The Streets play first UK show in over a year

The Streets played their first UK show in over a year last night (May 26) as they headlined the Newcastle-Gateshead Evolution Festival.

Playing on the banks of the River Tyne, a buoyant Mike Skinner pogoed his way through a storming greatest hits set punctuated with good-natured banter.

Notable highlights of the hour-long set included a brash, energetic run through 2002 single 'Don't Mug Yourself' and a crowd-pleasing cover of The Prodigy's classic 'Out Of Space'.

The encore saw Skinner bounding out to give a brief rendition of Nelly's 2002 smash hit 'Hot In Herre', before playing an impressive version of his own Number One from 2004, 'Dry Your Eyes'.

Other highlights included a chatty Kate Nash, who inspired one of the festivals loudest singalongs to 'Birds' and fan favourite 'Foundations', while Lightspeed Champion's set earlier in the day boasted an impressive classically-tinged medley of 'Star Wars' themes that segued into a rockier extended version of 'Midnight Surprise', giving Dev Hynes an opportunity to show off his axe-wielding talents.

Running across two stages on Newcastle-Gateshead's quayside, Evolution also featured appearances by CSS, New Young Pony Club, Does It Offend You Yeah?, and a rapturously received set from Welsh chart-topper Duffy.

The Bank Holiday festival marked the end of a week-long indoor programme which had boasted gigs from Sons & Daughters, Seth Lakeman, Audio Bullys and Arman Van Helden.

Cowell: 'New American Idol is best yet'

Cowell: 'New American Idol is best yet'

The fresh series of American Perfection will be single of the best hitherto, according to producer and try Paul Simon Cowell.
The tattle contest, which pose next Th, showcases the best and worst of auditions from crosswise the US in a bid to find just unity "Idol".
Cowell dismissed venture that the shew will have less competition in the ratings this year due to the ongoing writers' strike in the US, saying they had discovered "trey or four-spot" stars.
He said: "I think leash or quartet of the contestants we've got this year would have gotten transcription contracts even without 'Idol'. I think they're that good."
He went on: "We heard a year or so ago that 'Dancing With the Stars' was thought near sledding up against us, which I think would be a mistake... So I think we're in the lapp military position as we were last yr and the year before.
"The to the highest degree important thing is that our record has got to look better, it's got to be more fun as a record. And if it is, I intend more people volition see."
Cowell too dismissed literary criticism that American Perfection was non as good as it used to be.
"It's an incredible vehicle for citizenry world Health Organization want to be successful and under normal circumstances can't make a record deal for or so reasonableness," he said.
"The idea of Carrie Underbrush wandering around without a record deal is staggering.
"You look at shows like 'American Idol' and 'Dancing With the Stars', which I consider to be two of the superbrands, these two shows, in my mind, seem to be acquiring better over the days."
He went on: "The goodness news is that this is a much better season than last year ... [it's] one of the strongest eld that we've had in a long, long time.
"It's younger, I cerebrate the talent is to a greater extent stream, they're more interesting people. So I go into this season a set more optimistic than I went in last class."