Heading out to Thetford Forest to see Ian Brown, I had little idea what to expect. Although I was familiar with the unmistakable Brown swagger, and had heard of his display of frustration on stage at T In The Park, it was with excitement and a hint of trepidation that I arrived at the gig. The weather was perfect: warm, sunny and the sky was clear. The gathering crowd buzzed with both local and Mancunian accents. It is true what they say, Mr Brown has a hardcore fan base so loyal they will follow him to the ends of the earth, or in this case, deep into Thetford Forest. The Scratch Perverts Tony Vegas, Prime Cuts and Plus One - the Scratch Perverts to you and me - started the evening. It was surreal to see the trio - who have a reputation as one of the world’s most progressive DJ collectives - stood in a small corner of the stage. Their sparkling clean mixes and razor-sharp scratching had the audience's heads nodding back and forth towards the front of the stage as chart R 'n' B met funky jazz strains, and drum 'n' bass mingled with old hip-hop classics. They put on a flawless set. Ian Brown By the time Ian Brown graced the stage, all the picnics and fold-out chairs had disappeared and an anxious audience strained to see the man himself. He didn’t disappoint.  | | The Scratch Perverts warmed up |
Earlier in the evening, Brown had been out chatting and posing for fans through the metal fencing surrounding the arena. Since his solo career began in 1997, Brown’s music has gone from strength to strength, something which the mix of people in the crowd reflected. There were fans there for his solo material and those more interested in hearing the voice of the Stone Roses - keen to see the man who once fronted a band which has inspired such artists as Oasis and Kasabian. Stone Roses' classics The music was an effortless mix of all the favourites from his albums, plus a few choice Stone Roses tracks which got the crowd's heart rate pumping. Classic Stone Roses tunes such as Waterfalls, Sally Cinnamon and I Wanna Be Adored were belted out and both Brown and his fans loved every second. Another memorable track was FEAR, with the accompanying trumpet and percussion section lifting the track to another level. There were no repeats of last week’s T In The Park technical hitches - the music system was spot on. Brown was in touch with his crowd, living and representing their dreams.  | | Ian Brown poses for a snap |
On stage he became a musical messiah to his fans and he knew it. The swagger is real, a mixture of confidence and attitude which the crowd lapped up. For me he is like marmite - you either love him or hate him. His voice is unique, an acquired taste which Thetford Forest couldn't get enough of. It's a voice which grates against its background music, but somehow it works. It is as if his vocals ground the music, bringing it back to the people. The atmosphere from the crowd made the night for me, I often felt that Brown’s characteristic Mancunian drone was too out of key for my taste. The crowd was absolutely loving it though. The vibe was about feeling young, free, and having fun - and that's exactly what the fans were doing. Speedy exit It all ended a bit quick with Love Like A Fountain signing the evening off. Brown stood open-armed on stage as he soaked up the applause, and then vanished. The crowd chanted for more, but in the end we all wandered off back to our cars feeling the night had ended too soon. I am glad I can say I’ve Ian Brown live. It was an enjoyable night with a strangely chilled yet charged atmosphere. However, the man himself would have a hard job on to tempt me back to another gig. Ian Brown and the Scratch Perverts played Thetford Forest on Saturday 16 July 2005. | 
