ARRIVING slightly late to the party on Saturday, we hit the Apollo Festival to the sounds of Chris Helme and his band on the main stage, and the sight of thousands of people having a good time.

After finding a pitch for the deck chairs, we head to the beautifully organised bar and within ten minutes I’m starting to feel human again for the first time since I went to bed on Thursday.

Catching the last half of Chris Helme’s set, it’s obvious his maturity and musicianship, with an adhering dose of humility, has once again won the home crowd over.

Time for a wander while the sun shines and I decide to check out some of the other stages. One of the things immediately obvious is that we have some very talented and varied artists performing to some not-very-large audiences.

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Faces in the Apollo Festival crowd. Picture: David Harrison

Throughout the day I catch performances from, among others, Shelbi Hoole and Pelico, both of whom you suspect are playing to friends and family. Two mates report similar scenes for the Van Der Neer set.

Respect to Rick Witter for hosting a full day of local and up-and-coming acts on his Premiere Stage, but even headliners The Chessmen launch their show to a handful of onlookers before the sheer force of their Sixties power pop eventually brings in a crowd.

So, by all means set up camp at the main stage, but take a look through the Apollo programme and tick off a few other fringe acts to support.

Anyway, back to the main stage where The Supermodels put on a brilliant feel-good set of classic covers from Led Zeppelin to ELO.

The pace is maintained by former Zutons frontman Dave McCabe, who shows off his new material and new band. Bravely taking the decision to play only (correct me if I’m wrong) one Zutons crowd-pleaser, he performs a set of tight pop rock with a nod to electronica, proving the band worthy of the critical acclaim they have received.

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Dodgy staying out for the summer in York. Picture: David Harrison

Next up it's Dodgy, who open with In A Room, followed by Staying Out for The Summer, prompting the rain to start coming down. But when you have a back catalogue of feel-good hits like Dodgy, then it’s going to take more than grey skies to dampen the need for young and old to party.

Finally, it’s the turn of the reactivated Cast to hit the stage as the day’s main headliners. I always found Cast one of the least inspiring of the Nineties' Britpop acts and, 20 years on, I haven’t really changed my opinion, but thousands would disagree and it’s credit to Apollo organisers for continuing to attract this calibre of act to York every year.

And so another great Apollo is over. In its short lifetime, the festival has become a high-point of the York summer. It’s a place where whole families can enjoy a day of great entertainment while lesser-known artists get to showcase their material. And remember, it’s not a massive site, so make sure you explore to get the most out of your day.