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People, I worked like a hairy racehorse this weekend running from stage to stage taking pictures in 10 inches of snow, with a barely-healed broken foot and an anvil on my back. And you’re gonna LOOK AT THEM! We didn’t get rights to be in the photo pit for the Punkins, but that didn’t stop me from swimming through the audience to get as close as I could!

Holler at Jen and Kat’s friend Chris for their help with some bands! But WAIT, there’s more - and I mean tons more - HERE!

63 artists later and I’m officially VFested out… This weekend was absolutely amazing! Everything from Bjork’s explosive finale to M.I.A.’s dance party to the 15 minute long guitar solos from the Pumpkins, there wasn’t a single dull moment… So to recap the weekend, why not sum things up high school book styles?

My Picks:

Most Memorable Performance: Has to be a tie between Interpol and Bjork. Interpol’s cerebral performance set against the setting sun was quite simply amazing. Their performance complemented Bjork’s laser theatrics. And with regards to Bjork, she is a legend.

Most Scandalous Sighting: In true rock form, Dave from The Killers was holding hands with two drunk girls as they tried to sneak onstage for the Pumpkins’ performance.. But like everyone else they got turned away…

Best Neon Outfit: Hands down it has to go to M.I.A. She rocked the pink shades and leopard print body suit like it was 1993.

Most Talked About Artist: You would think that when you’ve got artists like The Killers, Smashing Pumpkins and Bjork headlining the Festival they’d be the most buzzed about artists but that is not the case.. On our side it was all about Enter Shikari and for the rest of the concert goers it was all about M.I.A. Both artists are notorious for their live shows and neither of them disappointed.

Biggest Disappointment: Stars. If you read my blog, you know why…

Almost Famous Moment: Rocking out onstage during Arctic Monkeys and looking back to see other artists like Paolo Nutini doing the same.

Legend Sighting: Eating dinner next to Jimmy Chamberlain of the Pumpkins and seeing Bjork giggle past us after her stellar performance..

Wendy’s Picks:

Things That Make Me Go “Aahhh”: Metric performing Dead Disco. Stars performing Your Ex-Lover Is Dead. M.I.A. performing everything.

Things That Made Me Grin Like An Idiot: Seeing M.I.A. stretch backstage and later, invite the audience up to boogie. The foxy drummer from Enter Shikari and taking pics of the band’s dance-off. Hearing Bullet With Butterfly Wings and Today live, even without the Pumpkins’ original lineup.

Alberto’s Picks:

Most Memorable Performance: Smashing Pumpkins‘ acoustic set of 1979, there is no better way to play that song! And to hear them play Today was truly amazing. I also can’t forget seeing Arctic Monkeys on stage! That was just insane!

Kat’s Picks:

Most Memorable Performance: I’ve chatted with a couple people since this weekend’s festivities and many of them agree that Blonde Redhead & Explosions In The Sky’s performances were the highlight of the weekend. Both bands were just so … on. They sounded incredible and people were really wowed by what they saw. I’m sad that Blonde Redhead got a late start and only played about six songs, but I’m happy I finally got to see them perform! And Explosions In The Sky are just incredible performers. You close your eyes and just enjoy it. M.I.A., Arctic Monkeys and Enter Shikari were also, as expected, phenomenal!

Most Scandalous Sighting: Rob Rolfe of Enter Shikari tearing off his sweat-soaked tshirt at the end of their set. His pecs are the most scandalous thing I saw all weekend…the girls in the audience were trembling.

Most Misbehaved: Jamie T’s drunken, stumbling bandmate shouting “she’s a fat b*tch but she still giv’er” in between songs. I was all, W.T.F.

Kate’s Picks:

Amazing Dance Parties That I Loved: M.I.A., Enter Shikari, Editors

Should Have Had A Bigger Audience:Voxtrot and The Cinematics

Left Me In Awe: Blonde Redhead, Explosions In The Sky, and The Most Serene Republic

Brits I love: Arctic Monkeys and Jamie T

Breathtaking vocals: Bjork

Canadians I love: Tokyo Police Club

That’s just a snipped of everything that went down this weekend! If you want more access to VFest fun, check out MuchAXS for performances and RAW interviews!!! Stay tuned because we’ll be uploading more performances and interviews as they come throughout the week!

P.S. You need to watch the Paolo Nutini RAW interview. The Scot is just so darn charming!!!

Well, it seems our wires for Smashing Pumpkins photo permissions got crossed, so we scrambled to snap a few from the crowd. While we wait for Wendy to wade her way back here, please enjoy these snaps I took of the broadcast on MuchLoud. Who knew my pics of a television screen would turn out so well??

Here’s the final setlist!

United States
Bullet With Butterfly Wings
That’s The Way (My Love Is)
Neverlost
Hummer
Stand Inside Your Love
Tonight, Tonight
Tarantula
Starz
Zero
Glass And The Ghost Children
To Sheila
1979
Superchrist
Doomsday Clock
Heavy Metal Machine
Starla

Encore:
Today

They were supposed to come back on to play Muzzle but it was already 10:57 at the end of Today, and there’s that pesky island curfew of 11pm. Too bad, woulda loved to hear it!

