Sunday at Parachute is usually the make or break day for Parachute, as this is the day when things come together before the packing up and leaving of the Monday. Its also the day when the biggest worship band in the world plays. This year its Delirious? who have just released new album The Mission Bell. Would their live show back up their great new CD? Read on …

9.05am: Well, we’re up for day 3 of Parachute (or Sunday as they call it in the real world). Currently sitting at camp listening to Planetshakers do their sound check for the morning meeting, where they play such songs as Jump Around and Always and Forever. But the real travesty wasn’t that Planetshakers didn’t play Open Up The Gates – it was that the shower block I went to only had 6 showers for guys (and thus, a line of about 20 guys waiting) and 16 shows for girls. 16! For girls only! It occurs to me that 20 guys waiting for showers is really just an accident waiting to happen. Thank goodness I’m alive.

2.15pm: Well, we’re wrapping things up in the media room after interviews with Anberlin, Delirious and Phil Baker. Let me break it down, list style …

Anberlin: these guys were very funny and incredibly down to earth. They seemed almost amused with the amount of success they’ve achieved around the world. Plus, they were blown away by the response from the NZ audience. Great guys to be around.

Delirious: these guys were a little more uptight, but that might be because they’re English (I found out later that they arrived off a plane late the day before, so they were probably still jet-lagged). Plus, this interview led to one of the highlights of the weekend – after the interview was done, I asked the guys to say hi to my Mum, and they did! But not only did they say hi, they actually did a little spiel about how glad they were she was coming down and thanking her for listening to their music and stuff! Just a fantastic moment in the history of Chris.

Phil Baker: What can I say about Phil Baker? He’s just a really funny and down to earth guy, and really easy to talk to.

5.25pm: Joshua Brown, from Day of Fire, has just delivered the long (and disturbing) version of his testimony – an absolutely incredible story. Some points that stand out: 1) Josh explains that when he was in his last days with Full Devil Jacket, they went on tour with Type O Negative and Coal Chamber for 3 months. At the end of the 3 months, he was in Orlando and was desperate for heroin, so he tracked down a junkie and injected heroin into his arm, using a dirty needle; 2) when he was young he started doing drugs with a friend of his, then, a year and a half after he got saved, that same friend died of a drug overdose. Josh explains that his friends death is something that weighs on his conscience; 3) speaking about drugs, Josh says “… if you get into that arena, it’s a place that you can’t get out of by yourself.” I guess if that doesn’t scare you off drugs, nothing will.

6.25pm: Well, as Form are about to kick-off on the main stage, Mum and Dad have just arrived at Parachute and I’m giving them the grand tour. I don’t think they were expecting so many people.

7.30pm: You know what … I just can’t get into the Parachute Band’s style of music. It really just isn’t me. So with that in mind, I’m heading back to camp.

7.55pm: Back at the Mainstage, Reuben Morgan kicks off his set with My Redeemer Lives, which gets the crowd jumping. Also of note, he plays With All I Am again, but actually manages to play it better than yesterday. Unbelievable!

9.15pm: On the list of inappropriate moments to send a text message, in the middle of a moshpit during a worship concert would have to be right up there.

9.30pm: Planetshakers were absolutely fantastic, and Henry Seeley is now my new Favourite Live Singer of All Time (slightly edging out the guy from Anberlin, who took the title yesterday). Of particular note is the way the crowd got into the music – there was moshing, there was crowd surfing and there was singing/yelling along with the music. Just a fantastic set. Highlight tracks: the older songs ‘Open Up The Gates’ and ‘Lift Up Your Eyes’.

11.05pm: Delirious just finished. Umm. Yeah. Speechless.

11.12pm: You might think I’m exaggerating, but Delirious were so good I don’t think I’m gonna miss seeing U2 now. Honestly, I can’t imagine how U2 could be better than that. Between Delirious’ set and the U2 DVD, I’d say I’m pretty much set.

I just don’t even know what to say about the Delirious set. They are just such professional musicians, and they sounded so good live. I think they really do have to be compared to U2 because their sound is undeniably similar. The other thing that worked in Delirious’ favour was that they played almost exclusively songs from their latest 2 albums (World Service and The Mission Bell), which really cut out the “cheesy” aspect of their earlier music. Highlight tracks: ‘Inside Outside’, ‘Miracle Maker’, ‘Solid Rock’ and ‘Paint The Town Red’.

… and on that note, the weekend of Parachute 2006 comes to a close. Well, I mean, I could include heaps of notes about how we packed up the next day, and give you a running commentary on the drive home, but I just think that this is a better place to end the Running Diary. Until next year …