“She’s not to blame!” sings one of Joss Stone‘s backing singers. Possibly she’s exonerating her lead singer from the inclement weather, that’s now reached torrential proportions. Looking at the waterlogged state of the fields round here, I suspect that it might not be the Mersey alone that you’ll need a ferry to cross later this evening.

Or maybe, she’s discreetly distancing herself from the continued absence of Echo And The Bunnymen. As you might recall from a blog yesterday, I was somewhat surprised not to see them on this Liverpool-centric bill. Despite my best and most robust efforts, I still have no answer. Although The Icicle Works represent the old Liverpool guard admirably.

Ms Stone, a dash of much-needed colour it must be said, comes on after an extended instrumental break that, somewhat surprisingly, includes a jazzed-up snatch of “In A Gadda Da Vida” along the way. Dressed in stripey green, she bounces onto the stage, certainly buoying up the crowd. Her between song patter seems straight from an X Factor audition — “This one’s for the ladies,” “Is everbody aaaalright?” — and her perhaps ill-advised comment, “I love the rain,” doesn’t necessarily go down brilliantly with the by-now drenched crowd.

Still, she offers a distinct change of pace from yesterday’s guitar-heavy line-up. And she can’t help but raise an eye-brow with her cover of Gnarls Barkley‘s “Crazy”.

Anyway, I can hear the Star Trek theme kicking in, so I guess Madness are about to come on stage.

I’ve also just found a rain-butt with 14 litres of tequila in it behind the margarita tent.

So, the rest of the evening promises to be rather entertaining!