WATCHETLIVE C.I.C, the organisers of WATCHETLIVE FESTIVAL have announced that after the sell-out success of this years event, the festival will return for the 8th time in 2014.
Once again taking place on the August Bank Holiday Weekend, Friday 22nd Sunday 24th August, Watchet LIVE will showcase the very best music, food and entertainment from the Westcountry and beyond.
Camping and Campervan option early-bird tickets are now on sale (at prices lower than this years event) until January 2014, when the first acts and headliners will be announced.
WATCHET LIVE are also proud to have been nominated for no less than 3 UK Festival Awards – Best Family Festival, Best Small Festival and Best Toilets. Voting is currently taking place at http://ukvoting.festivalawards.com/ .
Watchet LIVE is a not-for-profit family-friendly festival with amazing views of the stunning West Somerset coastline and beyond. Three live stages will host more than 50 live acts, bringing a wide range of high-calibre musical acts not normally found performing in West Somerset, at a very affordable price.
In addition to a raft of internationally renowned artists, the extensive Cider, Real Ale Bar and Food prices are always kept as low as possible, and provide one of the best-value refreshments offerings to be found at any event in the UK.
WATCHET LIVE FESTIVAL 2014 Early-Bird Ticket Prices (valid until January 2014)
Weekend Tickets (incl camping
) £45 (Adults 16+), £35 (Youths 13-15), A Family Weekend Ticket for 2 Adults & 2 Youths is just £125. Campervans £20
Accompanied Children aged 12 and under can attend for free. No advance ticket required.
Weekend Tickets (no camping) No Early Bird tickets on sale January 2014
Day tickets (no camping) No Early Bird tickets on sale January 2014
BLOODSTOCK OPEN AIR FESTIVAL is thrilled to reveal that New Orleans sludgemeisters DOWN are to headline the Friday night at BLOODSTOCK 2014. The show will be a UK exclusive.
2014 also sees the pencilled release of ‘DOWN IV: Part 2’, the second in the band’s series of EPs. The opus follows in the footsteps of ‘DOWN IV: Part 1 – The Purple EP’, which hit stores last winter to a flurry of critical acclaim. The band have been hard at work in recent weeks demo’ing material at frontman, Philip Anselmo’s infamous ‘Nodferatu’s Lair’ studio, outside of New Orleans, LA. Check out the video for Part 1’s lead track, ‘Witchtripper’ here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MWmNdZSqlqw.
Arguably one of the finest metal frontmen of his generation, Philip Anselmo is looking forward to setting foot on BLOODSTOCK’s hallowed soil, stating: “We are more than elated to be a part of BLOODSTOCK FESTIVAL this coming year! This should be a blast, and I hope everyone shows up to support this great event!"
Bassist, Pat Bruders adds: “I’m looking forward to another great time at BLOODSTOCK FESTIVAL! When I was there two years ago with Crowbar, it was a blast! DOWN is getting ready to tear it up at BLOODSTOCK in 2014, so get ready people! Let’s BRING IT!!!!!"
Tickets for 2014's event are already on sale at ‘early bird’ prices, a bargainous £115 for a 4-day weekend ticket with camping. Don't delay, as once the limited ‘early bird’ allocation is gone, it's gone, and tickets revert to full price. Pick up your discounted tickets now at http://bloodstock.seetickets.com/.
This year, over 1.2 million fans from across the world logged on to watch the bands on the BLOODSTOCK main stage, via the Daily Motion live link. 2013 was BLOODSTOCK’s biggest ever attendance at just shy of 14,000 and with a site licence of 15,000 we are expecting the 2014 event to sell out in advance, so don’t wait too long to get your tickets!
Already announced as Saturday night headliners are black metal overlords, EMPEROR, who are only playing a very select number of shows in 2014. BLOODSTOCK is to be their only UK performance and EMPEROR's currently announced 2014 show at Germany's Wacken Festival is already sold out.
Creative Common today reveals details of the inaugural Bristol Circus Festival, opening on Friday 13th September. Set to "wow" crowds with 41 performances over 33 nights and featuring 8 local, national and European companies, 16 live bands and DJs, and 143 individual performers, the festival will celebrate the city’s historic and continuing strong links to the art form. Curated by Bristol’s very own Invisible Circus, the festival climaxes with the world premiere of their brand new show ‘Under A Dark Moon’. More exciting performances from Fringe First winners Pirates of the Carabina, family favourites The Insect Circus and stars of the National Theatre’s ‘Watch this Space’, Joli Vyann. Plus more Festival exclusives including Mr Scruff, The SheelanagigBand and Twisted Fairground. For details of the full festival program and tickets, visit the Creative Common website.
