Saturday 26/08/06 Day 2 @ Rock en Seine, Saint Cloud Park, Paris

And yes Broken Social Scene wear their "don't hate us, we're Canadian" badge with remarkable ease, mentioning Zidane, the weather and murdering the French language in attempt to fraternise with a soggy crowd who refuse to wear wellies on fashion grounds. The entire population of Ottawa come and go, some playing instruments, others just looking fey (how many are there?)....yet they entertain nonetheless.

Soon the clouds make away for a heavy afternoon's sun and a rather enthusiastic Australian called Xavier Rudd who likes to sing about trees and play lots of Didgeridoos. A multi-instrumentalist of the highest calibre, his songs are tuneful and his character affable, the most unpretentious entertainment so far over the 2 days and thoroughly enjoyed by members of the crowd who don't mind dancing like a loony who's eaten too many sun lollies.

As the festival begins to crank up to the inevitable climax of an inform Radiohead, the crowds begin to stir, and the most charged reaction there has been so far greets Beck,  his band and his puppets. This bizarre blend of puppetry, dinner table percussion and stage theatrics makes for an incredible show. The key to its success is also in the diversity of music that's on offer; Beck skips between genres so effortlessly that you are constantly gripped by his performance. There's humour, emotion and intelligence and this would surely have been the highlight of the festival, if only another band weren't headlining.

Yes, Radiohead are passing through Europe's festival circuit like a relentless juggernaut. Rock-en-Seine being their last port of call means we were greeted by a "cheerful" Thom Yorke and a set list jam packed with "the hits". Their professionalism only wavers slightly in new song 'Videotape', but for the most part they bound along, cherry picking from the wealth of material they have now amassed. Much has been made of the cluster of new songs that have been aired this summer, an obvious highlight being 'Nude'. We previously knew this one as a bit of dreary strum-a-long. Yet now it has blossomed into a bass-laden waltz, Thom relying on the venom and malice of the words to create a sinister backdrop over the airy melodies at work. It gently lurches into a major key to embody a Radiohead trademark of creating a faint flicker of optimism once all is done. 

And once all is done tonight; Radiohead end on their only "anthem": 'Karma Police', Festivalwise is perfectly content to be walking out of the grounds onto the Parisian streets. The neurosis and apprehension that Radiohead conjure could leave anyone panging for traffic noise, tower blocks and tube stations. So thank goodness for the Urban Festival, a haven for the post-Radiohead experience, and did I ever mention how convenient Tesco Express is....