Sunday 14/08/05 Jazz Cafe Summer Picnic @ Marble Hill, Richmond

It doesn't get more middle class than this.

Waitrose has made a killing thanks to the Jazz Cafe Picnic; blankets and buck fizz are everywhere. Green stand-up picnic chairs litter the horizon with Marks & Spencer's cocktail sausages and Pimm's a plenty.

The Times suggested a few weeks ago that visitors to 'The Big Chill' and more casual festivals were ex-ravers - Gigwise cannot see any evidence of that here. With sponsor Tiscali giving out free ice cream in 4 varying acidic colours, there's even exciting stuff for the little 'uns.

Acoustic Ladyland may have a funky name, but their levels are all over the place. Their instrumentals are a lively introduction to the afternoon while most people settle for the day. They fail to catch the imagination under such circumstances, however.

K-OS is big time in his homeland of Canada, and his 2004 album, Joyful Rebellion is just being released in the UK. At first it seems to be a bit  out of step with the atmosphere, but he deals with this; asking if  we’re"kind of snobby are we?" and presents us with a very funky hip-hop with a dash of Prince-style vocal work. It's more European sounding than recent fare, and one track uses an exceptional Spanish guitar solo over a military style track. His release 'Movin' On' gets a great reception, and he uses samples from 'Hit the Road Jack' to 'Brick in the Wall' to liven up the proceedings.

It makes you wish K-OS had been scheduled later in the day when he is followed by the lacklustre Quantic Soul Orchestra. While the weather is brightening (although rain continues to punctuate the day), the music seems to have hit a dull spot. The Herbaliser cheer the crowd up, despite the rain (there is
only so much a Barbour anorak can do), by using everything from panpipes to xylophones. There's impressive talent here and some funky stuff, and this is their hometown, so their mood rubs off on everyone. They are a definately 'safer' than expected

Morcheeba inevitably start off with By the Sea, which is peaceful but uninspiring. New vocalist Daisy Martey is a colourful character, and lulls us with 'Wonders Never Cease'. 'Part of the Process’ has a great heavy guitar intro in a sometimes pedestrian set, while 'Rome Wasn't Built in a
Day' is the highlight, followed by a great, beaty finale. Despite their great sound, they still passed over the heads of most of the audience.

Royksopp create some of the electricity the day so far has lacked while still maintaining a gentle vibe. They begin an electrifying, attention grabbing intro, with Torbjörn working the drum machine like a man possessed. Their forceful robotic sounds are a little unsettling, and their rendition of 'Poor Leno' smacks too much of Tron and Lawnmower Man. Somehow their Nordic robotics are a little scarier than the French dalliances of Daft Punk, yet 'Eple' and 'Beautiful Day' still make great impact, and Gigwise ponders 'Matrix' and 'I, Robot' type ideas as the set goes from strength to strength. Their guest vocalist has sultry tones which capture their playful yet distilled and sexy sound, and by this time, even the older patrons are gingerly bouncing on one knee to the beat.

The new track, 'Nok E Nok' has (dare we say it), a Paul Simon casualness with an amped up beat. Their sheer cheeriness means that even the most stoic audience member cannot fail to tap their toes to such an amiable set, and for some, the beat the whole day has deserved.