By: Adam Grant

 It's been a few days since I boarded the final Media/V.I.P. ferry from Toronto Island and made my way back to the mainland following a rock n' roll weekend of monumental proportions, and it's only now that I have finally been able to find the right words to describe my time within the Virgin Festival. 

Taking place Saturday, September 9 and Sunday, September 10, 2006, the Rebel Billionaire, a.k.a. Virgin Group founder, Sir Richard Branson's decade old musical event finally came across the pond to Canada for the first time.

 
Sir Richard Branson being interviewed by MTV Canada

 Known primarily as a British music extravaganza that takes place annually each summer, the festival itself has become known for attracting line-ups of artists that range from up-start bands looking for a stage to strut their stuff, to headline-able acts that have so much stuff to strut, that they're in need of the designated 75-minute set slot that they're allotted.

 Over the two days reserved for this festivity, fans and media types alike would become witness to the fabulousness and flaws that come with, well, a virginal experience.  Some awkwardness, some sweat, some chills, some moments of sheer bliss, and lots of curious onlookers waiting to see how everything would turn out.

 Guiding the estimated 30,000 ticket holders through this island based rock n' roll romp were numerous heavily touted cult and mainstream acts spread out over 2 stages, like St. Catherines' Alexisonfire, whose latest record Crisis debut at #1 in Canada, Brit-rock heavyweights Muse, the soulful Gnarls Barkley, the constant showmen in The Flaming Lips, as well as the NYC cool of The Strokes, the thundering Zeppelin-esque stylings of Australia's Wolfmother and the blues-rock freight train that is The Raconteurs.

 
Sunday Night Second Stage Headliners The Mooney Suzuki w/ Adam Grant

 Of course, going on and on in regard to the depth of the V-Fest participants would be stating the obvious, considering that the real story is perhaps where the festival goes from here.  Within a media scrum during the later half of the Sunday concert schedule, Branson confirmed that V-Fest will come back to T.O. next year, and thoughts toward expanding the attendance possibilities and even setting up stages within other Canadian hotspots are already happening.

 However, if that is to happen, there are a few definite kinks that need to be worked out - mainly in regard to scheduling.  Yeah, it's a nitpicking point to be making, but ask a Flaming Lips fan how happy they were after the band (the Saturday night headliner) had their set cut drastically short as a result of a curfew.  Of course, there was actually designated times in order for the acts involved, but having them followed to a tee in a festival setting is about as rare as meeting up with a Sasquatch at a hunters convention. 

 
…Waiting on The Flaming Lips' Saturday Night Set

 Beyond that, even though this was a Canadian concert, that doesn't mean that we have to do this at the time of year when it's just starting to get a little frosty.  Sure, it wasn't like anyone's flipped up devil-horns were falling victim to frost-bite, but we all know mid-summer outdoor shows are where it's at - of course I may regret that statement if V-Fest comes back next July and I get dowsed by a wicked blast of sun stroke.

 Overall, I've been to a monster amount of day long concert endurance tests, and in spite of certain scheduling casualties, V-Fest's first trip to the North left me with a feeling of optimism for the years to come.  Yes, some people pissed and moaned about certain line-up issues, but when you're given the opportunity to experience two days with a world class roster of musicians from all points of the globe, it is truly hard to argue with the great intentions of V - except for maybe all of the product placements planted throughout the park, but I digress.