Isle of Wight Festival 2004

My first experience of a weekend music festival that included the Who headlining on the Saturday. I say weekend when in-fact we purchased a day ticket.

I and my boyfriend stayed in a hotel on the Island for two nights, getting the bus early on Saturday morning to travel to the festival site. Thinking it was a small island – the journey was quite lengthy. After arriving exactly on opening of 12:00 pm, we ate and took to the front of the stage at 1:00 pm during Lea Wood’s set.

Looking back now it was unnecessary to be near the front of the stage this early.

We perched ourselves behind two women who were Manic Street Preachers fans. As soon as the gates opened they got to the stage at 12 and stayed there till the Manics finished around 9:30 pm. Even I couldn’t do that.

Proud Mary were fairly competent, followed by Steve Harley and Cockney Rebel who were fairly good and the crowd loved Come Up & See Me.

British Sea Power were very strange and not fantastic music either, Electric Soft Parade were pretty poor. I remember them supporting the Who in 2002 at the Royal Albert Hall; they were far better then. The Stands were alright but nothing to get excited about but Jet were fantastic. By this time my legs were aching and as the weather was very warm, after a few hours of nothing to eat or drink – I started to feel faint and had to be carried over the barrier to a spot where my boyfriend rushed to buy a bottle of coke to make me feel better. It worked although disappointed as we agreed with the Manics fans that after the Manic Street Preachers finished their set, we could move into their space and be in the front row.

It wasn’t to be but by the time the Who came on, we managed to get close to the front as a lot of the crowd were moving back and forward.

Set List:

I Can't Explain (9/10 The band were up for this, as with any big event and the crowd loved it.)
Substitute (9/10 Even I was surprised by how familiar the crowd were to these songs)
Anyway Anyhow Anywhere (9/10 Brilliant although there were technical problems where the sound was cutting out on one speaker. In the end it was fixed and the problem didn’t happen again)
Who Are You (9/10)
Behind Blue Eyes (8/10)
Bargain (10/10)
Baba O'Riley (9/10 I think fans at Who concerts know this song more than general music fans, but received well none the less)
The Punk And The Godfather (9/10 A welcome change)
5.15 (10/10 Fantastic solo by Pete)
Love Reign O'er Me (9/10 Great performance by Roger)
Eminence Front (8/10)
Drowned (9/10 Was happy not the crowd weren’t nosy during this song)
Naked Eye (9/10 Good acoustic performance by Roger & Pete)
Real Good Looking Boy (8/10)
You Better You Bet (8/10)
My Generation (9/10)
Old Red Wine (8/10)
Won't Get Fooled Again (10/10 Brilliant)
Pinball Wizard (9/10 Great Tommy melody)
Amazing Journey
Sparks
See Me Feel Me
Magic Bus (9/10 Was expecting them to be finished after See Me, but this was a welcome surprise)

Very tired in the end but well worth the trip. We stayed another night but went back home the next morning.

The Who - Who are you 2004
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