WHERE IS CLIPTIP?

Gone V-Festing! If you have too, see you on Toronto Island. In rubber boots. Today's highlights: Phoenix, The Hidden Cameras, David Ford, Buck 65, The Dears, Muse, Amon Tobin, Kid Koala, Starsailor, Eagles of Death Metal, Alexisonfire, Gnarls Barkley, The Flaming Lips. Later!

UPDATE #1:

• Wayne Coyne of the Flaming Lips is mobbed by the media pack. Their live performance featured the spectacle one has come to expect from a live Flaming Lips concert, including crowd surfing in the hamster ball, giant balloons, streamers and a large inflatable green alien flanking stage left and a giant inflatable Santa Claus hugging stage right.

• Sofia Coppola inseminator Thomas Mars and company play a sunny afternoon slot filled with French Phoenix pop. All were enraptured, although Thomas's underpants kept showing. Underpants... from France... oh forget it.

• Joel Gibb and the Hidden Cameras take the main stage for a playschool taunt of old favourites and new stuff. The entire cast of the Cameras has been completely overhauled except for the diminutive Mike e.b. and that Maggie MacDonald who Joel refuses to fire.

• Brazilian Brit Montrealer Amon Tobin smokes some bass bins with his set of thunderous drum and bass chomp samba. A throng of Torontonians emote awkwardly to the skittering afternoon beats.

• In comfortable gym togs, Matt Belamy of Muse howls through a welcome set of tight British rock and roll. While there was consensus on their brilliant stage performance, people universally lamented on the clothes.


UPDATE #2:

• Wolfmother look rather discharged after their opening song. The band's testosterone flared when a some tard threw a mudball at the stage at lead signer/guitarist Andrew Stockdale. After an appropriate reaming, the band's performance picked up.

• The Strokes roared onto stage with dirty New York rawk. Jocks and hipsters alike rejoiced. Much sing-a-long ensued. Even the single "New York City Cops," an album track left off the Canadian release of It This It? was performed.

• Jose Gonzalez stole the show with his quiet storm of intimate folksongs, including a cover to Teardrop from the absent Massive Attack. A perfect respite on a sunny Sunday afternoon.

• The Raconteurs played tight and effortlessly cool. Apparently this gig was just after their New York Fashion Rocks gig for Prada.

• The Mooney Suzuki rocked a dedicated audience while Broken Social Scene took the centre mainstage Across the island.