Bristol has been home to wild and wondrous entertainment for many centuries. An annual fortnight known as St James’ Fair dates back to the 13th century and is said to have included an international array of exhibitors and performers. Phillip Astley, the man dubbed ‘the Father of Circus’, brought his famous trick horse riders to Bristol in 1794 where he founded the first of his own circus companies.
Fast-forward to the 21st century and Bristol is home to not only a growing number of artists, performers and companies, but also Circomedia, the country’s leading school for circus skills. The school’s alumni form an international cast starring in contemporary circus shows across the globe including Ockham’s Razor and Pangottic Circus Theatre – and NoFit State Circus who opened the Creative Common 2013 season in June.
The Invisible Circus’ Director, Doug Francis explains the driving ethos behind the festival – “Artists and shows from Bristol are exported all over the world yet remain often unseen in the city itself. Our aim is to create a platform and build an audience to showcase local talent as well as attract touring companies to show their work here.”
Highlights of the Bristol City of Circus festival include Fringe First winner ‘Flown’, a mix of high-impact physicality by Pirates of The Carabina. The piece was originally commissioned by Glastonbury Festival and was also developed in Bristol at The Invisible Circus’ former creation space at Paintworks. An interactive installation performance comes courtesy of Twisted Fairground, adding puppetry, theatre, costume and sculpture together to create a truly immersive world within the Creative Common Big Top. Experiments in ‘comic extremism’ come from Tony Clifton Circus who will be balancing poetic elegance with screw-ball weirdness in their anarchic spectacle ‘Rubbish Rabbit’.
The weekly festival highlight will be Francisco’s Limelight Lounge every Friday evening featuring high octane circus, beguiling cabaret and foot stomping live music and DJ’s. Hosted by The Invisible Circus’ Doc Francisco, Friday nights at Creative Common are set to be the best party in town.
Creative Common has so far welcomed over 30,000 visitors since its launch in June 2013. Once a derelict piece of land next to Temple Meads Railway Station, Creative Common has been transformed into a unique public space in the heart of the Bristol Temple Quarter Enterprise Zone. Locals and tourists who regularly visit the site can enjoy a locally sourced organic meal in Yurt Lush and a local ale or two from “Bristol’s coolest new bar” The Goods Yard. The 2013 season has been filled with immersive performance, live music, independent cinema, public art and exhibitions along with Gromit Unleashed, making the space a destination to be enjoyed by all.
Bristol Circus Festival Listing Information
* Booking fees apply
SEPTEMBER Friday 13th September Francisco's Limelight Lounge feat. The Rubber Duck Orchestra BRISTOL CIRCUS FESTIVAL LAUNCH PARTY Each Friday throughout the Festival, The Limelight Lounge appears as the sun goes down, illuminating the timeless shadows of the Big Top. Hosted by The Invisible Circus’ Doc Francisco, with special guests each week, bringing you the very finest of high octane Circus, beguiling Cabaret and foot stomping live music and DJ’s. Dress Up Code: Circus Freak Chic Doors 7:30pm, Show Starts 8pm, Finish 1:30am £5 adv/conc plus booking fee, £7 full price
Monday 16th & Tuesday 17th September Tony Clifton's Circus ‘Rubbish Rabbit’ A non-stop rollercoaster ride of physical comedy, and endless hilarity all augmented by an amazing musical score – an irreverent and unmissable show to start the festival. Doors 8pm, Show Starts 8.30pm £5 conc, £7 full price
Friday 20th September Francisco's Limelight Lounge feat. Top Shelf Jazz This week; notorious Welsh 5-piece, Top Shelf Jazz serve up a heady cocktail of crooning melodies, filthy swing and rakish banter reprising inter war jazz numbers with verve, nerve and class in a Noel Coward-esque style of their own. Dress Up Code: Circus Freak Chic Doors 7:30pm, Show Starts 8pm, Finish 1:30am £5 earlybird, £7 adv/conc, £10 full price
Tuesday 24th – Thursday 26th September Twisted Fairground 'The Electric Fairground Organism´ An explosive fusion of art, interactive installation, puppetry, moving sculpture and contemporary theatre. Performances at 7pm, 8pm and 9pm. Doors open 15 minutes before start of show. £5 conc, £7 full price Please note: This is a promenade show, no seating.
