WITH torrential rain forecast for last weekend the gods must have been smiling on festival goers at East London's Lovebox with blazing sunshine the order of the day.

Ten arenas packed in more than 130 artists over the two days, with heavyweights Groove Armada and Jamiroquai headlining the two days respectively.

Thousands of people thronged to Victoria Park to revel in the eclectic mix of DJs and bands on offer.

Jim Noir, Rodney P & Skitz and Jamie Lidell were some of the highlights from the first day, together with the incomparable Coldcut.

The turntable legends performed a stunning set complete with a backdrop of amazingly crafted videos which played perfectly in time with the cuts and scratches of their "wheels of steel" trickery.

Comprising Jonathan More and Matt Black, the duo performed hits like the anti-corporate Timber and a re-mix of Atomic Moog 3000 taken from their fourth album Let Us Play.

Despite the unbearable heat inside the Favella Chic/Cable Street tent, with people visibly wilting due to the pressure-cooker temperatures, the experimental VJing from the veteran mix masters entranced the crowd pulsating on the dancefloor.

Dance faves Hot Chip who many had come to see especially, were disappointingly quiet on the main stage, with their electro-disco beats struggling to carry over the expanse of the park.

And newbie Aussie trio Cut Copy were a big hit with the crowds following what was their only UK live show this year at the Lovebox festival.

With so many venues, grottos, and chill-out zones to occupy the party-goers, there was plenty for everyone to get involved in.

Timing was, unsurprisingly, key, to try and maximise the number of bands that could be seen in one day.

And the two hour-long queues for the cash machines certainly did not help matters, especially when they ran out of money and had to be re-stocked leaving the line of people stretching virtually across the whole site rather peeved.

Nevertheless, the highlight of the weekend was definitely Groove Armada's closing performance on the Saturday night.

For many, the band's summer chill-out dance tunes are like a poor man's Basement Jaxx, but there was no denying their mass appeal as darkness fell over the festival with the audience bouncing along to hits like I See You Baby, If Everybody Looked The Same, and the massive Superstylin'.

The Lovebox Weekender does not have the same traditional "buzz" of other more recogniseable festivals, but what began in 2002 as Groove Armada's excuse to put on a party has now become a definite event in the calendar for any discerning music fan.