ONE of the headline acts at this month's Creamfields festival says she believes the event will be the jewel in the crown of the outdoor music season.

Alison Goldfrapp, who tops the bill at the August Bank Holiday event alongside Gnarls Barkley and The Prodigy, also says she is looking forward to soaking up the atmo-sphere at the festival in Daresbury, which is due to attract 45,000 revellers.

She said: 'We've just been doing a lot of festivals in Europe and, while the travel's a bit of a pain, we do love these kind of dates.

'What's really nice about them is that you're playing to a wide range of people and you're aware that some of the crowd might not have heard of you.

'It's always more relaxed - there's not the same amount of pressure because you know that people are already up for a good time and up for hearing all these different styles of music.

'We'll probably arrive early and hang out with some of the other artists.

'English festivals are really unique - you get a real mixture of artists.

'Creamfields is brilliant. The fact that the audience embrace such a diverse array of music makes it very exciting.

'It's now acceptable that a band like us can mix up different genres, influences and rhythms.

'There aren't really any rules any more.'