Graham Coxon
Virgin Union Stage, Sunday, 10pm

Colchester schoolboy Graham Coxon has headlined to what turned out to be quite an intimate crowd in the Virgin Union tent on Sunday.

Under cover from the downpours in Chelmsford on Sunday night, Coxon entertained with his hits including Under Your Skin, Freakin' Out and Bittersweet Bundle of Misery.

Coxon seems far too modest and polite to be a successful artist. As he walked onto the stage he could have been anyone - there was no wowing the audience with a dramatic entrance.

Opening with a simple hello', Coxon seemed to appreciate his audience actually being there, saying thank you' after every song.

Coxon's style takes you back to the early 1990s when only a handful of groups were doing a successful job of guitar-based pop/rock.

And amidst other big bands, who were excellent in their own right, Coxon stood out as an original performer.

While the crowd wasn't jumping around madly, it was easy to tell it was a loyal following that appreciated Coxon's sound and talent.

He paid tribute to 70s band Wire at the close of his set and left the audience saying: "Thank you very much for being so kind. Cheers! We got there in the end, didn't we?"

Coxon's set wouldn't work on the main stage. Its ambience would be lost. The Virgin Union Stage was perfect - particularly because it kept the rain off out heads.