Friday 27th September Francisco's Limelight Lounge feat. Fromage en Feu This week’s stage will be set alight by the quintessential faux-French fiery 6 piece gypsy band; Fromage en Feu. Come prepared to lose your inhibitions, sobriety, clothes and sanity. Dress sharply – or not at all. Dress Up Code: Circus Freak Chic Doors 7:30pm, Show Starts 8pm, Finish 1:30am £5 early bird, £7 adv/conc, £10 full price
OCTOBER Tuesday 1st – Thursday 3rd October Pirates of the Carabina ‘FLOWN’ PRESS & GALA NIGHT Irreverent and silly, bold and breathtaking FLOWN is a captivating show packed with thrills, laughs and extraordinary physical feats, originally commissioned by Glastonbury Festival. Doors 7pm, Show Starts 7.30pm £10 adv, £12 full price *joined by Mayor of Bristol George Ferguson on Weds 2nd
Friday 4th October Francisco's Limelight Lounge with Mike Freear (SLAMBOREE) This week, Mike Freear – Slambo-mastermind DJ performs his full throttle dance explosion. Dress Up Code: Circus Freak Chic Doors 7:30pm, Show Starts 8pm, Finish 1:30am £5 early bird, £7 adv/conc, £10 full price
Saturday 5th & Sunday 6th October Pirates of the Carabina ‘FLOWN’ Saturday – Doors 1:30pm, show starts 2pm – matinee performance Saturday – Doors 7pm, show starts 7.30pm Sunday – Doors 1.30pm, show starts 2pm – matinee performance Sunday – Doors 5.30pm, show starts 6pm £10 adv/conc, £12 full price
Tuesday 8th – Thursday 10th October Joli Vyann 'Don’t Drink and Dance' and 'H2H' Double Bill 'Don't drink and dance' – A familiar story of boy meets girl in a bar transformed by a cocktail of dance, circus and theatre. 'H2H' – Mixing dance, circus and theatre in an innovative way H2H is about hand to hand support physically and emotionally. Doors, 7:00pm, Show Starts 7.30pm £8 adv/conc, £10 full price
Friday 11th October Francisco's Limelight Lounge feat. Sheelanagig, The Destroyers and The John Langan Band This week; Sheelanagig will be ripping the roof off the Big Top with their high energy, Balkan flavoured stage show. 14 piece Megafolk mentalists The Destroyers and the Celtic, Gypsy Swing, Roma and Flamenco sounds of The John Langan Band will join them. Doors 7:30pm, Show Starts 8pm, Finish 1:30am £12 special early bird offer, £14 adv, £16 full price
Tuesday 15th – Thursday 17th October Apocalyptic Circus ‘Push Me, Pull You’ Originally performed as part of Bristol Old Vics 'Bristol Ferment', push me, pull you uses a combination of traditional circus skills and daring dance acrobatics, performed as part of a beautiful and compelling show about the friendship, trust and unique relationship between performer and her technician. Doors 7.30pm, Starts 8pm £6 adv/conc, £8 full price
Friday 18th October FESTIVAL EXCLUSIVE Mr Scruff ‘Keep It Unreal’ The Manchester legend parachutes in to the festival armed with a hot cup of tea to “play records in a big tent for 5 hours”. This Festival exclusive will be Mr. Scruff’s only Bristol appearance this year. 7:30pm – 01:30am £10 adv/conc, £12.50 full price
Tuesday 22nd – Thursday 24th October Insect Circus A family-friendly, magic world filled with physical theatre, circus and extraordinary costumes Doors 5.30pm, show starts 6pm. Thursday – extra show Doors 8pm, show starts 8.30pm £7 conc, £9 full price, £25 family Wednesday & Thursday £7 conc, £9 full price, £25 family ticket
Friday 25th October Francisco's Limelight Lounge feat. The Carnyvillains This week; A highly theatrical and energetic live show, from the infamous 6-piece circus show band expect stomping swing and ska, all rolled out live with riotous, infectious wild punk energy. Dress Up Code: Circus Freak Chic Doors 7:30pm, Show Starts 8pm, Finish 1:30am £5 earlybird, £7 conc, £10 full price
Saturday 26th October Kings of Ping presents ‘Return of the Goths of Pong’ Part of the International Ping Pong Convention; PONGRESS. Table Tennis tournaments like you’ve never seen them before with DJ Poshratz and a special Circus twist! Halloween Fancy Dress Special 6:30pm – 02:00am £5 early bird, £7 conc, £MOTD
Sunday 27th October Bright Nights International presents 925 and HeartBeats Everyone dreams of a different kind of life. 925 and HeartBeats explore what happens when hiphop acrobatics and parkour break into an ordinary day. Doors 6.30pm, show starts 7pm £6 conc, £8 full price
OCTOBER / NOVEMBER
Wednesday 30th October – Sunday 3rd November The Invisible Circus presents ‘Under The Dark Moon’ WORLD PREMIERE The Festival climax and conclusion of the 2013 Creative Common Big Top program; a world premiere from The Invisible Circus. A shadowy landscape mixes circus and dreamscape haunted by old film and a live musical score. Doors 7:30pm, show starts 8pm £10 conc, £12 adv. £MOTD
Festival concessions: Children under 12, NUS, OAP, Disabled, low waged. Creative Common is fully accessibile.
