Following on from my noob's review of Secondfest, Hippyshopper editor and fellow SL virgin Abi Silvester also entered the virtual mudbath this weekend, with the intention of catching the Pet Shop Boys' set on Sunday night:

There were all sorts of reasons why a virtual gig sounded like a good idea to me. Firstly, I hate mud, rain and (as Charlie Brooker so neatly summarised it after his recent trip to Glastonbury) "any form of discomfort whatsoever", so real festivals don't always fill me with joy. Secondly, having seen the 'Boys perform in the far more real setting of Hammersmith, West London only a month ago, I was keen to discover how my heroes would come across in pixellated form.

Unfortunately, it seemed I wasn't the only Second-Lifer keen to see this particular band; in a touch that echoed one of the most frustrating realities of festival-going a little too well, the "gig" had reached full capacity by the time my avatar "Andrina Snook" rocked up, with the dreaded one-in-one-out system in operation. This involved me aimlessly flailing (there's a lot of aimless flailing in SL) against an invisible wall, watching other latecomers try to enter the arena from various heights and directions, looking much like flies trapped in a large web. It wasn't far off many of my nightmares...

Eventually, I made it close enough to see a huge, ghostly crowd raving madly, and was amused to note that many had kitted out their avatars with Pet Shop Boys-style pointy hats. However, there was still no music, only the odd whistle and endless shouts of "WHERE'S THE MUSIC?" When the music did arrive (for me) it was a ten second clip of "Go West" before I was disconnected again. I was relieved to hear it though, as I'd promised myself I'd persevere until I heard something I recognised as a tune.

Was it like a real festival? In surprising ways, yes. There was the frustration at being lost and unable to make it to a gig on time, the chemical toilets (which some hapless characters flew into), a mild embarrassment at turning up in the 'wrong outfit' (I was still in the chainmail vest I'd won in an earlier task), the wrist-band ritual at the beginning, and even getting stuck in the mud, which I think may actually have been due to my computer slowing down.

So ignoring the person dressed as a giant orange, flying over trees and not actually hearing much music, it was barely distinguishable from the real thing. It's certainly a brave move from the Guardian, and it's laudable that they're embracing something that will inevitably grow in years to come, once the teething problems have been resolved. Had I been watching on a large flatscreen with good quality speakers and a few chilled beers to hand, I think I'd have enjoyed the experience a great deal, but then I am a geek, and have never been a big fan of reality. [Abi Silvester]

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