Camp Bestival Shropshire 2023 – REVIEWED!

THURSDAY

Arriving at Weston Park to get our wristbands is an exciting affair, after last year’s excellent debut we’ve been looking forward to getting back here ever since. The sun is shining (for now) and we’ve got a car packed to the brim with kid-snacks and rainbow clothing, bring on Camp Bestival!

I should note, for the first time EVER in my many years of attending festivals, we are staying in a fancy Bell-Tent in Boutique Camping. It feels absolutely surreal to be able to see our tent from the car, to have a manned reception, and some extremely fancy proper toilets and showers nearby. The tent itself has off-the floor proper beds with duvets and pillows, as well as power outlets for charging our phones. I could not be more appreciative of the luxury, but do have to say that last year’s regular camping experience here was still one of the nicest I’ve experienced. So whilst I will talk a lot about how great our Boutique camping time is this weekend – rest assured that any version of camping here is going to be a good time.

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Counting Thursday as a scoping-out the site day and for settling the kids into their new surroundings, we decide to head into the arena for some food and a look at the new set-up. The most immediate thing to note is that this year, absolutely everything has been mashed into one big space. Gone are the nebulous separate fields and areas, it all seems a bit jumbled together. Yes ultimately it is easier to navigate and travel around, but I am reserving judgement on how it works until the music starts tomorrow.

For now, we opt for pizza for the kids, and my favourite returning food – Bayou Kitchen’s cajun shrimp bowl, whilst we sit in the field having a look at everything. After eating we take stroll around to the main stage merchandise tent to peruse this year’s offerings and end up basically wanting to buy one of everything. The new ‘Sustainable’ range is really nice and quite subtle in it’s design, but there are also some louder fun things like the bright towelling-robes which are perfect for hitting the wild swimming or even the morning showers. I really liked the new patches and opted to get a set of three for £15, the kids loved the plushie Love-Bot of course, and it was cool to see new Roller Disco tees too – I am still rocking my OG Bestival Roller Disco one from 2011.

I’ve said it many a time before, but there’s nothing quite like a Bestival when dusk hits. The twinkling lights come on and give me that instant rush that is unique to Bestival brand events, that there is fun to be found in every corner of this event, and that I am going to stumble into something wonderful at every turn. We decide to take a little tour around the area leading up to the Park Pool. Whilst most of it isn’t open yet, we spot a few things we’d like to try over the weekend and then head into the Weston Woods to see what the offerings are there.

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Now this is going to be a bit of a moan. The wooded areas of Bestival sites, are often the most exciting bit of the festival. Usually they are bathed in beautiful lights, covered in bunting, decorations, fun sculptures. Usually they are home to many fun activities or places to cosy up and chat. Last year the woods around the top of the site (which aren’t in use at all this year) allowed you to walk along a long stretch of lake and watch the paddleboarders and wild swimmers having a lovely time, Cirque Bijou had a beautiful canopied stage in the trees, the circus tent was nestled in there with activities, as was the Tie-Dye workshop and many other fun things on the winding paths that ultimately led to Weston’s giant adventure playpark and the tiny Train experience.

This is, so diminished from that gorgeous experience we had last year, that I was genuinely sad. This set of woods is one very short straight path with a small tent area for the sensory garden, and further up the Orchestra of Objects. Yes some of the things previously housed in the woods are now situated in the main arena but it has absolutely taken away some of their magic, and the joy of finding hidden things on your travels. It is very hard to describe if you haven’t been to a previous Bestival event, but most of my love for them comes from swapping between small cosy experiences to the great big ones of the main stage acts, and this really feels like they’ve axed a lot of those things with this site layout.

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We head over to Caravanserai to be greeted with more of the same. It has been expanded into a whole area that you now just walk into without going through a hidden doorway into an enclosed area. Yes you can now take a trolley or pushchair into there, but it has lost so much of the magic I can’t fathom the reason. Last year people just pulled their trolleys up to the side and went in on foot, and sure a better space for trolleys would have been good, but there were security controlling the flow and footfall, and it was a beautiful area with that otherworldly feel… like you’d run away with the circus. This just… isn’t it. The caravans are spread widely around a huge area so it honestly barely feels like they have relevance, the theming of a close knit caravan corral has absolutely gotten lost in the explosion, and while there are more covered areas to sit under in the middle, it means that there is no central melee of people dancing, meeting, and drinking together.

Feeling a little deflated we head back to the campsite to try and get ourselves a decent sleep before the first full day tomorrow. Getting into a proper bed at a festival is as delightful as you can imagine.

FRIDAY

We had so nearly gotten away with a summer of minimal-rain festivals, but here it is, the great British summer curse. Despite a biblical downpour this morning, the lake seems to be teeming with wild swimmers regardless – from what I can see. We walk through the Slow Motion area which is a bit smaller than last year’s great big separate field which felt nice and calmly removed from everything else. This is stuck onto the side of Boutique camping and is very… overlooked. It’s a bit weird actually that you could stick your head out of your tent and watch people getting ice-baths and hot tubbing. The Yoga and Sleep Retreat areas are tucked around the corner in a bit more of a hidden spot but it is also downhill and quite slippy now that the rain has created a mud-slide.

Over the scary raft bridge we wave to some kayakers, but you can’t really stop to enjoy looking at the lake because this is definitely just a thoroughfare and is a bit tricky to navigate with trolleys, however we pop out on the other side to find lots of fun things to do in the Craft Village. There’s a great looking leathercraft workshop, a place where you can make wooden axes and swords, and a basket weaving area – all run by Spinney Hollow, a non-profit woodland project that operates in Winchester.

