Sunday 10/09/06 Day 2 @ V Festival, Toronto, Canada

So we are left on Day Two with no real hero in this drama. There's no Radiohead style knight in shining armor to save this Virgin. We know this much- it will all end in tears. Whether they are tears of joy or sadness is what we are sticking around for.

Even before Massive Attack dropped Toronto's Virgin Fest like a hot rock, most of the hysteria was slated for the Saturday stages- everyone from Josh Homme to Wayne Coyne was already over and done with in short order come Sunday. Oh, and has anyone mentioned this event was counter-programmed against the Toronto International Film Festival. Bad enough timing, though mind you this weekend in particular coincided with the first public sighting of Brad Pitt and perhaps the entire Jolie-Pitt clan since leaving Africa? Uh yeah - that’s the competition for the weekend in question.

Though the first Toronto appearance of The Raconteurs remained the event to beat- full of glimmering promise, along with The Strokes and Wolfmother on the main stage. The side stage boasted brilliant diversity- with artists like Jose Gonzalez, Zero 7 and Mooney Suzuki booked- but as the day wore on, the crowd stubbornly remained sparse and, for the most part, uninterested.

There were surprises- both pleasant and not. Lupe Fiasco, scheduled to play the main stage in the early afternoon, made an impromptu appearance on the second stage, throwing 'Feel Good Inc.' into the mix, giving anyone within earshot who couldn’t see the stage an instant heart attack (OHMYGODTHEGORILLAZ / DAMON ALBARN / DE LA SOUL!). Bizarrely, the man dedicated the song to his fans who like “progressive rock”… hmm. Really?

Misguidedly, the decision is taken to take in the main stage acts for the rest of the day. Upon entry to the main stage, there is an immediate sonic assault by a Led Zeppelin tribute band. Why on earth would anyone invite a tribute act to a… oh wait, this is Wolfmother. Nevermind.