Sting 3.0

BBC Radio 2 in the Park gets off to a flying start - but there's something different here - Craig David, Sugababes and Sting are putting on a stunning show in Preston this weekend...

As the UK's festival season drew to a close, BBC Radio 2 made its way up the M6.

The journey has seen thousands of revellers descend on Moor Park in Preston for the station's annual Radio 2 in the Park weekend. And yesterday (September 7), it didn't take long for the city to get into the festival spirit.

You expect to get some wacky outfits at music festivals and the crowd in Preston proved no exception. LED light up flower crowns, neon tutus and legwarmers, tassels everywhere, Hawaiian shirts, cowboy hats in a full range of colours, and glitter, gems and sequins stuck to every spare patch of skin.evellers walked beneath strings of fairy lights and colourful, fluttering flags, and past an enormous Ferris wheel lit up in pastel colours. From the outset, the mood was jubilant. Spread over more than a hundred acres, there were scores of restaurants serving up every cuisine you’ve ever heard of.

The demographic ran from toddlers to pensioners; couples, whole family groups, mothers and daughters, twentysomethings. But there was something a little different about Radio 2 in the Park that separates it from your usual festival. Most people were sitting down.

Grass beyond the main stage was a sea of picnic blankets and camping chairs, where whole groups were sprawled out chatting, drinking and singing.

Some further to the back didn't seem bothered about barging to the front to watch the music; they seemed content to sit, listen and soak up the atmosphere. Benevolent enjoyment of the spectacle – as opposed to the usual raucous hedonism of festivals – was the order of the day.

This attitude did extend somewhat into the crowd, which tended to be pretty static and stationary through all but from the most upbeat songs. They were in fine voice, however, singing like a choir to the strains of Snow Patrol's 'Light Up'.

At the other end of the park to the main stage, a roster of Radio 2 DJs took to the decks and drew big crowds in their own right. By the time of Rylan’s Rybiza Anthems set in the evening, the crowd was spilling out of the enormous tent and onto the grass beyond as they swayed and bopped and crooned along to 90s and 00s classics, a highlight being a dance remix of Backstreet Boys’ ‘Everybody’.

Throughout the day, the clouds hung low above the park and at a few moments did bestow the occasional raindrop on the crowd. But thankfully the rain held off through the afternoon and temperatures remained balmy, with sun and patches of blue sky making appearances throughout Craig David's and Kim Wilde's sets.

But it was Scottish rock band Travis that kicked off the proceedings in style on the main stage. Headed up by lead singer Fran Healy – whose highlighter pink hair was probably visible from the park gates – the band fired through their catalogue of hits and crowd pleasers with blistering guitar solos and soaring saxophone riffs. They ended their set with a rousing chorus of their 1999 hit Why Does It Always Rain On Me, impossible not to sing along.

Next it was the turn of Shaznay Lewis to take to the stage. Effortlessly cool in a shoulder-padded black blazer and huge gold hoops, hers was a slightly more mellow, laid-back set, but her many fans in the crowd were still singing and grooving along to every word.

"It's my last show of the summer... and I'm having a really good time," she beamed. "Thank you for being such a great crowd."

After that it was Pixie Lott’s turn. The 33-year-old was introduced by Scott Mills, who gushed about the "beautiful" job she did singing at his wedding back in May.

Suitably festival clad with gemstones around her eyes and glitter down her arms, the singer delivered a high energy, infectiously joyful set, bouncing around the stage in stomping black welly boots and grinning with delight at the appreciative crowd.

She delivered near flawless performances of her catalogue of hits – 2009 number one singles Mama Do and Boys and Girls – as well as several songs from her recently released album Encino. She was also joined by Rylan – who seemed to be everywhere yesterday – in a rousing performance of Cry Me Out.

"To see you singing along with me is amazing," she beamed. "It's great to be here, you all look amazing. These are the moments I live for."

The artist up next drew the biggest crowd of the day so far. BBC 2 DJs Sarah Cox and DJ Spooney gave him a stirring introduction – 5 billion streams worldwide, 25 top 40 hits, 14 Brit nominations, "UK garage history" – before Craig David bounced onto the stage.

Backed by a full live band, the singer-songwriter delivered a career-spanning setlist including What's Your Flava, Fill Me In and Walking Away, as well as newer hit Nothing Like This, which got the crowd moving. He also debuted an unreleased upcoming single In Your Hands, which samples the British primary school classic "He's Got The Whole World In His Hands". Backed by a bouncing beat, acoustic guitar chords and a whistling riff, the combination seems improbable - but its effect on the crowd is undeniable and it sounds a lot like an impending hit.

Many of David's hits appear to chronicle the teenage years, singing of romances thwarted by parental intervention and the breathless throes of first love – something that could seem at odds with David, who is now 43. But with his seemingly boundless energy, beaming enthusiasm and still boyish charm – plus a vocal that is as feather light, buttery smooth and nimble as it was 25 years ago – he carries it all off with ease.

He ended his set with 7 Days – what else? – and the crowd sang along joyously.

The following sets - Kim Wilde, Snow Patrol and Sugababes - passed in a blur. The main stage drew a larger and larger crowd as the evening rolled on and all had the crowd singing along in unison. Highlights included a speaker-busting set from Kim Wilde, featuring searing synths and guitar solos and Snow Patrol leading the crowd in an acapella performance of “If I Lay Here”.

The Sugababes also delivered an impressive, slickly choreographed set. The usually poppy backing tracks to their noughties hits were replaced by a distinctly more heavy metal backing. Their old music videos played on a screen as they floated over the drums and electric guitar with perfectly smooth three-part harmonies. They also included a cover of Flowers by Sweet Female Attitude.

Darkness had fallen in earnest by the time the evening’s headliner appeared. Sting came out to thunderous applause and launched right into his catalogue of hits, opening with Message in a Bottle. This was what many of the crowd had been waiting for and you could tell in their enthusiasm; how they swayed and sang every word.

The sound and stage set-up was fairly sparse - he was only backed by one other guitarist and a drummer - but with the iconic clanging guitar sound, an endless list of bangers from the Police and Sting's solo career, and his timeless soaring voice, what more did we really need?

(c) Manchester Evening News by Greta Simpson