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Across the field we give some circus skills a go, with hula hooping (which I am extremely poor at), diablo and wooden stilts. The stilts go exactly how you imagine in the rain, and there are children falling at you left right and centre, but it is very fun all the same. Next door the Woodland Tribe fort build is soggily underway but our littles are a bit too small and chaotic to be set free with hammers this year so we toddle off in search of something else more their speed.

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Heading back into the woods they give The Orchestra of Objects a good old bash, an area filled with interesting instruments made from industrial junk, for children to smash around and make noise with… or for adults with childish sensibilities to attempt to play Black Sabbath on. No regrets.

Over at the carousel stage in Caravanserai, we catch a bit of Funke and The Two Tone Baby, which sounds like a lot of people, but is actually just one man playing a lot of instruments. The beats are funky, the cocktail bar has opened for business, and the lampshade-decorated tent is bumping – this is the distilled feeling of Caravanserai I craved. I just wish it translated to the whole area, and not just while I’m directly inside the carousel.

Funke and the Two Tone Baby
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We take a short walk over to see Cirque Bijou’s aerial show, an act based on birds and conservation performed by incredibly skilled artists in feathered costumes, hanging from high ropes. Following their fabulous performance, we tried to join in on the bird-mask making workshop, but it was absolute carnage so we opted to get our craft items to-go. This was actually really nice of them to let us do that, as it meant the kids had an in-tent activity to do one morning!

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Ducking into the Big Top, we catch a bit of the very funny and brilliant Horrible Histories (90’s kids represent), before heading over to the main stage for Bestival legends, The Cuban Brothers. What can I say about Los Hermanos Cubanos that I haven’t already said over the years? They are an institution, not to be missed, equal parts filth and fun. We might be shouting “Kenny The Pasta” instead these days, but they’re still out there breakdancing, getting semi-naked and being naughty, just the way it should be. Out in the crowd we spot Mike’s family dancing along, his daughters visibly cringing but loving the show, and it’s just really nice to see the spirit of Camp Bestival extending to even the families of performers. Everyone is there, having a good time together – despite the ‘wardrobe malfunction’ and threat of sexy favours.

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Next up on the main stage is the bafflingly weird Confidence Man. The duo hit the stage in what I can only describe as black silk zoot suits with some kind of inner frame which allows them to move in extremely creepy ways. Their unique electro-pop sound is somewhat overshadowed by the fact that they are just absolutely bizarre, but this places them right in the ‘perfect for Bestival’ zone in my opinion. The Venga-goths change into a glowing cone bra and epaulettes combo as the rain starts up again, and the crowd seem to be loving them.

Confidence Man
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In the Big Top, Badly Drawn Boy is adorably awkward and charming, with the soft sounds of ‘The Shining’ which he dedicates to “…everyone who has had a crap time lately… is that all of us?”. About a Boy movie song hit ‘Something To Talk About’ has everyone in the tent singing along, and Damon tells us “My kids are here, I think it’s my youngest’s first time seeing me perform” – again, it is so telling of this festival’s ethos and vibe, that artists can bring their families with them to enjoy it. I also particularly liked his cover of Madonna’s ‘Like A Virgin’ morphing into ‘Silent Sigh’, a truly gorgeous moment of peace and calm amidst the bustle of the festival.

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After a pit stop to run around on the Love-Bot (our omnipotent and terrifying ruler) runway, and then having a go on the new Earth-Bot slide, we get ourselves over to the main stage again for Sophie Ellis-Bextor. Sophie is rocking the most Bestival appropriate outfit of the weekend, resplendent in swishy orange and yellow fringe and a pink sparkly flapper bodysuit, she looks more than a little like one of the Firey’s from Labyrinth – you know, the ones who take their own heads off. I’m into it, and would like to wear that outfit myself. Unfortunately the rain is rolling in heavy at this point and a lot of people are running for shelter.

“I don’t know about you but I’ve been checking the weather for this so much… but actually, it’s kind of amazing isn’t it… you’ve just got to give in and go for it, dance in the rain, get wet…” she says, presumably heading back to a hotel after this… everyone sleeping in a tent tonight is less enthusiastic about the situation I assure you. Regardless, it’s a banging set of nostalgic hits for those of us of a certain age – well played Bestival – like ‘Take Me Home’, a medley of ‘Lady (Hear Me Tonight’ Groovejet ‘If This Ain’t Love’ and ‘Sing It Back’, and her 2001 hit ‘Murder On The Dancefloor’.

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Rudimental are the Friday night headliner of dreams, giving us absolutely everything we need to get rowdy. Incredible vocals, bouncy beats and a frenetic light show that has every single body in the arena jumping – especially now the rain has dissipated. ‘Dancing Is Healing’ really encapsulates the feeling at Camp Bestival tonight, and we love the Natalie Imbruglia ‘Torn’ cover too. “Where my old school ravers at? Get some little people up on shoulders!” is the call from DJ Locksmith that creates a scene, there are suddenly hundreds of kids on shoulders with glowsticks, going like they were born in a club. These kids sure know how to party, and that my friends, is parenting done right.

‘Feel The Love’ and ‘Waiting All Night’ are absolutely worth waiting all night for, even if the rain has begun again and is pouring down our necks, they never disappoint and this has been a cracking night one, leaving the stage with “Bestival, you are amazing, and we are Rudimental!”.

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SATURDAY

Starting Saturday with a bang, we head over to The Mum Club Brunch Takeover at The Literary Institute tent, for cocktails, glitter and meeting people. With a 10am start time the drinks are suitably breakfast-y with Mimosas, Bloody Marys and much needed Espresso Martinis on offer. Having not eaten actual breakfast this may be considered foolish but we had a very nice time and chatted to heaps of lovely people there, including co-founder of The Mum Club – Lauren Webber. We talked a bit about the ethos and beginnings of The Mum Club and how they are re-creating the ‘village’ for isolated mums everywhere, and reaching out with help advice and support to those in need.

