In Photos: End of The Road Festival (Day One) @ Larmer Tree Gardens, North Dorset (02.09.11)

The sun shone on day one of last weekend's End of The Road Festival in leafy North Dorset, as the three-day jamboree – now in its sixth year – got up and running in front of an estimated ten thousand revellers. Friday's lineup represented almost all points along the 'noise' spectrum: from the blistering sonic assault of HEALTH and Bo Ningen to the melancholy pop of Lykke Li, via the brilliantly deranged genre-hopping of tUnE-yArDs' Merrill Garbus and the leftfield indie of newly-rejuvenated Brooklynites Clap Your Hands Say Yeah.
 
As darkness fell over Larmer Tree Gardens, it was left to Zach Condon and his Beirut cohorts to close out proceedings on The Woods Stage, and the folk fusionists certainly didn't disappoint. Showcasing songs from The Rip Tide, their just-released third LP, the band's soothing mix of muted brass and sprightly Balkan rhythms, coupled with Condon's trademark world-weary croon, made for an ideal end to a wonderful opening day. Click on any of the thumbnails below to load a slideshow of Richard Gray's photos from day one.