Sziget Cultural Management presents the biggest snow festival of the region at the end of November. Fridge is already known in Hungary, but this year the festival fans can enjoy the event parallel in Vienna as well. The event merges the most spectacular winter sports with all-star music performers.
The preparations for one of the biggest winter festivals of Europe, Fridge, have started after a one year break. The event was already known in Hungary and this year it will be co-organized by Sziget Cultural Management, the company organizing VOLT Festival, MasterCard Balaton Sound and Sziget Festival. This year Fridge will not only take place at the Hungexpo venue of Budapest, but at the same time the event will have a debut in Vienna, as well.
The 34-meter high and 100 meter long ski and snowboard ramp will move from Budapest to Vienna, where the winter sports fans can check out the AFP Gold Big Air competition, followed by a 4star TTR snowboard contest with the best riders around the globe. Meanwhile in Budapest a never seen show by the snowmobiles, Ski-doos will be introduced. The contestants are already well-known from X-Games and they will definitely make a spectacular show for all visitors.
Good news for the winter sports fans, that during Fridge in Budapest a Snow Show will take place at Hungexpo where the visitors can gather everything necessary for the winter: starting from winter travel packages both in Hungary and abroad through sports equipments and goods one might need for the season. The showcase in November will also feature a gastro festival, bringing the real hütte atmosphere, where visitors can sip some mulled wine, or try out several winter drinks and food. Those with a Fridge ticket can check out the Snow Show as well.
Fridge Budapest and the Snow Show will take place between 21-24 November, while Fridge Vienna is held between 22-23 November. The details of the spectacular sports events and the exciting line-ups will be revealed by the organizers in the upcoming weeks.
The 18th Amsterdam Dance Event (ADE) will feature significant expansion of daytime programADE Playground. ADE Playground transforms Amsterdam into the biggest pop-up store on the planet and offers a platform for studio sessions, hardware workshops, movie screenings, art exhibitions, in-store performances by top record labels and more exclusive events related to dance music. DJs and artists turn the centre of the city of Amsterdam into a veritable playground for electronic music fans, offering once-in-a-lifetime experiences, and the chance to get up close and personal with top performers in unusual venues.
This year’s ADE Playground has more panels, technology partners, exhibitions, locations, workshops and showcases then ever before. There has never been a better opportunity for man to engage, learn and liaise with like-minded individuals. The ADE Card that grants access to the entire Playground program is available for only 10 euros. Highlights of the 2013 ADE Playground program include:
ADE MusicTalks
Get up close to your favorite DJs and artists at ADE MusicTalks. These new Q&A sessions with leading DJs and artists take place at Konings & Keune. The sessions will give music fans the chance to chat and engage with artists in live Q&A’s as DJ’s share their experience, passion and music! First confirmed speakers are Joris Voorn (NL), Chuckie (NL), Headhunterz (NL) and DJ Black Coffee (SA). More announced soon.
Melkweg Cinema
In the heart of the city Melkweg will be playing host to a selection of new musical documentaries and films as part of the ADE Playground program: Ruud Pelgrum’s ‘In Extase’ (In Ecstasy), a deep insightful look into how producers control the crowd and induce trance-like sensations, Farid Slimani’s ‘Back in the House’, a film that will take you back, way back, to a time when house music ruled New York City with one-off interviews featuring legends Francois K, Danny Tenaglia, Joe Claussell and many more. And finally, to get your bpm really racing ‘Old School Renegades’, a film that highlights the development of the rave scene in the early ‘90s, featuring Joey Beltram, SL2, 808 State, Lenny Dee. Find out more.
Native, Ableton and Pioneer showcase at ADE Playground
Calling all gearheads and software junkies: this years ADE’s Playground brings you some of the most prestigious names in music technology including Native Instruments, Ableton andPioneer. At ADE Playground you’ll be able to see all the latest gear and developments from the world’s biggest producers in music hardware and software, showcased by the tech company’s leading specialists. Drop in during the day and you might even get the chance to see one of your favourite ADE performing DJs flaunt their talent on their respective appliances, offering a unique insight into how the big names are cutting it nowadays. So whether you’re the budding, young, bedroom-producer, DJ type or you have an extensive career in delivering to your audience, this is a once in a year opportunity to meet the team behind everyone’s favourite machines, whilst giving you a hands-on opportunity to sample some of the best gear available.Find out more.