Following this is an activity session run by Festival of the Girl, a collective who aim to provide fun education for families about stereotyping, patriarchal structures and systems which hold girls back in life. The event was really aimed at ages 7+ but they made everyone feel welcome, including our almost 4 year olds, for some gender-pay gap training (with coloured plastic balls) and language stereotype challenging (with fierce unicorn colouring and mission statements). It’s really nice to see these type of events being included in the CB line-up, supportive and uplifting programmes which you may never hear of or come across otherwise.

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Due to extreme post-cocktail munchies, we head over to The Feast Collective – which has had a total overhaul. Gone is the lovely giant tent with bierkeller style seating down the middle, and multiple eateries inside. Instead there is a Farmer’s Kitchen, which is selling various cheeses and meats. There are seats outside yes, and some more food trucks, but it has lost a little of that cosy factor, especially when the weather is so changeable. However, the new bigger food stage for Bocaloco grills and bbq demos is brilliant – and not just because they’re giving out freebies. We hang out and listen to a talk about the delicious properties of jackfruit, whilst chomping down on a poke-bowl which is absolutely delightful.

Over on the main stage Mr. Tumble is singing ‘Let’s Go Fly A Kite’ from Mary Poppins, which is one of my least favourite songs to hear after my kid adopted it for 4 solid months earlier this year. The show is very colourful though, and there are squillions of kids on shoulders having the time of their lives. Mine was asleep and missed the whole lot, including the follow up of Dick & Dom, who are top humans but not great DJ’s. I’m also mad at them for A. Rickrolling us, and B. mixing it with Nirvana’s ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’. Alert the authorities.

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When the small being awoke, we took ourselves over to have a go on The World’s Biggest Bouncy Castle which is as you can imagine, fucking huge. Now, they have done a good job here of separating kids into two categories for bouncing… there’s a big kids line, and a small kids line, and they alternate turns to minimise collision risk of disproportionate size whilst bouncing. The numbers however, are at chaos levels and the cohorts are set free to colonize the castle as they please. Hoards of children flying at each other in a WWE style rumble is exactly as terrifying and funny as I expected.

I may never recover from the side-splitting laughter I experienced watching one child quite literally fly over the head of another, only to land in almost a headstand against a turret of the castle. We escape with our lives thankfully, and head over to see what the Fancy Dress Parade is all about. This year’s Wild theme is almost 99% just people wearing crap leopard print items of clothing. Shropshire has not yet hit the highs of fancy dress effort that the Dorset original has, we need more effort next year please. Regardless, the competition and parade are already over-subscribed and they haven’t brought enough Rosettes so there are inevitably some crying kids around. There are however some excellent entries and everyone is having a lovely time watching them strut their stuff on the stage.

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Opting to find stuff to do since we can’t partake in the parade, we head over to the Soft Play tent, ours are just within the age range and head in to escape the heat of the afternoon. There are toys everywhere, ball-pit, stackable blocks and ride-on cars. There is luxury to be found in having a jolly good sit-down while they play, and there were even craft activities being led in one corner. Captain Barnacle’s Pirate Show is another strange wonder to have stumbled in on, the bit where he pretended to take his own eyeball out was of particular concern to my child, but we enjoyed the part where he showed us all of his party pants (less lewd than it sounds, more lewd than the children realised).

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Elvana are another stand-out returner from last year, this time Elvis is dressed in a white jumpsuit with a sparkly orange cape, and they’re throwing down some absolute tunes whilst two young Elvi (? Elvises?) in the front row dance around joyfully. “Sometimes we like to sing an Elvis song and start a circle pit… ok ok we’ll do the World’s first Elvis conga instead” they laugh before heading into a grungy cover of ‘Blue Suede Shoes’, but we love watching everyone get rowdy for ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’ the most.

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Sarah Cox brings giant inflatable Rubiks cubes and a huge party to the stage, but the arena is stacked for spaceman Sam Ryder who looks like his Nanna has been on top form with the crochet-hook again. Lavender and acid green flames lick baggy knitted basketball shorts and a cardigan, it’s certainly a lewk, and I like it. Of course he plays his Eurovision hit ‘Space Man’ but honestly the true star is his cover of Paramore’s ‘Misery Business’ what a bop.

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Over in the Big Top, Caity baser is heating things up having toned down absolutely none of her sweary songs (I approve wholeheartedly) and the tent is absolutely rammed full of people, while in Caravanserai we see Cirque Bijou doing an excellent set of juggling and acro skills to the background sounds of reggae coming from the carousel stage. Groove Armada are playing an epic DJ set on the main stage, but we are loving some downtime with Des O’Connor (no not that one) the piano man at The Bandstand. The dusk is warm, all these gorgeously golden-lit faces are joining in the chorus of Leonard Cohen’s ‘Hallelujah’ and Eurythmics’ ‘Sweet Dreams’, it is truly the beautiful point of being here. The community and camaraderie, the soul of Bestivals’ past has made it into this iteration and I’m so glad.

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Off in search of food we go, on our way to the main stage for tonight’s headline act – The Human League. Entering the very Tron-esque stage set-up, they immediately launch into some absolute classics like ‘Don’t You Want Me’ and gain the appreciation of the home crowd when frontman Philip Oakey says “…what a great location. Not that I’m biased but I’m from the Midlands… Leicester actually”. Singers Joanne Catherall and Susan Ann Sulley are both right in that sultry/mysterious pop diva zone to watch, and their voices soar across the arena over the 80’s synth waves. You can’t help but be drawn in by it all, even if you aren’t a particular fan.

