Gig played on 08+09+10/09/06

According to legend, at the end of a rainbow sits a pot of treasure. The summer of 2006 has seen a kaleidoscope of festivals and as autumn looms, this years' golden bounty manifests itself as Bestival on the Isle Of Wight. The three-year old brain child of Rob Da Bank, this event is a meticulous mash-up of music, fancy dress and all things weird and wonderful.

It's Friday and before you can erect you tent and say 'Who nicked my glow sticks?' the auditory action begins. NME's 'nu-rave' scenesters, plus old-school ravers summoned by sirens and horns, rush over to The Big Top for The Klaxons. The buzz band blast through a clish-clash of bleeps, funk and gurning pop including a chaotic cover of '90s classic, "Not Over Yet" by Grace. Elsewhere in the Rock'n'Roll Tent, Brakes impress with their brand of vigorous indie-punk, finishing aptly with the seven seconds long "Comma Comma Full Stop". Dash like a wild thing to the main stage and the more intriguing of the weekend's headline acts, Gogol Bordello, deliver with gusto their feral gypsy punk. So charged are the New York troupe they begin to strip off. Yahoo swiftly legs it back to the safety of our tents.

On Saturday, it's all about putting your clothes on and the more witty and ludicrous the better. Originally 'Circus' was the 2006 fancy dress theme but this was hastily changed when numerous ticket holders complained of "Clown Phobia". So instead it's anything goes and as expected Bestival has gone all out. Where else would two giant human Whoopee Cushions and Becker from "The Muppets" join you to watch South London's Good Shoes. One of 2006's highlights, they have the hooks and gumption of The Jam and pull off cheeky guitar banter in a set crammed with potential singles. They also verify the class of bands to be stumbled upon away from the main drag, with other treats include New Young Pony Club, Grizzly Bear and Jamie T.

Talking of drag, less vivacious are this evening's headliners, Pet Shop Boys, who disappoint with a typically po-faced run through their hits. "West End Girls" and "Always On My Mind" still sound impressive but the spunkiest thing this evening is Chris Lowe's neon tracksuit (rave revival anybody?). Cleverer cats can be found elsewhere listening to the twisted-acid selections of Mum DJs or the grime scene's very old David Byrne-a-like, Man Like Me.

Sunday morning and it's a little early for big Kid Carpet who unsettles our eardrums with pop played through Fisher-Price toys. "This is, the end, of the summer!" shout The Young Knives, over on the main stage, with their witty self-deprecating banter proving they are the sharpest tools in the indie-pop box. Elsewhere Aliens have landed, a band pulled together from Beta Band leftovers. They are most charming and remind us of The Monkees, inspiring us to sing along to "Happy Song" feeling just that.

Sunday's headliners Scissor Sister aren't quite so charming but do camp it up royally. "Comfortably Numb" is as decadently dance worthy as you'd expect, but their lengthy set proves tedious. More appropriate finale action is to be found in nooks and crannies such as The Speigeltent Tent, The Secret Disco or in Fat Tuesday where the fat lady sings to a DJ set from Brighton Boys Blackgrass.

And so, our love affair with Bestival continues. You hear murmurs that previous years were "less commercial, less riff raff, more boutique". Pah. In fact the sign organisers erected instructing "Queue here to complain the festival is not as good as it used to be" doesn't see one person all weekend. They are most probably elsewhere on site having the time of their lives.

by Laura Kelly