Kompakt goes all out
Cologne based label Kompakt will celebrate their 20 year anniversary with a series of events throughout the conference. Directly in the middle of Amsterdam’s Red Light District at the Oz. Project Space, you’ll be able to find the team behind Germany’s leading electronic imprint behind the counter at their very own pop-up store. Having taken the project all across Europe, the label has teamed up with Electronic Beats to provide a face-to-face front where you can meet the label’s key founders, purchase exclusive content and watch intimate, in-store performances. Find out more.
The initial ADE Playground program is already online, with more information to be added as we get imminently closer to the festival. Remember these events are only open to those with anADE Card, which are available from ADE outlets or online for EUR 10,-.
Get your ADE Card here: http://www.amsterdam-dance-event.nl/tickets/ade-card/
In 2014, the Swedish capital, one of the world's most powerful cities, joins the five destinations of 2014, together with Reykjavík, Tokyo, Mexico DF, Barcelona and Cape Town.
For its second Nordic trip, in February Sonar will travel to two destinations simultaneously: for the first time Sonar will land in Sweden offering a unique experience at Münchenbryggeriet, located right in the middle of Stockholm and the second Sonar in Iceland will take place again in Reykjavík adding one more day to the festivities.
Sonar Stockholm 2014
Sonar Stockholm will take place the 14th and 15th of February and will fill a gap in the long cold winter of Stockholm with an indoor festival for two days, combining both international and local artists and DJs.
The event will be held at Münchenbryggeriet, in the beautiful district of Södermalm. The brewery is one of the most characteristic elements in the skyline of Stockholm and one of the architectural totems of the industrial era.
More information and tickets sale will be announced soon www.sonarstockholm.com
Sonar Reykjavík 2014
Sonar Reykjavík will take place for the second time in Harpa Concert House from February 13th through February 15th, 2014. The festival set up will be similar to the one held last year along with the additions of two small stages inside Harpa and special concerts in the grand auditorium, Eldborg.
The unique 3-days pass is now available online at www.sonarreykjavik.com
Travel packages are also available from the following countries via Icelandair: Netherlands, US, Denmark, France, Canada, Germany, UK and Sweden.
Sonar Barcelona 2014
In Barcelona in 2014, Sonar by Day with its successfully premiered location in Fira Montjuïc, and Sonar+D, a concrete commitment to Sonar’s professional activity, will reaffirm the festival’s new format, born in 2013 for its 20th Anniversary.
Now in its 21st edition, the Barcelona event has been an international focal point for both the public and professionals with more than 124,000 visitors from around the world in 2013, which every year transforms Barcelona into the world capital of electronic music culture.
The dates for next year are 12th,13th and 14th of June. Tickets are already on sale at a special price of 150€ until the 30th of September here www.sonar.es
The next five international events, as well as the festival in Barcelona in 2014, make a total of 50 Sonar events and festivals organized worldwide since 2002, in countries including the United States, Canada, Japan, Brazil, South Korea, Germany, Mexico, Switzerland, Portugal, the United Kingdom and Argentina, among others.
London (2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2009, 2010 and 2011) / Lisbon (2002) / Neuchatel (2002) / Hamburg (2002, 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2006) / Tokyo (2002, 2004, 2006, 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014) / Turin (2002) / Rome (2003) / Sao Paulo (2004, 2012) / Lyon (2004) / Guadalajara (2004) / Buenos Aires (2006) / Seoul (2006) / Frankfurt (2007) / Washington (2009) / New York (2009) / Chicago (2010 and 2012) / Galicia (2010-2012) / Cape Town (2012 and 2014) / Sonar on Tour: Chicago, Toronto, Montreal, Boston, Denver, Oakland and Los Angeles (2012) / Osaka (2013) / Reykjavik (2013 and 2014) / Stockholm (2014) / Mexico DF (2014)
An overnight wash out and soggy campsites do nothing to calm the excitement of the campsites, particularly not the shock-and-awe naked guy who leapt into our front garden (code for hangout area in between tents) yelling loudly that he wanted everyone to join him in being “Tattooed and handsome”, but the sun is peeking out here and there as the dressed up masses head towards the main arena. Walking around, it’s clear to see the rain hasn’t dampened the British love for dressing up, as mer-men, sailors, jellyfish and sharks roam freely. We asked one enterprising soul if her freezer was now full of fish fingers, as she’d fashioned a costume from Birdseye boxes, she replied “Yeah, we’ll be eating them all winter…”.
