‘Hits on the Beach’ got off to a promising Friday night party start but ended prematurely as a damp health and safety squib.

Organisers pulled the plug just before headliners Kaiser Chiefs were due to perform, blaming 30mph winds and a dangerous high tide.

Maybe it all had been really too good to be true - earlier rain showers seemed to have passed and thousands of music lovers gathered by the shore for a bargain line-up.

Upcoming hopeful London teenager Imani Williams, 16, opened the show just east of Boscombe Pier.

Soon the seafront resounded with former Britain’s Got Talent contestant Calum Scott’s phenomenally successful single - a cover of Robyn's ‘Dancing on my own’, But it was indie legends Travis who owned - and ultimately closed - the night with their familiar hits and easy showmanship.

Lead singer Fran Healy, who now lives in Berlin and sports a distinguished grey bun and beard, has always had a charming stage presence.

And the loveable Scotsman proved he still has both charisma and talent, capturing the audience’s attention with the band’s sing-a-long classics and friendly chat.

They kicked off with the upbeat ‘Sing’, followed by the sea-themed ‘Driftwood’, including the appropriate lyrics: ‘Rivers lead to oceans And oceans lead you home’.

Illuminated planes flew overhead, some even releasing fireworks, which was a great spectacle but threatened to distract the audience.

Healey brought the two together though, sharing their wonder at the display: ‘I wasn’t expecting planes with fireworks coming out of them.

‘I was thinking it was one of those bad things, and oh look, there’d be BBC News.'

He joked about the band’s age, how some of the audience would not have been born when their songs were released, and taught the dance moves to ‘Magnificent Town’.

The polite, talented men of indie-pop then finished with that old anthem ‘Why Does It Always Rain On Me’, which no Travis set could really be without.

Listening to live music with sand between your toes was fantastic. But it was to be shortlived.

The techies had set the stage for Kaiser Chiefs when the Wave 105 host came on not to introduce the band - but to cancel the gig.

He’d mentioned the 30mph winds and encroaching tide earlier, even pointing out someone ‘crazy’ swimming in the waves.

It took a few minutes for the announcement to sink in. Some thought he was joking, but this was no jest.

Ricky Wilson and pals had been called off, and the crowd erupted into booing. The band’s single ‘I Predict a Riot’ could easily have come true.

But there’s no arguing with tides, and most fans turned on their heels and trudged home disappointed, or made a beeline for the bar.

The Night Air idea is a great one, and at £12 offered a fantastic value-for-money night out. It’s just a shame Friday night only saw half the bill.