What’d you think? Too much Zeitgeist (only six songs; coulda been worse)? Not enough Gish (ie zero songs)? They tore through eighteen tracks; here’s the breakdown:

Zeitgeist (6)
Mellon Collie & The Infinite Sadness (4)
Siamese Dream (2)
Machina (2)
Pisces Iscariot (1)
Adore (1)
Machines Of God (1)
Uncategorized/New (1)

So Day 2’s a wrap! WE ARE OFFICIALLYEXHAUSTED!! My eyes are closing as I type this. Time to go home!

In the meantime, watch highlights from yesterday’s main stage in MuchAXS, and then stay tuned tomorrow afternoon for MORE video from today! Metric, The Smashing Pumpkins, Jamie T., Tokyo Police Club, Earl Greyhound, Stars & more!

Billy Corgan just revved up his acoustic guitar and is playing a cool version of 1979…are you guys happy??

Debate of the night: Is Billy Corgan bald? Balding? Or does he just CHOOSE to look weird with his exceptionally shiny cranium?!

Also, when are they going to play some songs from MY era of Smashing Pumpkins (ie Gish, or another Siamese Dream track)?

The setlist so far:
United States
Bullet With Butterfly Wings
That’s The Way (My Love Is)
Neverlost
Hummer
Stand Inside Your Love
Tonight, Tonight
Tarantula
Starz
Zero
Glass And The Ghost Children
To Sheila
1979

Still to come: Today, Muzzle & more!!

Keep watching!! What do YOU want to hear in the next 30 minutes?

Wow - The Smashing Pumpkins took the stage a little late (15 minutes maybe?) but they still have an hour and a half left to play before the island folk officially kick everyone off.

They just finished up their first extenda-song United States (it’s ten minutes long for crissakes) and now they’re playing Bullet With Butterfly Wings…people are losing their shit! There are still about fifteen or so songs coming…I can’t wait, can’t wait.

Are you guys watching this on MuchLoud or AXS??

The Killers just ended their set about 20 minutes ago and now everyone is waiting for The Smashing Pumpkins to go on at 9pm (stay tuned for their set in MuchAXS!).

The band wouldn’t allow us to record or stream any of their set, so we’re sorry you didn’t get to see it. And they also wouldn’t let us take any photos. So, If you got some good ones, please upload them so I can see what you saw! But if you’re wondering…Brandon was decked out in glitter ‘n gold - he had a gold blazer on, one of those fancy bowtie doohickeys and glitter all over his face. He looked goooood.

Some highlights from their set: Bones, Jenny Was A Friend Of Mine, Smile Like You Mean It, Mr. Brightside, Somebody Told Me, When You Were Young and the finale, All These Things I’ve Done, during which I handed out sparklers to the fifty people closest to me and we all lit them simultaneously. It was beautiful!! I hope Brandon saw it and loved it. LOL.

Editors punctuate the Future Shop Stage @ VFest ‘07 - Click to rate this photo

Many say that Editors and Interpol are too similar but I have to disagree. I saw Interpol yesterday and I just came back from seeing Editors. I can’t believe I’m saying this but Editors put on quite a show and they might have just out-shone Interpol.

With The Killers performing at the headlining Virgin stage, Editors still pulled an impressive crowd at the Future Shop stage. Lead singer Tom Smith’s voice was even more mesmerizing than ever. His deep chilling voice is always impressive. The band played a set filled with old songs off “The Back Room” and new off their new record, “An End Has A Start”. By the end of the set, everyone was dancing along to Fingers in the Factorie. Overall an amazing night!

Soon - Smashing Pumpkins! How crazy and insane. My mind has been blown even starting to think of this weekend!

Explosions In The Sky light up the stage @ VFest ‘07 - Click to rate this photo

I went to the side stage to FINALLY check out Austin’s Explosions In The Sky, who I’ve been meaning to see for about two years now, but it’s never worked out. The last time they charged through Toronto (I think it was March?), both of their dates at the Opera House were dead sold out within no time.

Dan & I managed to creep up the backstairs and stand on stage during their 50 minute (!) set - it was at once deafening and majestic. If you haven’t heard EITS’s music, most of their songs are over 7 minutes long and instrumental… with these stop/start bursts of glorious noise. Very, very epic. I wish I’d been able to stick around for their entire set but I had to run back to catch The Killers! If you have the chance to check out EITS I definitely recommend it.

Just saw Emily & Friends an hour ago, and as always, no disappointments in sight. You know, you could ramble all youse want about how when bands play festivals, they should bang off all the tunes that make the audience go wild, but it doesn’t always have to be that way: Metric played three or four new songs and they sound great. Let’s consider ourselves lucky for hearing them before they’re even recorded to CD! Yuh huh, privilege. One new track asks, “would you rather be the Beatles or the Rolling Stones?” Emily posed the question to the audience and apparently, there is an exact 50/50 ratio of Beatles to Stones fans in the crowd. Later, the band led an amazing sing-a-long at the end of their at least 10 minute rendition of “Rock Me Now”. I love these douches, so I was quite happy with the performance, thank you very much. I say good day.

Highlight: Dead Disco
Wish List: “Hustle Rose” and “Combat Baby” - both SO good live! Sad to miss them this time.

Sightings: Kazu of Blonde Redhead sitting on a horse-type bench during the last part of her set.

Sebastien Grainger walking about.

A few Killers! Facial hair ahoy!

Memers of The Junction on stage during The Constantines’ set.