Finishing up with Oakey’s own ‘Electric Dreams’ which very well could be the Camp Bestival theme song, is one of the hugest sing-alongs I’ve ever witnessed. The Human League were a truly fantastic headline choice this weekend.

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SUNDAY

It may be early, but kicking things off is national treasure and stone-cold legend Mr. Motivator for some morning main stage aerobics. 30 years in the game celebrations today too, the man has barely aged and can still rock an incredible neon outfit like no other. I wish he had merchandise for sale, 10/10 would purchase. Following on from this a decent crowd turnout to watch the Lionesses unfortunately lose their WC final game, but I think it’s really cool that that this was shown and prioritised as an event here – the times they are a’changing.

In some kind of unhinged sleep-deprived parenting choice (led by the whims of an almost-four-year-old of course) we decide to queue up to give Roller Disco a go at Bollywood. I do have a few axes to grind here though, it must be said. Bollywood has always been a giant rave tent of delight. Big enough to get your dance on, decorated and entered via a lovely colourful tower flanked with Elephants and such, beats all day long. Once when the roller disco came to IOW Bestival, it was tucked in the corner of said tent but the dancefloor remained.

This year, it has all gone a bit Pete Tong in my opinion. There is only the roller disco floor… which later on in the day is taken over as Bollywood for dancing. This means that the area itself is tiny in comparison to previous iterations of Bollywood and there is a very diminished number of people who can get into it when it’s being used as a dancefloor. It also means that when being used as a roller disco, the skate check and seats for putting on your skates are outside in the elements instead of under cover. It having rained this morning meant that ALL of us suffered soaked and muddy socks on the now sodden mats that had been put down, AND that it was absolutely deadly trying to get onto the disco floor itself, AND that wet muddy skates were about to be utilised on the disco floor. I have absolutely no clue why wasn’t thought of and managed a bit better to be honest, it made for two diminished events instead of the great addition I thought roller disco could have been.

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In the end we made it onto the floor for some extremely chaotic laps, run to the sound of Disney hits such as the very apt Frozen song ‘Let It Go’ which of course was aimed at everyone holding on to the railings for grim death. It was actually very fun, until one of our party fell down the muddy slippy steps on their way out and got gouged by a sticking up peg/bit of metal… can’t help but think the mashing together of roller disco and Bollywood was a budgetary concern instead of a comfort one.

Off we go to look into some other places instead, the nearby Dressing Up Tent is full of people looking for sparkly outfits and glitter face paint, Cirque Bijou are doing an amazing trapeze show and the drums are rolling in the African Activities workshop. We poke our heads into the Tie-Dye tent which looks fantastic once again, and watch a Dinosaur riding the mini ramp at Tic-Tac Skate School. Tic Tac also had a design-a-deck competition, which might be high on our list to do next year I think.

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We drop into The Feast Collective to grab fruit platters with spicy salt (trust me, it’s a must do) and feel quite smug about the children eating something other than chips and pizza this weekend, whilst watching the retro funfair swing boats go impossibly high. In the Big Top Hip Hop Karaoke is one of the best things I’ve witnessed all weekend, we have to teach these kids about the old school somehow. With that it’s off to the Adventure Play Park up above the camp grounds. Unfortunately here is where I have my second massive gripe of the day.

Firstly, having separated the arena from these woods, it means there is nothing fun to do on the way to the play park and it is a huge undertaking to get there instead of a pleasant walk through the forest. Last year there was beautiful lighting in the trees, art and sculptures everywhere, places to sit, things for kids to do etc. this year it is barricaded off except for the route through, which is truly a disappointment. I petition CB to reconnect this area next year, please please please.

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The adventure play park itself is awesome, with varying sizes of equipment aimed at different ages of children, and a really cute miniature railway which you can buy a ticket to ride on. Our kiddos absolutely LOVED all of this… until… one of them needed to go to the toilet. WHY OH WHY were there no toilets there this year? I do not understand why you would allow people to walk that far, to a completely remote location, for children, and not include at least one toilet. This is a huge oversight on behalf of the festival, and if you want to know if a child shits in the woods? They certainly do at Camp Bestival because there is no choice. Last year there was a small bank of adult sized, and kid sized composting loos available as well as a few portaloo stop points throughout the forest. We asked the people running the railway and they said they had had so many people angrily asking them where the facilities were for the area, apparently they had also requested some but been denied by the organisers.

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After another hike back to the arena we head over to see 80’s legends T’Pau, with Carol Decker yelling “It feels good to be home” who grew up in Shropshire. It’s mostly a crowd sitting in the sunshine to be honest, but they provide a very pleasant lazy Sunday vibe. East 17 are delayed and miss their Big Top slot, but are filled in for by the awesome East Angles Brass Band playing some very funky pop covers. Rob Da Bank is taking a DJ slot over on the roller disco, and Aussie DJ Hot Dub Time Machine is getting the main stage up and dancing with ‘Gimmie Gimmie Gimmie’ shouting “No-one is too cool for ABBA!”.

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In the Big Top comedian Dylan Moran is living up to his Bernard Black persona complaining about the lights, the sound and the photographers within two minutes of being on stage. He’s right though, due to the smooshing together of everything in one big arena, the sound bleed from other stages and fairground rides is thoroughly awful. Even standing in the tent from about midway, it is almost impossible to hear him which means a lot of people are leaving after only a few lines of his set.

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Ella Henderson has gathered one of the biggest crowds of the weekend, especially drawing in the teenage contingent who are all singing along to ‘Crazy What Love Can Do’. She has a gorgeous voice and just radiates happiness on stage. East 17 finally make it to the Big Top for their Christmas Party, to the squeals of middle aged women all around the tent. Of course there are dance moves, of course there is ‘Stay Another Day’ but I can’t pretend it’s my jam at all.

