After her triumphs at Glastonbury and T-in-the-Park in 2011, Beyoncé made a less than auspicious return to UK festivals at a wet and windy V Festival at Chelmsford on Saturday. The American star was 20 minutes late on stage and technical issues reportedly plagued her set and fans voted with their feet - and it seems at the last minute she refused to let Channel 4 television broadcast any of her set although the broadcaster said it was hopeful to be able to show highlights in their coverage.
This week the UK's major festivals are the Reading and Leeds joint events headlined by Green Day, Eminem and Biffy Clyro, with weather forecasters predicting good weather for the sold out festivals .
It seems Beyoncé may have mimed her rendition of the Star-Spangled Banner at President Barack Obama's inauguration - the story leaked after a spokeswoman for the Marine Corps Band told The Times in a "last minute" decision, Beyoncé had opted to perform to a pre-recorded backing track and confirmed that the band itself was not playing live. Thousands in a live audience were joined by millions of people who tuned in to watch the president be sworn in for his second term in office. The ceremony was punctuated by performances from James Taylor and Kelly Clarkson, as well as Beyoncé who sang the national anthem. You can make your own mind up here http://www.beyonceonline.com/uk