2013 debut album smash-hitters Bastille turn out in style dressed as members of Team Zissou and play all the favourites to a packed out arena. ‘Bad Blood’ and ‘Icarus’ go down a storm but it’s ‘Flaws’ that really packs a punch and a cover of ‘Rhythm of the Night’ is weird but kind of brilliant at the same time. Ending with ‘Pompeii’ Bastille do themselves justice, with the whole crowd singing along.
Following Bastille is A-Yo featuring Mark Ronson Vs. Zane Lowe with a Bestival party-mix, and over on the big hill, the Bandstand is playing host to the Zee Guveya Heritage Band. Getting up for ‘The Pizza Dance’ whilst a cardboard Viking longship (with a Viking hoarde aboard) sails/walks past is extremely bizarre, but sipping our Bestivale’s and sampling the amazing food on offer provides a little Bestival downtime. We munch our way through fresh grilled corn on the cob and the most delicious lobster and chips (which were caught just round the corner in Ventnor apparently) before dragging ourselves to the peak of the hill for a look across the site. The magnificent scale of Bestival is only surpassed by it’s colour, from the tents to the arena areas, the flags and the works of art – Bestival really is a beautiful place.
At the top of the hill is the secret hideaway for lost souls known as The Solace Tent. The interior is all leather chairs and wicker sofas, comfy cushions and tables you can write messages on – enough of a sanctuary in it’s own right, but the lovely bods there will give weary travellers a cup of something hot and a tasty bit of cake (baked by IOW churches)… for free! Re-energised by the Solace saints, a trip to tiny town is a giggle – the kid sized village which you can take amusing photographs in, before heading back down the hill via a rummage in the second hand tents (nanna-knits everywhere) and a few cheeky tasters at the Crabbies bus.
On the main stage, Rudimental are showing off their status with an absolutely packed arena, busting out big hit ‘Right Here’ accented by a weird burst of what tasted like flavoured smoke (?!) before a cover of Fugees’ ‘Ready or Not’ and closing with the huge ‘Feel The Love’, with everyone pogo-ing like mad. Next up are Glaswegian punk-pop rockers Franz Ferdinand with a blast of hits starting with ‘No You Girls’. ‘Do You Want To’ is only slightly marred by the enormous downpour that drops in, but as the skies clear, the boys of FF bring it home with ‘Take Me Out’. They might be accused of being a bit samey sometimes, with jarring chords over marching-band beats, but they do what they say on the tin, and perform well. It’s probably a shame for them that they’re playing right before their practical antithesis – Snoop Dogg.
With giant red, yellow and green Rasta banners and posters of his own face – it was inevitable that Snoop Dogg would roll out with as much swagger and self-confidence as he displays on screen. Rocking a leather jacket and Adidas sweatpants, The Doggfather churns out hits ‘PIMP’, ‘Gin and Juice’ and Katy Perry cover ‘California Gurls’ featuring the dancing skills of some scantily dressed ladies giving him a lapdance. ‘Next Episode’ and ‘Drop It Like It’s Hot’ prove Snoop to be a great showman, and he finishes Saturday night on a high (probably quite literally in his case). See the full headline review for more details!
Sunday is a soggy morning too, but everyone seems determined to go full out for the last day of this truly special festival, so it’s on to do a bit of dancing with Bestival mascots The Cuban Brothers. With quite a lot of swearing, manly gyrating and costumes that leave absolutely nothing to the imagination (fringed, metallic lycra jumpsuits to be precise) they’re probably not the act to take your kids to, but damn are they good fun. Guest vocalist Mica Paris belts out ‘So Sweet’ which is from the new Cubans album ‘Yo Bonita’ (which we later got signed by Miguel and Kengo-San over at the Sunday Best tent) and breakdancing skills are busted out by Archerio, Kengo and newbie ‘One-Erection’. Miguel gets suitably excited about all the dancing (after having a broken foot and not being able to participate last year), takes off his white captain’s pants and thrusts the mic-stand like a pro. After telling a story about their times at Bestival… “We were in the woods eating philosopher’s stone mushrooms and we were lost… we were so cold we had to set our socks on fire to keep warm” and stuffing the mic into his spangly undercrackers, it’s time to say goodbye to the crazy Cubanos for another year.
Next up, Tom Odell croons his way into the ladies hearts with his soulful piano laden music, but it is a bit of a comedown after the hype created by The Cuban Brothers, but everyone warms up again for Chic feat. Nile Rodgers and a bit of boogying on down.