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Melanie C is on the main stage rocking her signature sporty look and confidently owning the stage. Did you know she’s had 11 UK number 1 hits? I didn’t, very impressive. Her voice is great, there’s a kid out front with “I wanna be a spice girl when I grow up” sign and everyone is loving it.

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Now… In a moment of madness or pure comedic juxtaposition, someone has booked Napalm Death. I could not believe my eyes when I read it on the schedule months ago, but yes here they are. Barney and co from Meriden, the grindcore monsters of death metal, are at Camp Bestival. The festival of colour, light and harmony. In fairness, you’ll struggle to find a band whose ethics and political commentary align more with those of Bestival – socialism, anarchy, flipping the status quo, doing better for the planet and those around you. I suppose they’re actually a perfect fit…

So when they explode onto the stage with all the subtlety of a stampeding horde of wildebeest, and Barney’s frenetic movements around stage are revealed to the CB crowd in all their glory I expect rejection. What I actually see is a circle pit. A real life circle pit at Camp Bestival – I am shook to my very core. “We are a local band for local people” Barney jokes before waxing lyrical on how ‘Illegal migrants’ is a ridiculous term and damning the government for their policies, to rapturous applause. We also see Rob Da Bank sneaking into the Big Top to join the fun and brawl of it all. One Dad with two teenage daughters is probably in the bad books though, having walked into the tent and heard about two bars of the next song, one daughter bursts into tears and they have to leave. Poor little sausage.

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Barney is in full flow yelling about religious persecution and recent laws across the world being “…an assault on women’s basic rights of bodily autonomy” as well as “the smear on Trans people’s imperative to just live their lives”. Is it too much to wish that they had done a collaboration with Festival Of The Girl this weekend? Crowd surfers, the worlds’ shortest song, and a final cover of Dead Kennedys’ ‘Nazi Punks Fuck Off’ is the rallying cry we all need. What a truly truly fucking fantastic energetic set. Whoever booked them gains my undying love.

In a complete change of pace, our final headliner of the weekend is indie rock powerhouse Primal Scream. Hitting the stage in a sparkly silver suit, frontman Bobby Gillespie oozes that elusive air of unbothered coolness, before he completely lets go to sing ‘Movin’ On Up’ alongside thousands of voices in the crowd. It’s clear this is final-night behaviour, every single parent out there is having a good old boogie much to their children’s delight or chagrin, and I adore it.

‘Come Together’ is fantastic, ‘Country Girl’ and ‘Rocks’ have everyone moving with them, there are kids handing out glowsticks, bubbles, happy faces everywhere you turn, and we have an enormous bucket of churros. Oh Camp Bestival, I do love you.

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After a mini raft of fireworks, pulling up to the FOH in a sequinned kimono, Rob Da Bank thanks everyone for coming to this year’s event, before announcing that The Red Devils will be doing a night parachute drop above us right now. Now look, it’s all very impressive and fun, but don’t know if I can get on board with someone who says to themself “yeah, I’ll just pop myself out of a plane at night and hurtle towards the ground before hoping my parachute opens… oh, and then you know what, it might be a bit dark so I’ll also set myself on fire so everyone can see me”. I’d have liked to have seen them during the day, but apparently wind conditions wouldn’t allow – maybe next year.

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Oh and yes, we missed the iconic Kate Winslet reading bedtime stories in her pyjamas and we will FOREVER BE MAD ABOUT IT. Peace out Camp Bestival, you’re the real MVP… but please fix the jumble sale of a site – we want our separate areas back.

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Bestival and Common People present: The World’s Biggest Bouncy-Castle!

The Bestival family has a long and august history of going that extra mile, making the world of festivals bigger, better and brighter. And this year is no exception, pushing the boundaries of bobbing up and down to the very limit, we’ve teamed up with our old muckers, Cardiff-based Something Creatives to make what we think is the world’s biggest bouncy castle! Aiming to add to our accolades for the world’s largest fancy dress party, the biggest busk ever and our colossal disco ball, this could well be the greatest inflatable on Earth, and it’s making its debut at Common People in Southampton this coming bank holiday weekend!

Rob da Bank says: “We do love breaking a record and this is one of our funnest builds so far. Me and my mate Matt from the infamous Inflatable Church had a pipe dream about five years ago of building the world’s biggest bouncy castle, and this summer we’re making that a reality. So polish your socks and step up for what will be one of the most innocent of pleasures – bouncing up and down with gay abandon with your mates, family or friendly strangers. See you on the castle!”

Something Creatives’ Matt the Hat commented: “I’ve always been the first kid in the sandpit and consider play a fundamental part of everyday life. Everyone should find the time to play. The playful spirit of creating joy and fun is shared by Rob da Bank and all of the Bestival family and has made this brilliantly bonkers idea a reality. Whether you’re young or old, what could be more fun than jumping around inside the biggest bouncy castle in the world?  Just watch out for the ‘bouncers’, and remember if you’re wearing shoes then you can’t come in!”

Everyone loves a bouncy castle. That’s a fact. And we’ve got even more facts about our blow up bastion that could see us heading for the record books once again. Smashing an almost 20-year-old record and measuring a frankly epic23.8 metres long and 20.7 metres wide our bouncy castle stands 12.8 metres tall at its highest point; the side turrets are equal in height to the walls of Cardiff Castle, making it taller than the Great Wall of China and roughly three times the size of the Berlin Wall! Filled with 1143 cubic metres of air it can comfortablyaccommodate 100 pleasure-seeking festivalgoers at one time.

Quite simply massive, it’s an inflatable legend in the making, don’t miss the chance to have a jump around on our historic bouncy castle at Common People, Southampton this 28th & 29th May, and then at Camp Bestival 28th-31stJuly and Bestival from 8th – 11th September.

