We didn't realise quite how popular Robyn Hitchcock, the bard of all things surreal, is. The Big Top Tent at End Of The Road Festival was literally packed this evening. Or could the hordes have been there to see his sidekick, a meek man by the name of John Paul Jones? He's from some band called Led something. Anyway, this dude's hot, you should check him out sometime. Let's hope Robyn keeps him for more than one gig.

With everyone tooled up on cider, rum and whatever else they've got stuffed in their pockets, the mood at End of the Road was little short of ebullient this evening: not that you'd know it from Midlake's set on the Garden stage.

The Texan five-piece co-headline the first night and dedicate closing number to organiser Simon Taffe

Being a singer-songwriter is a tricky business. Which route do you take? You can always attempt to bludgeon your audience into submission with the sheer power of your one act show, or you can entrance them with the ethereal magic of your fragile performance. So far, we've seen both sides of the singer-songwriter paradox (well, as we like to call it) in just a few hours at End Of The Road Festival, first with Stephanie Dosen's disturbing, delicate folk and then with John Doe's straight-down-the-line country blues.

The Dorset countryside - lush, green and verdant. Good for dairy farming and Thomas Hardy novels, but hardly the place for one of this summer's best folk, post-rock and Americana festivals? Well, we reckon it's perfect. Everyone at End Of The Road Festival seems to be enjoying the varied acts, relaxed atmosphere and country estate setting that equals Latitude Festival in the beauty stakes. The myriad stalls selling premium local cider are, of course, just a plus. Ahem.

Exclusive 7" being given away with Uncut's sister title

Well, it’s all going off on Planet Bob. As if the Mark Ronson re-mix of “Most Likely You Go Your Way (And I’ll Go Mine)” and triple CD set that’s looming, plus Todd Haynes’ I’m Not There movie to follow, plus autumn dates across the US with Elvis Costello as special guest wasn’t quite enough to be going on with, there are now whispers that Dylan’s planning a new album in early 2008, and they are getting louder even as we speak.

Gross-out “coming-of-age” comedy of a certain genius

RETAIL DVD (METRODOME, widescreen) Gripping doc hails tragic LA cineaste

Fans get an extra 48 hour period to get their names in the ballot