The dance day at Wireless had been criticised for offering headliners - such as Fatboy Slim and Underworld - whose commercial peak has long passed. The problem, though, is that no newer dance acts yet have the status to replace them, although the festival revealed potential in surprising places. An electro quartet from Manchester called the Whip opened the day with a thrilling mix of nu-rave and big beat from an album recently panned by critics. On the main stage, Neon Neon - the side project of the Super Furry Animals' frontman Gruff Rhys - played an ace in bringing on Har Mar Superstar. Yes, he looks like just the porn star Ron Jeremy, but the bloke is brilliant at starting a party.

Not so long ago you could have said the same of Bootsy Collins, the P-Funk bassist, but his James Brown tribute act - which included a backflipping stand-in for the late, great soul singer - is a woeful waste of his talents. Mostly, Collins loitered at the back in a flamboyant outfit more interesting than the tacky ensemble on stage. He was followed by an effervescent Robyn, who could have passed for Madonna in the mid-1980s, not least when she skipped across the stage on a majestic Be Mine.Underworld proved that their stock hadn't dropped as far as some assumed by attracting a crowd that spilled out well beyond the tent. Their throbbing techno still impressed, but didn't sound very different from a decade ago.

Norman Cook hasn't altered his act much either. He arrived blasting foghorns to a song from Willy Wonka, striking poses in a patterned shirt and Bermuda shorts. On a podium in front of a giant screen he danced like a drunken uncle as much as he mixed snippets of his own hits with everything from Michael Jackson's Thriller to Chad Jackson's Hear The Drummer (Get Wicked). A sneak preview of his new project, a collaboration with Iggy Pop, who appeared singing on screen, was a highlight that hinted that his chart days may not yet be behind him.

Editor's choice

• Vote for the Breakthrough Award winner
• David Tennant back as Hamlet after back surgery
• Matt Smith is the new Dr Who