Bouncy Castle Comparison:

                                                            Length          Width           Height         

 

Word’s Biggest Bouncy Castle:          23.8m          20.7m          12.8m                 

 

Previous Record Holder:                    19m             19m             12m            

The clock is ticking and Common People tickets are flying so grab yours now at www.commonpeople.net

Common People announce Uncommon Stage line-ups

Continuing our mission to connect like-minded party people on common land, the Common People team are very pleased to announce the line-ups for our Uncommon Stage. Flexing his all-encompassing musical muscles Rob da Bank has joined forces with legendary, longstanding music publication Nightshift in Oxford and acclaimed venue The Joiners in Southampton, to bring you the cream of the up-and-coming music scene, featuring some of the most exciting new and underground bands, this coming May Bank Holiday at South Park and Southampton Common. 

Common People curator Rob da Bank says: “The beating heart of all our festival adventures is getting people to discover new music and uncover new bands. Our curators, Ricky from The Joiners in Southampton and Ronan from the seminal Nightshift magazine, are experts in these matters, so please be upstanding and make much noise for The Uncommon Stage.”

 

Nightshift’s Ronan Munro says: “It’s fantastic that so many local acts are getting the opportunity to play at Common People, with the opportunity to play to a whole new audience, and it’s great that we get the chance to show the variety of music that comes out of Oxfordshire – from hot jazz, reggae, hip hop and blues to doom metal, electronica, punk and even pirate pop. I’ve always tried to make musicians proud to come from Oxfordshire, and Oxfordshire be proud of its musicians and this weekend is proof that Oxfordshire is home to a wealth of music talent”.

The Joiners’ Ricky Bates says: “We at the Joiners are utterly thrilled to be directly presenting the Uncommon Stage this year with some of our favourite touring acts of old and new in one space! Plus, we have some amazing home grown local talent throughout the day covering everything from ska to metalcore to indie rock n’ roll across the weekend, it’s going to be the most righteous fun weekend, don’t stay in! See you down the front”.  

Saturday in South Park, Oxford will see the Uncommon Stage shake to the sounds of local seven-piece vintage r ‘n’ b and hot jazz outfit Original Rabbit Foot Spasm Band, east Oxford’s roots-inspired Zaia, the glistening pop hooks of Neverlnd, Chipping Norton’s Esther Joy Lane, the doomladen Undersmile, and Cowley’s Cameron A.G. who recently scored a Hottest Record in the World Right Now on Annie Mac’s Radio 1 show. There will also be rum-soaked fun from Peerless Pirates, gothic blues pop sounds from Death of the Maiden and looped vibes from mind-blowing cellist Duotone. 

Sunday’s super-fresh action will see Oxford-based, pan-European gypsy-ska-punks The Balkan Wanderers heading up a coruscating line-up that will include local electronic types Maiians, electro rockabilly blues from Vienna Ditto, Witney’s Little Brother Eli, Oxford-based beats cooperative Inner Peace Collective, Chipping Norton sibling duo Cassels, purveyors of porch folk with attitude The August List, Cowley’s Young Women’s Music Project and the experimental, ethereal sounds of Oxford via Stockholm’s Julia Meijer.

On Southampton Common, Saturday’s dazzling new sounds will come courtesy of much admired Cambridge five-piece Lonely the Brave and experimental Brightonians Tall Ships, with sets from singer-songwriter Sean Mcgowan, stadium-ready post rockers New Desert Blues and BBC 6 Music-supported Bel Esprit, all of whom hail from Southampton. There will also be live music from the Isle of Wight’s math-pop four-piece Signals and the home turf triumvirate of Our Hollow, Our Home, Elixir and Vicki Musselwhite, with the first of our soon to be announced I Want to Play at Common People winners also making an appearance. 

Sunday will see NME-championed Palma Violets topping a bill that will include garage rockers Pretty Vicious, Portsmouth’s Kassassin Street, and a cavalcade of local heroes including Science of Eight Limbs, The Rising, Bigtopp, These Septic Stars and Cassava, with two more I Want to Play at Common People winners completing the line-up.

Showcasing the very best in ambitious new music, don’t miss discovering your new favourite band at Common People’s temple of innovative sound, The Uncommon Stage.

Beat Herder first wave line up announced.

BEAT-HERDER FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES FIRST ACTS FOR 2016
 
 
RIBBLE VALLEY, LANCASHIRE
15TH – 17TH JULY 2016

www.beatherder.co.uk
 
 
PRIMAL SCREAM
CHRONIXX & ZINCFENCE REDEMPTION
DONOVAN
ANDHIM
CLAUDE VONSTROKE
DERRICK CARTER
CLEAN CUT KID
DOORLY
DUB PISTOLS
EASY STAR ALL STARS
GENTLEMAN'S DUB CLUB
GENERAL LEVY

FORMAT: B / JAUZ / JESS ROSE / JUSTIN MARTIN
MARSHALL JEFFERSON / RITON / SONNY FODERA

A.SKILLZ / BEATANGERS / DELTA HEAVY / DR ALEX PATTERSON (THE ORB) / KRYSKO / MOOQEE / UTAN SAINTS / WILL TRAMP / BROADWAY SOUNDS / CASH + DAVID / CAPTAIN HOTKNIVES / COSMO SHELDRAKE / FORMATION / KIKO BUN / LOUIS BERRY / OTHERKIN / TANTZ

DOHNUT / ED STONES & THE BD3 / EDDIE EARTHQUAKE & THE TREMORS / FANDJANGO / THE FOLKESTRA / FOXES FAUX / J-BEAR & THE GIANTS / PETE FOXON'S SOUL TRAIN / RARE ELEMENT / RUBBER KAZOO / FATHER FUNK / JAMIE BERRY / JAY NEWMAN / MAFIA KISS / NICOLA BEAR / SKAPES

 
 
The jewel in the crown of Northern England's festival calendar, the beloved Beat-Herder Festival, is back with a much-anticipated cheer from the 12,000 set to attend. Following its huge 10th birthday celebrations last year, Beat-Herder returns with its first line up announcement for 2016.

