The Isle of Wight tries to step up to fill the void left by Glastonbury on the festival calendar.

The 55,000 people who stuck it out in the wind and rain were rewarded with performances by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Pearl Jam and the legend Bruce Springsteen.
Festival goers are a hardened bunch and the 55,000 people who stuck it out in the wind and rain at the Isle of Wight this weekend proved they had more minerals than the surrounding sea.

The music extravaganza was tipped to be a big-hitter this summer on the festival scene after Glastonbury pulled-out of 2012 because of a shortage of portaloos.

Boris Johnson and Seb Coe have pinched them all for the bogs for the Olympics, the swines.

So it was ironic that the Isle of Wight was poised to become this years hottest weekender as the rain caused chaos when crowd turned up on Thursday.

People were left stranded in their cars overnight and they arrived to find the mud was knee deep in places - this could have been the famous Glasto.

But with three American rock legends in Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Pearl Jam and Bruce Springsteen headlining over the coming days there was still a buzz of excitement in the air.

Cheers! Crowds enjoyed the sun when it came out
By Friday the sky had cleared and there seemed to be no immediate threat of rain but the chaos remained and Feeder - who where the first act on the Main Stage - were left playing to an empty field.

Thankfully by the time Noah and The Whale took their slot the field was packed and the fans were finally rewarded with Charlie Fink's relaxed tones.

Closing the first night: Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers perform their first ever UK festival set
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Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, playing their first ever set at a UK festival, opened with Listen To Her Heart and followed with a string of classics including Mary Jane's Last Dance and American Girl.

Night two saw Pearl Jam headline following sets from Labrinth, Biffy Clyro, Wretch 32 and the always-impressive Professor Green in the day.

The American rockers were undoubtedly a risky choice to fill that slot and the crowd didn't seem to impressed as large numbers drifted away throughout the set.

Saturday's best act was Madness - you can't be anything but excited by Suggs and co's upbeat hits which included the classics Baggy Trousers and House of Fun.

The night was drawing to a close and the rain once again began to fall - thankfully I got my first chance to road test Vodafone's Booster Brolly which not only kept me dry but brought my phone back to life.

Simply the boss: Bruce Springsteen and his E Street Band closes this year's Isle of Wight festival with a three hour set
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On Sunday, the final day, the overnight rain had cleared and everyone was only talking about one man, one legend, - Bruce Springsteen.

He was joined by his E Street Band and closed the festival with a mammoth three hour set which included Badlands, Born To Run and Born In The USA.

Then as the fireworks lit up the sky The Boss ended with a cover of Twist And Shout.

A truly unforgettable weekend for many different reasons and while The Isle of Wight may not have filled Glastonbury's rather large wellies - it certainly wasn't far off.