The newest of the seemingly ever-growing batch of festivals is NO COMPROMISE, an event which grew out of a monthly youth service run by the Elim Christian Centre in Chelmsford. Steve E Perry joined 2,800 others to visit Chelmsford's Hylands Park.

Raze

As I drove into the Hylands Park complex with my colleague Martin Purnell the reality of the challenge facing contemporary Christian music began to hit home. Great strides have been made recently in the Christian music scene causing even secular pundits to forecast the imminent breakthrough of CCM onto the mainstream. But the interesting thing about this event was its location. Only several hundred yards away was the towering main stage of the Virgin-backed V97 festival where Peter Andre was due to perform the next day. Could a Christian event sitting in the shadow of such a major event really come up to scratch?

As we walked into the empty arena any questions about the organisation of the event were put to rest. Over two hours before the scheduled start everything was set up and ready to go. The only questions left to answer were, "Who is going to turn up?" and "What about the music?" Around 2,800 people attended the event and as the crowds filtered in it became clear by the names on their T-shirts that most of them had come to see the World Wide Message Tribe or Delirious?. Your average church-goer in this country will never have heard of the other two acts on the bill that night, so whilst I expected the first artist, America's articulate singer/songwriter Sarah Masen, to be well received, it was still a pleasant relief to see the crowd warm to her performance.

Sarah's music has an eclectic sound, adult contemporary with bits of rock, jazz and soul thrown in. Her performance was calm and confident and the only glitch was Sarah's fit of the giggles as a beach ball, which was being bopped around the crowd, whisked inches past her nose in the middle of "Break Hard The Wishbone". Perhaps one of the best endorsements for Sarah Masen came when I looked up from my note pad to see none other than Martin Smith standing next to me. I thought it quite a compliment that the Delirious? frontman should leave the comfort of the artists' hospitality tent to come and make the most of Sarah's ministry.

Now Ja'Marc may sound like an American chain store to you but it's actually the first name of the front man for the next band up on stage, the US dance outfit Raze. Raze are close friends with the Tribe and they both have similar ministries to schools through dance music. A quick glance down the sleeve notes for the album shows that the Zarc Porter from the Tribe has contributed to all but one of the songs so the masses of Tribe fans there felt well at home. Nevertheless, the slick rapping, tight dancing and sharp vocals of Raze dazzled even those who had only come to see one band that night.

And finally that band appeared. A combination of band members' holidays and Martin Smith contracting laryngitis meant that this was actually the first live performance from Delirious? for some time. Despite this lull in activity I have to admit 1 wasn't particularly looking forward to hearing them. Recently I spent a week on holiday with friends who only brought two tapes to play in the communal ghetto blaster and if you'd not already guessed one of those was 'King Of Fools'. Yet although I had reached the conclusion that I never wanted to hear a rendition of "History Maker" ever again there is something so special about hearing Delirious? live once more that blew away all the cobwebs and brought the whole thing back to life. Yes, they are all great musicians but the thing that really makes Delirious? a great live band is that they worship God. As Martin Smith fell to his knees whilst singing "King Of Fools" it suddenly hit me that giving the glory to God is more than pointing skywards when the applause comes...it's a state of heart.

Now Delirious? are such a great live act that when they are not top of the bill, you almost feel sorry for the band that is. Would the Tribe be able to match the raw energy of Delirious?? And what would the new line up be like? Would it still be the Tribe that we know and love? Energy was not a problem, as the Tribe seem to have an abundant supply. With the high-powered dance routines, vibrant rapping and acrobatic antics of Cameron Dante, it was impossible to look away for a moment. An interesting development in some of the new songs performed that night is a distinctive industrial crossover feel that is creeping in. Shades of The Prodigy could be heard as Cameron rapped away to one new tune called "Hypocrite" and sources inside their record company inform me that there's more like this to come.

As for the line up, it's hard to believe but it is much better than before. The new rapping trio made up of Andy Hawthorne, Cameron Dante and new boy Tim Owen was rhythmically flawless. The new vocalist Doronda D Lewis is a superb addition to the band, giving a sparkling new dimension to songs new and old. However, the thing that really makes the World Wide Message Tribe is the message and it is given uncompromised and undiluted. The band are not afraid to stop the music and preach; not empty words but expressions of their personal encounters with God. From Cameron Dante's story of healing from the tormenting pain of drug addiction to Doronda D Lewis' touching story of how God revolutionised her attitude to God growing up as a young Christian in a dead church; there is a message for everyone from the Tribe.

As we drove back home that night any shadow of doubt that Christian music was not big enough for the mainstream had vanished from my mind. The biggest problem is the publicity because despite the best efforts of the Christian press, the average punter still does not know what the vast majority of Christian artists sound like. However, as the catalyst of terrestrial Christian Radio approaches in the form of UCB, events of this quality will become commonplace. But don't wait until it's trendy to go and see some Christian artists. Go now whilst it's still easy to get tickets. Be a trend setter.