Stereophonics: Kelly Jones, Stuart Cable and Richard Jones provide the line up. Speaking in last years programme Kelly believed, "Experiences of tours in the USA, Australia and New Zealand provided us with fuel for the next album. Performance and Cocktails sold 120,000 copies in it's first week of release in the UK, sending it to number 1 in the album chart.

Happy Mondays: Shaun Ryder admits that he himself only became interested by the promoters offer for a reunion tour when he was slapped with an enormous tax bill. He agreed it started off like that, "Then i thought it was gonna be a real ball-ache, but now it's like old times. I don't know how we're gonna be by the end of the tour, but at the moment, we're all laughing and everyone's getting on."
 
 
 

Expected to play tracks from their second album. One track Hangover, is said to be a blues drenched african raindance. "Blue moon rising", has been described as a Roses/Verve space flight by select, with a stinky groove and a mad climax.

 

Cast: The band have been working on the new album for a just over a year since they finished their last tour in December 1997. Producer on the new album is Gil Norton. John Power said they've wanted to work with him for years. "He's a picky basturd, always making yu re-do things."
John described the new album as a 21century rock'n'roll album, but still sounds like Cast.

If you would like more detailed information on this years festival and previous reviews, try the official V98/99 web site at www.v98.com.
Thanks to select, NME and Mark's unofficial web site. Their information was valuable. This site was set up through the University of Central Lancashire.
Any comments gratefully received via e-mail.