THE heavens had opened on revellers countless times, but when flame-haired songstress Katy B took to the main stage the sun shone.

The 25-year-old Peckham-born singer-songwriter’s party anthems were the perfect antidote to the threat of thunderstorms.

Katy B let her trademark strong vocals do the talking as she delivered hit after hit, with funky club anthem Lights On dedicated to Parklife’s “24 hour party people”.

A newly-discovered gem for this reviewer was Canadian electro-funk duo Chromeo, who played a stonking early-evening set in the Now Wave tent.

With more than a hint of Daft Punk’s electronic sound, a smattering of Jamiroquai and a big dollop of seventies groove, the Montreal-based two-piece were the perfect antidote to adverse weather conditions.

Their toe-tappingly catchy guitar riffs merged seamlessly with dancey beats for an irresistible feel-good sound.

These guys have been around since 2002, and are well worth a listen.

But where Chromeo had me dancing like a wild thing, drum and bass fourpiece Rudimental left me feeling a little deflated.

Hyped as the perfect festival band, I had high expectations for their main stage set as the penultimate act before Saturday’s headliner Snoop Dogg.

The band’s R&B stylings were perfect for a blue-skied evening, with trumpet genius Mark Crown giving it his all on the brass.

But the crowd didn’t seem to be getting behind them, and some of the slower tracks received little reaction.

Rudimental brought it back for an explosive finish though, with roof-raising hits Waiting All Night and Feel The Love giving the punters what they wanted.

A solid start to day one of the Parklife Weekender – and with indie crowd-pleasers Foals headlining tonight, Heaton Park is set to bounce.

Look out for the review of Saturday’s headliner Snoop Dogg from our entertainment writer Mel Wallwork.