazingly well entangled from their antics.

Even if you haven’t heard of Ra Ra Riot go and check them out now - they may not make it to the big time, but they might just be one of your favourite secret bands.

Like your music weak and weedy? Then be happy as The Script have announced their biggest UK headlining tour to date.

Tickets reportedly go on sale this Friday, 29th August, at 9:30am.

Saturday 22nd November - Glasgow Barrowland
Sunday 23rd November - Leeds Academy
Monday 24th November - Newcastle Academy
Wednesday 26th November - Manchester University
Thursday 27th November - Norwich UEA
Friday 28th November - Bristol Academy
Sunday 30th November - Birmingham Academy
Monday 1st December - Oxford Academy
Tuesday 2nd December - London Shepherds Bush Empire

It seems it’s the only time of year that they ever go on tour, but The Pogues have announced their December UK Tour.

Tickets go on sale on Friday, 29th August at 9am.

Sunday 7th December - Glasgow Carling Academy
Tuesday 9th December - Leeds Carling Academy
Thursday 11th December - Newcastle Carling Academy
Friday 12th December - Sheffield Carling Academy
Saturday 13th December - Manchester Evening News Arena
Monday 15th December - Birmingham Carling Academy
Tuesday 16th December - Bristol Carling Academy
Thursday 18th December - London Brixton Carling Academy
Friday 19th December - London Brixton Carling Academy

Taken from Wicho’s flickr stream under the Creative Commons License.

Let’s be honest: you’re probably sick to death of me going on, and on, and on about this weeked. Yes, I’m going to Hydro Connect, but I’ve mentioned little about the bands lower down the bill. One of the main bands on Saturday afternoon that I want to catch is the glorious Glasvegas, who are playing the Guitars and Other Machines stage on the Saturday.

Along with Glasvegas the Saturday’s lineup on the Guitars and Other Machines stage also features Turin Brakes, Friendly Fires and Gossip. Over on the Oyster main stage, the only band we’re really interested in on Saturday is the amazing Bloc Party, who we will be making sure we have prime places to watch.

Below’s a homecoming clip that Glasvegas recorded at a recent gig… looks amazing. Enjoy.

Like The Police and Pink Floyd, their reunion was anticipated for many years. They gave us the soundtrack to the 90’s and their classic anthem Bittersweet Symphony still gives a nation goosebumps a decade on. They’ve had their ups and downs, their break-ups and make-ups, but they’re back. For now, at least.

So, what of The Verve’s comeback album?

Sadly, I wouldn’t hold your breath. It seems Richard Ashcroft decided not to hold his either because Forth, the latest offering from The Verve, is one long medley of melancholy music where one track ends and another begins without you even noticing. With many songs approaching the seven-minute mark, are they a brooding work or art? Or should we assume that the lads were so completely out of it that somebody forgot to press STOP?

Bands release their albums to coincide with a season or a celebration. Christmas for a ‘Best Of’ perhaps. Or Summer for a feel-good jam. But for these Wigan lads, it was the start of the football season that saw the release of their fourth album. And why? Because the timing is all part of their campaign to target, “The 25 to 44-year-old male-based market with a strong Northern regionality.”

But somehow, I don’t see United fans singing this album from the terraces. There are only four standout tracks for me and the rest fade into the background.

‘Love Is Noise’ see’s Ashcrofts tormented vocals and Nick McCabe’s experimental guitar come together and give us something truly rockin’. “Will those feet in modern times walk on soles that were made in China through the black prosaic malls,” sings Ashcroft. His lyrics have come a long way in a decade, you’ve got to admit. This song got a marvellous reception at Glastonbury this year.

Opening track ‘Sit and Wonder’ is a Wonder of its own, building from a menacing crackle to a dark and dangerous climax. The chorus where Ashcroft demands, “Give me some life” over and over is sure to be stuck in your head.

Then the soulful ‘Rather Be’, the head-nodding tune with the orchestrated melody. Forget Ashcrofts dreary lyrics, this is perhaps the most uplifting song on the album. ‘Judas’ has a certain lightness about it too, even if this one does plod towards the six-minute mark.

Forget save the best ’til last, this quartet of songs are certainly the best on the album. After these, The Verve sidle comfortably back into their default position: psychadelic dirge rock.

‘Numbness,’ ironically, will induce exactly what it says on the tin and ‘Columbo’ is more mind numbing than murder mystery. After what seems like a lifetime, ‘Appalachian Strings,’ at a grand total of 7:32 is a calming and spiritual come-down to the album if a little dull.

The music is directionless but I hate to admit that there is still something undeniably hypnotic about this album. It is safe but not outstanding. A little bit disappointing for the comeback of the year.

This is no Urban Hymns.

If you want songs you will remember for ten years, I’d re-think your purchase. But if you want The Verve at their most intense and experimental, go Forth and buy this album.

Forth, on Parlophone records, is out now.