Credit: Transmusicales 05

Now in its highly respectable twenty seventh year, Transmusical has rung the changes over the years, establishing itself as the premier new music event in France. Not bad for one of the world’s granddaddy festivals.

Over the last few years it’s expanded rapidly. Moving to a complex of vast aircraft hangers on the outskirts of the town, it’s abandoned its old haunts in the city’s myriad bars, although a fringe festival consisting of entirely French bands still takes place in the town until midnight - from where the town decants to the festival proper on an impressive well organised shuttle bus service.

Despite its age there are several refreshing things about Transmusical, one being that despite the presence of several big name acts, there are no headliners, meaning that most of the time everyone is on a pretty equal footing. Although this should be applauded, inevitably it leads to numerous timetable clashes - which are especially hard to manage on Saturday, when Cold Cut, Erol Alken, Tiga, Who Made Who and Rob Sonic are all appearing in different arenas.

Biggest of the arenas is Hall 5, a vast multifunction room decorated like a scene from Barbarella and featuring a live arena at one end, bar, meeting point, chill out area and a truck containing an exhibition plugging a brand of music hardware. But in terms of gig size, Hall 9, situated next door, is given over entirely to the dance floor, and for the most part it is heaving. Hall 5 shares gig space with a restaurant area, while the final hall is dedicated to music and media industry types. Naturally it features some of the heaviest bar action of the weekend.

The first big gig of the event is the Fugees and, although Hall 9 is packed, they deliver a set that’s closer to a tribute band than a live hip hop act. In fairness to them, they are highly entertaining, as is expected by the French audience, and amongst a fairly tame line up for the start of opening night, they easily dominate. Notable amongst the rest are Desert Rebel, who appear in traditional Nigerian headdress and who plough traditional post Fela Nigerian themes, combining African chants with funky licks. Olli and The Bollywood Remix Orchestra are equally proficient, but with both you want to hear the next steps.