TORONTO - Like many first-timers, she was a little tentative, somewhat unsure and kind of chilly.

Make that really chilly.

If there was a complaint to be made about yesterday’s kick-off of Canada’s first ever Virgin Festival, it’s that Ma Nature didn’t approve of the consummation, sending evening temperatures inching dangerously close to the single digits. Where’s some of that disgusting heat and humidity we were enduring a few weeks ago?

Mommmmm!

The thousands of people in attendance on Toronto Island — organizers said about 30,000 passes were sold to the two-day music fest, out of 50,000 available — didn’t seem to mind too much. It wasn’t as sweaty and groovy and decadent as the UK festivals have been, and the line-up wasn’t as superstar-heavy as what’s slated for the Baltimore show two weeks hence, but nobody expects you to be an expert your first time.

Yesterday’s line-up encompassed 18 acts on two stages, spread out far enough to not only prevent any sound bleed but to give fest-goers a reason to wander the gauntlet of food stalls, merch tents, buskers, beer gardens, auto dealers (seriously) and other encampments spread out between them.

And while some seemed content to wander the island parks when not listening to the likes of the Dears, Muse and Alexisonfire, many were clearly there for last night’s de facto headliners, Gnarls Barkley and the Flaming Lips.

“By a show of hands and voices, where are the true Gnarls Barkley fans?” singer Cee-Lo boomed at the crowd as he took the stage for the band’s after-dark set.

“Well, they couldn’t make it tonight.”

Cee-Lo introduced his band as Kung Fu Hustle, with nearly a dozen members — including a strings section — dressed in karate uniforms. Girls with violins: Hot. Girls with violins and karate uniforms: Supermegahot.

Almost as hot as the girls in alien masks and sci-fi mini-dresses who accompanied the Flaming Lips set. Along with a bunch of Santa Clauses, confetti, giant balloons, band members in superhero uniforms and Lips frontman Wayne Coyne crowd-surfing inside a giant plastic bubble. And that was just for their opening song.

It’ll be a tough act to follow today, when VFest wraps up with another 18-band line-up including the Strokes, the Raconteurs and Toronto indie darlings Broken Social Scene, filling in for the cancelled Massive Attack.

Also dropping by will be Virgin chairman Sir Richard Branson, who knows how to make an entrance like no other.

And with the film festival in town, a smattering of celebs are also expected — Russell Crowe is said to be big fan of the Raconteurs, so you never know.

Word of advice though, guys. Bring a sweater.