Disasterously scheduled at the same time as the Sunday headliner – Dan Le Sac Vs. Scroobius Pip’s Swamp Shack appearance has nevertheless garnered a pretty massive crowd around the strange run down house style stage, and as the smoke billows from the beat-up cars that set the scene, the duo drop right into classic ‘Beat That My Heart Skipped’, sending fans wild. Calling out “I’m all adrenaliney, I’m all shaky” Dan busts out the beat for ‘Sick Tonight’ and Pip launches into it with power, swinging on the (actually quite fragile) porch of the shack. After being handed two curly wurlys by some odd gentleman in the front row, Dan and Pip give us a tasty treat back in the form of new tracks ‘Stunner’ and ‘Gold Teeth (feat Flux Pavillion)’, the latter played for the very first time ever. Taking on a darker side the songs have everyone getting rowdy with Pip swishing water off the Shack’s decking to the beat.
Heading over to join the biggest crowd of the weekend at the main stage, Rock Royalty, Sir Elton John is giving us a tour through his vast collection of hits, wearing a trademark sparkly jacket. Elton’s packed set includes ‘Candle In The Wind’, ‘Crocodile Rock’ and ‘Rocket Man’, with the crowd singing along to closing ‘Your Song’ (See the full review for more details!). As the stage goes dark, Bestival’s closing ceremony commences, with an even bigger firework display than last year, a giant circular 10 being set alight and ticker tape explosions from the stage. Way to go out with a bang.
As usual, it doesn’t end there – Knife Party are playing at The Port and Easy Rider is on in The Amphitheatre… the night is young at Bestival, and we intend to make the most of it before we have to leave it behind for another year, but it’s safe to say that Rob and co. went all out this year, it truly has been a spectacular celebration and we would like to doff our captain’s caps and say HAPPY 10TH BIRTHDAY BESTIVAL!
Photos by James Bridle for the Summer Festival Guide
As the late summer nights begin to draw in and the end of the festival season is in sight, while many have packed away their daisy dukes, the Bestivalites are suiting up sailor style for the magical mayhem of HMS Bestival 2013 – Robin Hill park is adorned with swaying flags, the ferries are full and the campsites are primed for partying.
Thursday’s foray into the mad world of Rob Da Bank’s imagination sees a brand new area – Temple Island (which we managed to explore before it all burnt up – apparently part of the act not an act of pyromania) and a host of new ‘bubbles’ with a stage, chill out areas and sculptures as well as a heap of amazing places to eat (our particular favourite is Anna Mae’s Mac n Cheese).
Heading into the main arena past the giant illuminated Big Wheel, the Big Top is already chocka with people for The Correspondents. Mad frontman Mr. Bruce is spinning wildly in his humbug-harlequin frilly getup during ‘What’s Happened To Soho?’ before launching headlong into heart thumping jungle tunes, to which the crowd goes mental. Yelling “This is about as dirty as a gentleman like me gets on a Thursday” before leaping onto the sea of arms in the audience, Mr. Bruce crowd surfs to the halfway point in seconds as DJ counterpart DJ Chucks lays down the beat. Calling out “I’ve gotta be honest, this is overwhelming…” Mr. Bruce isn’t kidding – for anyone who hasn’t seen The Correspondents before; they usually play to pretty tiny crowds, and tonight The Big Top is overflowing and going top notch wild. Elsewhere, Tankus The Henge bring a punky edge to the adorable Polka Tent and every single person we pass has a giant grin plastered on their chops.
Friday sees drag spectacular Sink The Pink (usually found gyrating at The Grand Palace of Entertainment) joined on the main stage by members of The Royal Marine Reserves for a thoroughly jolly workout session, “On behalf of the armed forces, we thank you” and “On behalf of transvestites we thank you” are not two sentences you expect to hear at a festival on a Friday afternoon but it did make us giggle. French electro band Caravan Palace are a surprise with their interesting mix of what’s being termed ‘gypsy jazz’ alongside some proper swing-dancing, but the crowd really draws in for the hotly anticipated return of American hip-hop crew, Wu-Tang Clan. Despite the fact that pretty much everyone only knows one song, the band manage to produce enough hype to get the crowd jumping, before busting out 2001 mega hit ‘Gravel Pit’. DJ Mathematics pops off his shoe and proceeds to work the mixer with his foot to the chant of “When I say Wu-Tang, you say forever…” as a mass of ‘W’ hand signs are thrust skyward in appreciation. Though their set seemed to a lack a bit of punch overall, the nostalgia factor made up for it.
A quick jaunt to check out new area The Port reveals it to be a giant boat with Diablo acts, fire poi spinners and a massive mermaid, alongside some banging music from DJ’s atop the structure and a huge crane providing an aerial dancer a place to do crazy tricks above the awestruck crowd. It’s sort of reminiscent of our beloved (missing) Arcadia from the last couple of years, and really comes into it’s own at night, with regular fireworks, flame cannons and an amazing DJ lineup.
