One Big Sunday - Chantry Park Ipswich - 13th August 2000

Wow! It's not everyday that something like this happens in lil' old Ipswich - and as the Radio One circus rolled into town last Sunday, the excitement generated by the giganticnormous crowd was electrifying to say the least.

Really just a hip'n'cool name for the Radio One Roadshows of old, this event was touted as the biggest One Big Sunday yet - and with an estimated 85,000 music fans in attendence, who am I to argue with that?

Hosted by a gaggle of our fave Radio One DJ's 'mate' - Jamie Theakston, Chris Moyles, Emma B, Sara Cox and Scott Mills - the event was a flambouyant, flashy, demonstration of mime, as sadly, none of the acts really performed live.

Still, when you've got top-name acts such as Glamma Kid, JJ72, Wookie, Mansun, Emma Bunton, Muse, All Saints (who, actually did perform live) and...wait for it girls...5ive! I mean who really cares about miming?

Especially when you got to see Jay, eh ladies? Anyway, Emma B and Scott "C&A" Mills did a admirable job of warming up the throbbing masses of popsters (mostly made up screaming, 13 year old, flag bearing 5ive fans, who I hasten to add are responsible for the ringing in my ears five days later!) not that we really needed warming up mind - as temperatures soared to over 25 degrees, the weather that afternoon was, ouch! - scorchio.

Before the Radio One circus went on air, at 2'o'clock, we were given a handful of acts to watch. Now if Glamma Kid was the clown of the show (performing his hit "Why") - decked out in natty yellow hooded top and running around like a hyperactive banana, then Muse were the freakshow - blue haired singer Matt Bellemy screaming incomprehensible nothings into his mic apparently "off on one" as he provided us with a rendition of "Muscle Museum". Anyway the song was cut short, and that was the last we saw of them.

Greeting the rest of the country with a massive WHOOOOO!!!! (as you do when you go "on air" at things like this) things began proper at 2'o'clock when Jamie Theako (or DJ Javelin) took to the stage and announced Five on stage for the first time.

Providing us with a energetic rendition of "We Will Rock You" (sadly without the poodle permed rocker Brian May on stage) 5ive were easily the most popular act on that afternoon, and yeah they did mime, but you can't knock their enthusiasm or spirit- and they did an excellent job of getting those "hands in the air" which is all important at an event like this. Later, they performed "Get On Up" which was similarly well received - Phew! Where do they find the energy eh?

During the course of the afternoon Chris Moyles provided a little comic relief, as did Sara Cox (presumably unintentionally) who greeted us all with an oh-so-embarassing HELLO BRISTOL!...hmm, good job she's professional then. All Saints were the other big act on that afternoon, and got a massive response (mostly from the boys) as they performed their hits "Never Ever" and "Pure Shores" - it was good of them to perform live too, and in fact their singing wasn't too bad at all, laying rest to all those can-they-can't-they-sing-in-tune rumours.

Mansun and JJ72 provided some relief and credibility for the indie kids - Mansun playing their recent top-ten single "I Can Only Disappoint U" and looking the most rock-star like of all the acts on stage, and new band JJ72 performing their soaring new single "Oxygen" - both sounding well at home amongst the feast of pop otherwise on display.

Wookie gave us his "Battle" song, but he was a bit uninspiring to be honest and, being a new artist, he was up against the odds at a massive event like this. Emma Bunton, despite her 'Spice' fame, was also a bit of a non-event as she performed "What I Am" with Tin-Tin Out - erm, another single if it's not too much trouble Emma?

All in all though, this was a top afternoon out, and goes to show that somewhere like Ipswich is an ideal venue for this type of thing. An 'added bonus' was the addition of Texas who performed a mini-gig of sorts as the whole thing went off air - their hit "Summer Sun" getting the biggest cheer from the sun-burnt crowd, awww, that was nice of them eh? I really hope we'll be seeing One Big Sunday (or whatever it will be called next year) return in the future 'cos it really was great fun. The crowd were really up for it, there were some really cool acts - and the weather was top too, bonus.

Oh yeah, and get it right next time Sara Cox: Chantry Park is in I-P-S-W-I-C-H-!