Cloud 9 Festival 2011

With festivals like Glastonbury supposedly meeting their demise, the rise of the smaller “boutique” festivals are coming thick and fast. With Liverpool Sound City, Manchester’s Sounds From The Other City and Y Not Festival all prospering, Cloud 9 Festival’s future looks bright. Even as a smaller festival, Cloud 9’s tiny size might come as a surprise, but therein lies its intimate charm.

Cleethorpes’ So & So’s set things going in the C.A.L.M Tent. With a decent gathering at the start of the afternoon, their fuzzy and raw punk is reminiscent of early Cribs and they even manage to shrug away technical difficulties as onstage ruckus. Well played. Drawing an even larger crowd is “Madchester’s” Bez who, like a dancing uncle at a wedding, shakes and grooves to Run DMC and Kasabian. He does not do much else but he is an entertaining sight nonetheless.

Meanwhile, the backstage queues waiting to meet Ed Sheeran dissipate to greet him at the Main Stage. The mass turnout seems fitting considering his overnight success. ‘The A Team’ justifies this with a loud heart-warming sing-a-long easily heard throughout the fields of Cheshire. Ed’s catchy one man sampling during ‘You Need Me, I Don’t Need You’ and ‘The City’ gives a new brilliant meaning to the term “one man band,” whilst the extended acapella closing proves he’d be a winner in any rap battle.

As the muggy weather shows no sign of letting off, the Sunshine Underground bring their nu rave sizzle. ‘A Warning Sign’’s siren rings and echoes through the air chillingly. ‘Border’’s mellow indie pop triggers flashbacks of Noughties nostalgia - much to the crowds delight - and closing with old favourite ‘Put You In Your Place,’ the band ensures the end of their set is far from tame.

Strangely, the turnout for the Futureheads is small considering the band’s status. This does not faze Sunderland’s finest though. Looking particularly dapper in their smart shirts, they open with ‘Beginning of the Twist’ setting things ablaze in high octane fashion, whilst ‘Decent Days and Nights’ unsurprisingly has the crowd following every word. Finally, as a small section vents their impatience through chants of “Ooh, ooh, oh’s,’ the band close their set and Cloud 9 with ‘Hounds of Love,’ delivering it in triumphant glory. Whether it grows or stays the same size, hopefully Cloud 9 does not lose any of its brilliance.