Over in The Big Top, Sinead O’Connor pokes her signature shaved bonce out onto the stage to a decent crowd for a stirring rendition (with added crowd participation) of her iconic Prince cover of ‘Nothing Compares 2 U’, giggling, Sinead says “Thank you, you sang beautifully”. Main stage veterans The Flaming Lips are as bonkers as ever, with frontman Wayne Coyne cradling a baby-doll atop silver spheres, in front of a light-waterfall before spinning a flaming orb around his head like a talisman. Amid the madness and glitter ticker-tape, it’s actually a decent set, but the bafflement on the faces around us suggest they’ve gone a step too odd/dark for the Bestival crowd this time.
The Big Top welcomes Belle & Sebastian with an almighty roar for ‘Cuckoo’, and their soft melodic rock lights up the rammed tent, as the rain begins to pour outside. Joking “I hope you haven’t taken all your drugs at once, remember it’s a marathon not a sprint” frontman Stuart Murdoch launches into ‘Another Sunny Day’ and grabs a host of lucky fans from the crowd to join them on stage for ‘Boy With The Arab Strap’. The Scottish Belles definitely put on one of the best performances of the whole weekend.
Despite the extreme soaking the thousands at the main stage just received, the crowd is going absolutely hyper to the sounds of Fatboy Slim’s Bestival Birthday Bash (See main review for full details), with lasers, fireworks, a great AV show and absolutely banging beats. Norman Cook was absolutely made for Bestival and it’s great to see him filling up the main stage instead of either getting crushed in the Big Top or on the fringe watching the fun happen from the outside. ‘Right Here Right Now’ and ‘Rockafella Skank’ are just absolutely massive, heart pounding, raving beasts of tunes and the whole arena is jumping and waving glowsticks like there’s no tomorrow.
At Bestival, the headliner isn’t ever the end of the action – if you go back to your tent, you’re missing out on the most magical hours at Robin Hill. Staggering about the Ambient Forest, with it’s Chinese lanterns and kids play areas, tiny stages and secret hideouts is honestly like being a kid again. Stick on a forest dwelling animal onesie and you may as well have been dropped into Where The Wild Things Are. It’s totally surreal. As if that wasn’t enough, sneaking past Bollywood and The Port, the top left corner of the forest has a hidden jewel in the form of The Ampitheatre. During the day, this plays host to a huge array of acts (notably, Scroobius Pip’s Satin Lizard Lounge of amazing spoken-word artists) but at night they show bizarre and melon-bending movies for the drunk and delusional. Tonight’s effort is an 80’s hip-hop spectacular ‘Beat Street’. The movie itself is kind of confusing and terribly acted, but the atmosphere of the dark benches hidden in the trees, the bunting and the secret snuggling is what The Amphitheatre is all about, oh and the really exceptionally drink-and-or-drug addled couple falling all over people on their 30 minute attempt to leave – comedy gold.
How do you close an epic teniversary, four day festival extravaganza, in a field full of the happiest souls in the country? LIKE A SIR. That’s how. Sir Elton John to be precise, Great British rock royalty doesn’t get better than this. Elton’s coming is preceded by shoulder-to-shoulder, asscheek-to-asscheek, barely standing room only arena-fullness and an air of excitement you can practically inhale. Despite worries of cancellation due to appendicitis earlier in the summer, Elton practically bounces on stage with aplomb in a bejewelled jacket emblazoned with ‘Madman Across The Water’ for comically entertaining ‘The Bitch Is Back’.
Ballad-tastic ‘Tiny Dancer’ and ‘Candle in the Wind’ were clearly loved by Elton fans, but a yawn here and there betrayed more than a few people hanging out for the rockier hits like the truly epic ‘I’m Still Standing’ and ‘Crocodile Rock’ – complete with crowd participation (especially from the few people dressed in crocodile onesies that night, perfect). ‘Saturday Night’s Alright For Fighting’ prompts shadow boxing all over, and a few ill-timed jokes result in mates accidentally punching each other and then falling about laughing, and karaoke style lyrics on screen for new single ‘Home Again’ keep everyone singing along and engaged.
Calling out “You’ve been amazing, I’ll never forget this” Elton says exactly what’s on everyone’s minds, and there’s a kind of mutual community in that – something special to Bestival, a shared emotion between artist and fans experiencing something together, and this certainly is the kind of memory that lasts. Elton finishes up with a huge sing-along ‘Your Song’, with people opening their voices into the sky before the enormous closing firework display. It’s been a belter.