What sets this festival apart from all the rest – in addition to its entirely hand-made site and unpretentious atmosphere – is its wealth of musical diversity. True to form, in 2016 Beat-Herder will once again celebrate all genres of music, with a genuinely diverse line up that features household names across rock, house, techno, dub, reggae, drum & bass, folk, indie – with even a spot of EDM and dubstep thrown in for good measure.

Taking to the main stage will be veteran Scottish psych-rockers Primal Scream, folk-pop troubadour and Rock & Roll Hall of Fame member Donovan, reggae legend Chronixx, who will perform with his Zincfence Redemption Band, high octane party upstartsGentleman’s Dub Club and firm favourites Dub Pistols.

Over at the magical Toil Trees stage, the house and techno heartland of the festival nestled deep in the woods, Beat-Herder will play host to some of today's biggest DJs, including Riton – whose current track Rinse & Repeat  ft. Kah-Lo is riding high in the charts – Dirtybird co-founder Justin Martin, Andhim, Defected stalwart Sonny Fodera and a special Doorly & Friends takeover, featuring fellow Dirthybird ead honcho Claude VonStroke, Derrick Carter, Will Tramp and many more.

Beat-Herder's very own 60ft x 60ft rave Fortress – complete with its own lasers, ramparts and fire breathing turrets – will be headlined by LA-based dubstep superstar Jauz, who has been garnering support from the likes of Skrillex, Zedd and Diplo. Living ragga legendGeneral Levy is also confirmed for The Fortress and will no doubt bring his encyclopedic knowledge of ragga, jungle and dancehall to the Ribble Valley this July.

 
 
Originating from roots as a free rave on the Lancashire moors in 2006, Beat-Herder Festival has grown to where it is today thanks to a swift word-of-mouth growth and a devout army of fans who come back year on year. Despite its increasing popularity, the organisers intentionally cap the tickets at an intimate 12,000 to maintain it’s egalitarian feel. Beat-Herder is a friendly, barmy, hedonistic oasis hidden amidst the relative calm of the Ribble Valley

So much more than a music festival, Beat-Herder houses a Working Men's Club, comedy stage, a tattoo parlour, yoga classes, workshops including knitting and woodturning, mass-participation games, pop-up performances, a fun-fair and many more surprises round every corner, giving the punter an entirely holistic experience.

The entire site is made from scratch, by hand, including the tunnels in the woods leading to secret raves (look out for a red telephone box…) and a chapel, complete with SundayService. With so many secrets round every corner, including a secluded on-site swimming pool nestled in the heart of the woods, it’s no wonder the festival is such a special and magical experience for those lucky enough to attend, described by Gigwise as a ’northern secret and a magical wonderland.’  

Reflecting the eclectic programming the festival is known for, Beat-Herder have also confirmed multi-instrumentalist and singer Cosmo Sheldrake, who creates beautifully unique folk-tinged tunes, Dr Alex Patterson of the legendary house group The Orb, breakbeat dance artist A.Skillz, Ram Records regulars, drum & bass metal duo Delta Heavy, house producer Jesse Rose and reggae singer/producer Kiko Bun.

 
 
Broadway Sounds will be showcasing their Australian psych-pop sound, with rising UK band Clean Cut Kid also on the billing. Bringing their ‘hard-hitting klezmer’ to Beat Herderare Leeds-based band Tantz, as well as Irish grunge-pop outfit Otherkin. On the Maison D’Etre stage – aiming to showcase a hand-picked selection of upcoming and unusual artists – are guitarist and singer Louis Berry and electro-pop duo Cash and David

Stay tuned for more exciting line up announcements to come…

Common People Announce Big Top Line-ups

Revealing a gargantuan cavalcade of delicious music for your dancing feet coming to Common People, we’re extremely excited to announce our Big Top line-up and lots more dance-based beatniks, who will be joining Duran Duran, Primal Scream, Craig David, Gaz Coombes, Public Enemy and many more at Oxford’s South Park and Southampton Common on Saturday 28th May and Sunday 29th May.

Common People curator Rob da Bank says: “Well, what can I say? Some of my favourite DJs, new and old, are coming to our joint Common People shebangs in Southampton and Oxford. Rodigan is a legendary party starter and reggae god, Kurupt FM are the funniest, funkiest garage crew ever and Hospitality promise to bring the jungliest ruckus… See you down the front”.

Hitting the Big Top in Southampton on Saturday and heading on to Oxford on Sunday we will have pure murkage and bare reloads from Brentford’s finest pirate radio crew Kurupt FM, plus there will be a sublime Hospitality Takeover featuring Camo & Krooked, London Elektricity, Fred V & Grafix, Etherwood and Dynamite MC, Wrec, with 130bpm bomb selection by Amy Becker.

Making good in South Park’s Big Top on Saturday and bound for Southampton Common on Sunday is reggae big gun David Rodigan MBE who will present his legendary Ram Jam with My Nu Leng, David Rodigan MBE, DJ Zinc, Prince Fatty and Venum Sound, plus there will be bassline business from recent chart stars 99 Souls, plus soulful and classy club business from local boys made good Housewurk in Oxford.

