Adam Ant has got the X-Factor.

He admits he doesn't always remember tunes, and even missed out words and phrases during his long-awaited appearance at Voewood Festival at High Kelling on Sunday evening.

But the man has something that the coiffured and preened pretty-boys and -girls on Saturday night prime-time TV would die for - charisma.

Throughout a stunning set that included acoustic versions of his big hits Stand and Deliver and Prince Charming, plus covers of his favourite songs and some of his less well-known tunes from his first album, Dirk Wears White Socks, he had the audience in the palm of his ring-laden hand.

For the last few songs, he became the awe-struck fan as he was joined on stage by Sex Pistols bassist Glen Matlock.

And the pair provided the perfect climax to a great evening of music with a power-packed performance of Pretty Vacant.

The exciting end had been set up by an excellent beginning.

Writer, actor, musician and 'flanneur' Richard Strange began with a truncated set - perhaps apt, as the definition of flanneur includes loafing - that included readings from his autobiography, wall projections with enigmatic words and phrases, a couple of songs and an amusing story about how he had his pockets picked by the Sex Pistols - including Matlock - when they were supporting his band in 1976.

He was followed by Nick Harper, with some fantastic singing and breakneck speed guitar skills.

Then Matlock took over, leading a seven-piece band that tore through a set of songs with a punky edge.

The only slight misgiving that I was left with was this - should punks really be performing at a literary festival, to a crowd featuring too many men with floppy fringes and wearing sweaters around their shoulders?

Thirty-five years ago, they would have been spitting at them.