THEY came to the Isle of Wight from all over the country, many too young to have memories of the era when the Island was synonymous with major rock concerts.

Most, if not all, had heard of the famous Isle of Wight Festival at Afton, Freshwater in 1970, when more than 400,000 blotted out acres of downland while Hendrix, The Who, Joni Mitchell and others entertained on stage.

On Monday, an estimated 8,000 to 10,000 came to Seaclose Park, Newport. This time it was not the mass invasion of 32 years ago, but more of a bridgehead, with a new generation hoping to generate their own Isle of Wight rock memories.

And lest they forget, those hazy, far-off days of 1970 were kept fresh in their minds as performer after performer drew reference to their flower-power forebears.

For Dinosaur Island it was a performer of true Rock Dinosaur longevity, in the shape of Robert Plant, who drew breath to give the crowd a living link between past and present.

The former Led Zeppelin frontman, performing at Seaclose with Strange Sensation, drawled: "There were some amazing musicians all those years ago who I was lucky enough to play with."

And then with a wink at the audience, he took a friendly swipe at modern pop: "I guess S Club 7 are probably on stage now at Buckingham Palace!"

Many of the Rock Island arrivals had come from the mainland, from Scotland, Lancashire, Yorkshire and Cornwall, to cheer on the likes of The Charlatans, Ash, Starsailor and others - who all performed with vitality and enthusiasm for the fledging event.

But for the environmental health officers recording sound levels, the loudest cheer may have been for the 60-minute set produced by Plant as the sun set on the River Medina alongside the towering 80ft-high stage.

With nostalgia in the air, one man who was not performing on the night, but who headlined the Island's first-ever festival at Godshill in 1968, also took the event by storm.

Arthur Brown, of the Crazy World of Arthur Brown, signed autographs alongside the stage pit and then took to the platform - looking like a time warp from the 1960s - to be greeted in frenzied fashion by a crowd eager for links from the past.

He introduced Ash, but the concert-goers wanted him to perform as well, with chants of "We want Arthur, we want Arthur!" rippling back through the assembled thousands.

Ash themselves picked up on the nostalgia theme as well, telling the crowd: "This must be a bit of a nostalgia vibe for you. It is for us, we have been together for ten years this month." Another roar of approval greeted their own special jubilee news!

Rock Island had been kicked off at 12.10pm with a supercharged performance by Ryde-based band Neglected Youth, who had won their way on to the platform via a special showcase competition.

Led by energetic 16-year-old frontman Alex Glough, they did not disappoint, and set the mood for ten hours of music and partying by the new Rock Island devotees.

Waterproofs had to be donned for a while in mid-afternoon when the heavens opened, but then the music of Johnny 4, DNA Doll and another Island band, The Bees, were adequate distraction to evaporate any weather blues.

Security firm Rock Steady, who discreetly and efficiently marshalled the event, estimated numbers had swelled to 8,000-plus by mid-afternoon, when The Coral and Hundred Reasons took the concert up a gear and sunshine broke through the grey Island skies.

What could be described as the evening session was memorably launched by Starsailor, who at one point asked the crowd: "Any northerners here today?" The mix of the gathering was revealed when hundreds of hands shot up and raucous cries of regional loyalty echoed across the arena.

Union flags were out in force among the audience, who in between performances were able to gulp down refreshments across the site, ranging from a noodle stand to fish and chips and a vegetarian kiosk.

On a truly patriotic day - after all it was Golden Jubilee day - such was the popularity of our most traditional fare, that the fish and chip stall actually ran out of chips! But there was always liquid refreshment at various bars across the site.

By the time The Charlatans came to the stage at 9.30pm, Rock Island was ready for a rousing send-off, and the band who produced the highly-rated Wonderland album last year, made many think they had arrived at such a place.

For many, the Island's giant festival of 1970 was made of superlative music memories, but wrapped up in mayhem generated by the numbers attending. Rock Island 2002 started small, organised by Wight Leisure and their partners with military precision. New rock memories have been established, a bridgehead to be built upon.

A relieved events manager for Wight Leisure, Rachel Board, said: "We all pulled together and it was a fantastic event. The music was excellent and the infra structure in terms of stage, arena, transport and other factors all seemed to work.

"When I spoke to the police and emergency services they seemed very happy and all our merchandisers, caterers and fireworks organisers were pleased they had seen the potential of the event to come in right at the start."

Apart from a few drink-related incidents, there was little trouble and the ferrying of many of the concert-goers in and out by Southern Vectis shuttle buses went smoothly.

Some people had predicted the concert would end up a damp squib with little interest, but on the day the only real dampness was the early afternoon weather and a large mud bath created where a drinking fountain burst!

It has been suggested, due to the lower turnout than hoped for, the final financial figures may take some gloss off the success of the event.

But if Rachel Board and other organisers have their way, Rock Island 2002 will be a beacon for many future concerts - and the Island music memories partially lost in three decades of haze since 1970 will be revived by the tonic of hope provided at Seaclose Park on Monday June 3, 2002.