Latest Witnness News

Just spotted, Conrad Gallagher enjoying the show and a *very* *very* strange table football match between Jerry Fish and the Jimmycake.

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Mid-afternoon star turn came from the Cardigans. Nina announced to the crowd that the band have long had a crush on this country. Half the crowd audibly swoons. Then she was off to listen to her new Gemma Hayes CD...

Coolest tour t-shirt spotted on sight - Neil Diamond. Most distressing sight in car park - two guys in arseless Spiderman costumes.

Several nominees for the don't let the bastards grind you down award - Mundy, Turn, Damian Rice, Dave Couse......

Spotted backstage - the bloke from Dublin who no-one liked on Cabin Fever

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Upon arrival at Witnness, Hot Press noted (with shock, and a hint of jealousy) a used condom wrapper at 11.30am on Saturday. Talk about an early start…

Odd Haircut Of The Day Award goes to the boys with the playing card motifs shaved into their heads…

Death In Vegas made a belated appearance on the Dance stage due to a trist at customs which resulted in their equipment being seized. The band were forced to play a DJ set, with Richard Fearless making his disappointment known to the expectant crowd…

Hot Press was delighted upon its discovery of a Witnness 02 headline ("Wetnnness Festival", from a camping article) gracing the chest of an official Witnness T shirt. The power of the press, eh?

Former All Saint Natalie Appleton was spotted, oddly, at Mull Historical Society's gig sporting pink square cut pedal pushers, tinted specs, a white painters' cap and a pimp-roll swagger. Classy…

Huey Fun Lovin' Criminal was spied by HP's beady eye backstage at Republic Of Loose, and later, pulling pints at the VIP Witnness Inn…

Bouncing balls around in the backstage basketball court were cockney rebels The Streets and pop lovelies Sugababes…

Har Mar Superstar was spotted backstage quietly swapping tour stories with NYC electroclashers, The Rapture like ladies at a polite tea luncheon. No strippers in sight, however…

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The Thrills dedicate "Don't Steal Our Sun" to Phantom FM.

The On Stage was packed for Ok Go, the tent heaves with excitement.

The Roots finally land on stage fashionably late (apparently the cry in the staff microphones was something to the effect of "Not to the dressing room! Straight to the stage!"), and despite the crowd's initial frustrations with the band's exposed soundcheck, the opening number received a rapt response.

Having torn themselves away from the Hot Press Signing Tent – the queue was a good 100 yards long – The Thrills retired to the backstage Witnness Inn to collect their platinum discs for 15,000 Irish sales of So Much For The City. Reflecting on their rapid rise to fame, singer Conor Deasy said: "When we played Witnness 2002, we didn't even have a record deal so, yeah, it's been an amazing year! 12 months ago there were 200 people to see us in the Café Tent compared to, well, however many thousand there are going to be in a few hours on Witnness Rising."
After a couple of well-earned days off, it's off to Japan where So Much For The City has just been released and the States where a major promotional push is planned for 2004. Meanwhile, a Witnness merchandise source tells us that The Thrills are currently outselling Coldplay 2:1 in the t-shirts stakes.

Glen Hansards just been on stage with Mark Geary... photos to follow ...