Thursday 12/06/08 Radiohead & Friends @ Daydream Festival, Parc Del Forum, Barcelona

There's a phrase that staunch Radiohead fans use all the time – there's no such thing as a bad Radiohead gig; just great ones and mind-blowingly astounding ones. Spread over three stages, all  the acts on the bill of the inaugural Daydream Festival have some passing association to the headliners; from those that have toured with them to those that have influenced them or been inspired by them. From the offset then, this was not just going to be an amazing Radiohead show, but a phenomenal event too.

Except for a few eager kids who are camped at the front of the stage and a few disparate tourists, when we arrive shortly after 4pm, the entire concrete Parc Del Forum is eerily empty. Quickly realising that most of the audience won't turn up for a good few hours yet, we head over to the only stage that's open – the indoor Auditorium. After eventually finding our way to the seats through the sheer pitch-darkness, we're treated to the psychedelic post-rock sounds of Cuchillo, crafted by two unassuming-looking Spanish lads. Any avant-gardeness of their sound is immediately rendered futile in comparison to legendary German Krautrock noiseniks Faust.

Playing literally three songs – or movements as we they would probably prefer them to be called – the greying fivesome dressed in Beastie Boys style boiler suits craft an apocalyptic, electronic-tinged, panic attack-inducing din that's equally impressive as it's disturbing. The highlight is when one band member picks up a metal pole and starts clattering it against stone creating a flurry of sparks, sending those in the front row writhing in their seats. All this coupled with the stark darkness of Auditorium, it's very much the exact opposite of what we came to expect from a festival in the Spanish sunshine. Hilariously, we stumble into a punter who thought Feist was due to come onstage – the exact antithesis of Faust.

Incredibly, the techno Aphex Twin-esque tunes that Christian Vogel is bashing out with aplomb on the Fly Music Stage sound positively tame after Faust. Unsatisfied we head over for a quick alcoholic replenishment in the VIP bar, before Liars kick-start proceedings on the Moviestar Stage. Every inch the cool-as-**** rock star, frontman Angus Andrew is the centre of proceedings, shouting, contorting and writhing like a man possessed - it's only 'The Other Side of Mount Heart Attack' that allows us to gasp for breath. After a few “enjoy ****ing Radiohead” yelps from Angus later, they're off leaving a rather subdued looking Natasha Khan (Bat For Lashes) to enter. For all her musical brilliance on record she fails to engage, excite or captivate the now vast audience and becomes almost inaudible above the chatter.

Radiohead, of course, have no such worries. Coming onstage to a cacophonous, ground-shaking reception they dispatch opener '15 Step', a track which is fast becoming another Radiohead classic. Thom Yorke, hilariously wearing some infeasibly tight red jeans, is a man of few words, limiting the interaction to “Thank you!” - but like many great bands Radiohead let the music talking. Leaning heavily towards In Rainbows tracks in the opening section, 'All I Need' is spine-tinglingly gorgeous, 'Bodysnatchers' is vivacious and coupled with 'Pyramid Song', 'Nude' truly hypnotises, Yorke's voice the embodiment of perfection.

A meticulously thought-out set, rather than the Radiohead greatest hits set that passing fans would crave for (yep, there's no 'Creep' or 'Karma Police'), each song perfectly complements the next. With Jonny Greenwood working overtime on the effects, 'The National Anthem' is loud and voluminous, while 'Faust Arp' and 'Videotape' stunning and minimal; segued they all sit perfectly. By the time the band have tore through the crescendo of 'Lucky' and the final pre-encores song 'Jigsaw Falling Into Place', Thom Yorke smile is beaming and infectious throughout the crowd. He truly looks like a man at ease.

If the first part of the set was melodic and awe-inspiring, the first encore is hard-hitting. 'Paranoid Android' is suitably epic, still sounding as ground-breaking as it did 11 years ago, 'The Bends' is all consuming and 'Idioteque' a tech-tinged wonder. Only the relatively flat 'Bangers & Mash' sits awkwardly amongst it all. But as soon as the final chimes of 'Planet Telex' ring out and thousands of multi-national people are singing in unison, such a minor niggle is rendered futile.

The first Daydream Festival is a rip-roaring success then, we just wonder how they are going to top it next year.