Snow better way to spend a night

MUSIC Homelands You make a deal when you go to a festival. In exchange for musical thrills and a communal pioneering spirit, you agree to abandon all hope of human comfort and any confidence in the weather. Nevertheless, Homelands Scotland demanded a higher price than most. You have to draw the line at snow in June.

Thankfully, the event - one of three separate Homelands festivals each with similar line-ups, held in rural sites in England, Scotland and Wales - delivered its side of the bargain.

While the weather brought on a slightly disturbing Dunkirk vibe, the music was often a more warming affair. Bill toppers Leftfield started slowly, but by the time they encored with Phat Planet there were no doubts left, nor much of your ears. Pete Tong was in strong form and the Shamen's Mr C almost eradicated memories of all that E's are good nonsense with a DJ set which took in funk, electro and techno without ever descending into cliches.

Big tent of the night, though, was Inside Out, where hours of trance somehow banished the biting cold and persuaded sweat to drop from the canvas. Big disappointment were Public Enemy, shorn of their records' magnificent cacophony and nowhere near loud enough. The bass bounced around the tent, leaving their raps indecipherable. Not even the irrepressible Flavor Flav could rescue the performance from tedium.

There may have been a lack of real musical highs on the bill, but Homelands was a pretty relaxing, enjoyable place to spend a night/ morning. Lots of smiles, good atmosphere, terrible food, high prices. Next year, move the whole shebang to July.

Richard Walker

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