SO V Festival is 10 years old - who'd have thought it? The two-day musical extravaganza - the nearest of its kind to Worcester and always a popular date with people from the county - started in 1996. Since then it has seen 600 artists gracing the main stages and more than a million-and-a-half music fans soaking it all up.

Ten years down the line, organisers pulled out all the stops at the two-venue event to make the anniversary a special occasion at the weekend.

On Saturday in Stafford's Weston Park, big-haired youngsters Rooster got the party started in style with a set of even bigger songs - including a rocked-up version of Blackstreet's No Diggity - which screamed of Aerosmith as much as anything else.

Next up were festival favourites Idlewild - on form with a new-found confidence after the release of critically-acclaimed Warnings/Promises.

No English festival would be complete without ominous storm-clouds looming overhead, and V was no exception during the opening acts.

Festivals are all about discovery, though, so it was off to the Channel Four stage to check out The Frames, whose lead singer bore a passing resemblance to comedian Avid Merrion - either that or it that heady cocktail I'd been supping had kicked in.

Nevertheless, the band were a treasure. Realising a good performance is as much about showmanship, the singer held his arms aloft as he was bathed in a orange glow by the sun's rays, as pleased as the audience were the rain had held off.

Later, the clouds having vanished as quickly as I might have liked crooner Tony Christie to from the main stage, it was time to focus solely on the other British obsession - music.

The excellent Goldfrapp did not disappoint, their pulsing electronic beat filling the JJB Arena as they previewed material from new album Supernature, out today.

The act - fronted by Alison Goldfrapp - were as exciting visually as they were musically, with a guitarist decked out in black-bowler hat, and scantily-clad dancers wearing horses' heads and hogs' masks.

The only disappointing aspect was that their set was cut short by sound problems that delayed their arrival on stage.

Climaxing the evening were flamboyant New Yorkers the Scissor Sisters, who slipped into their glad-rags for a mind-blowingly colourful performance featuring hits such as Mary, Laura and Take Your Mama Out.

But Scottish indie-rockers Franz Ferdinand stole the show with their sunset slot, coming on with a cocky swagger of self-assurance to the theme tune of Doctor Who.

Fabulous new tune Do You Want To, along with other new material, fitted in neatly with their classics like the missing piece of the jigsaw puzzle, leaving fans eagerly awaiting the release of their new album next month. Hats off to them.

And this was only the offerings of the first day. Mancunian legends Oasis and Welsh oddities Super Furry Animals played Weston Park yesterday.

Happy Birthday V!