Lorraine Wilson's verdict: three stars
Being the penultimate band at a festival is never easy. With the Stereophonics' eighth appearance at T warming up the main stage for The Killers, Foals were charged with taking the crowd at the Radio 1 stage into the evening before David Guetta's headline slot.
They were helped by the young woman who, while standing on someone's shoulders, dispensed with her bra top. It had to happen with the amount of sun on offer at Balado this weekend.
Foals have been one of this year's festival hot bookings - at the top or very near the top of every major bill this year. In one way it's easy to understand, The albums have become progressively rockier, perhaps following a similar trajectory to Biffy Clyro.
There are huge guitars, but also some chunky funk licks, perfect for a dance in the early evening sun, It all feels slightly disjointed though - a great set should be a journey and this one seemed to stop at every station.
In a connecting with the audience moment, Yannis Philippakis jumped first into the stage pit to play, then grabbed the microphone before burying his head (and distinctly Prince-like haircut) deep into the crowd. All rather rock n roll if you don't keep losing the microphone.
Their trajectory should see them head for the T main stage at the next appearance but the whole package, at the moment a little underwhelming, needs to be injected with more individuality.
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