In Southampton our iconic Bollywood Cocktail Bus will play host to Junk: “Not Your Thing” on Saturday with rising Glaswegian star Denis Sulta ramping up the energy, and speaker smashers from Jordan McKinlay, Luca Pilato, Ronnie Spiteri, Caruana & Daniel O’Rourke, while Sunday’s sounds come courtesy of Deaf By Disco, Pete Callard, Foor and Little Chief.

There will be plenty of beats and bass in Oxford at the kaleidoscopic Sugar Skulls Cocktail Bar with Ben Gomori, Cornerstone Soundsystem, Ghettospheric, Mims & Thirsty, DJ Giles, Joel Kane and DJ Hecktick providing the flavour on Saturday, while on Sunday Simple Presents club wunderkind and Glaswegian house maverick Jasper James, with soundsystem fire from Em Williams, James Weston, Xavier, Time Gore, Tom Baker, Stav, Dan Gascoyne and Burt Cope.

Oxford’s South Park will also have the exalted Disco Shed on hand to keep you dancing long into the evening with Count Skylarkin (Trojan Records), Kerry & Casio, DJ FU (Freerange), Harvey K-Tel, Greg’s Greats (The Shellac Collective), Alex 19 from Wigan and Jason ‘The Cat’ King on Saturday and Peepshow Paddy, Del Gazeebo, Em Williams (Simple), Dapper Dan, Trol23, JJMaurage’s Reggae Bingo and Miss Splinters on Sunday.

Primal Scream & Belle & Sebastian to headline OnBlackheath 2016

OnBlackheath Festival in partnership with John Lewis, London’s most anticipated music, food and family festival returns this year on Saturday 10 and Sunday 11 SeptemberOnBlackheath is the ultimate weekend for standout live music with mouth-watering food and drink experiences along with a fun-filled program of entertainment for all ages. Tickets are on sale Friday 12 February and available via www.OnBlackheath.com 

Confirmed to headline the Main Stage on Saturday are Scottish rock legends Primal Scream who are on the cusp of releasing their latest studio album ‘Chaosmosis’ alongside Grammy Award winning electronic music maestros Hot Chip. Indie pop icons Belle & Sebastian to close the Festival on Sunday along with multiplatinum-selling James who are set to release their new album ‘Girl at the End of the World’.

Saturday’s line-up alongside Primal Scream and Hot Chip will be, Mercury Music Prize nominee Roisin Murphy and cool catLoneLady. Sunday sees Belle & Sebastian, and James on the main stage, along with local heroes Squeeze, and Mercury nominated singer songwriter SOAK

This year’s Second Stage will see the return of Heavenly Records with a promised killer line up, and new kids on the blockNTS Radio, who have been making big waves since they began broadcasting in 2011.

OnBlackheath, celebrating their third year, unveiled their 2016 line-up at an exclusive launch party DJ’d by Squeeze’s Glenn Tilbrook at the Hare & Billet puba stone’s throw from the festival site.

Harvey Goldsmith CBE added, “I am incredibly proud that OnBlackheath festival has reached its 3rd year returning on 10th & 11th September 2016. We’ve established ourselves as one of London’s most looked-forward to events. We pride ourselves on good music, bespoke immersive food experiences and a special day out for all the family. I am thrilled this year to introduce for the first time, the ‘Puffin World of Stories’ to the Under 12’s area, bringing to life the great Puffin authors.”

With the hottest in music and very best culinary delights, OnBlackheath offers festivalgoers a memorable experience on the historic green space of London’s Blackheath Common SE3. OnBlackheath will also feature an array of exciting attractions including the John Lewis Food Village with a  food demonstration stage coupled with celebrity chefs and an immersive dining experience. For the first time Puffin Books will be bringing to life the kid’s experience with their World of Stories across the festival. OnBlackheath embraces families as under 12s go free!

Rachel Swift, Head of Brand Marketing for John Lewis said, “For the third year running we are delighted to be supporting OnBlackheath.  It's our celebration of music, family fun and food with the John Lewis Food Village at the heart of the festival.  And if you're a my John Lewis member there's exclusive access to an array of extra treats.”

OnBlackheath has established itself as a landmark event in the London calendar and has previously presented the likes of Massive Attack, Grace Jones, Elbow, Madness, Manic Street Preachers and Kelis. Last year over 30,000 music and food lovers gathered to enjoy OnBlackheath, across the two days.

Primal Scream set to headline Electric Fields Festival

Electric Fields, Scotland’s most exciting new music festival, is proud to announce PRIMAL SCREAM as the first headliner for 2016, with Everything EverythingThe Twilight SadPublic Service BroadcastingErol Alkan and Model Aeroplanes and Joy Orbison also revealed.
 
Returning to the stunning grounds of the 17th Century Drumlanrig Castle in Dumfries & Galloway on Friday 26th and Saturday 27th August, Electric Fields expands to two full days for the first time in 2016, offering festival goers even more incredible music and time to enjoy the intimate, community atmosphere that has made it such a hit with fans during its first two outings.
 
Primal Scream continue to be one of the most exciting bands on the planet, with a hugely successful and influential career spanning almost three decades and a catalogue of genre-defying hits, united by the groove. Loaded, Movin’ On Up, Rocks, Jailbird, Kowalski and Country Girl are just some of the highlights and, with the bands’ 11th album Chaosmosis due for release in March 2016, this homecoming show will be an unmissable festival experience.
 
Electric Fields co-founder Nick Roberts said
 
“We’re incredibly excited to bring Primal Scream to Electric Fields this August. They have created some of the greatest music these islands have produced and are right at the top of their game. The rest of the line-up compliments the whole nature of the festival brilliantly and we’re delighted to have this legendary band spearheading it for us. With our new two-day format, we’re able to bring even more incredible acts to the beautiful estate at Drumlanrig Castle and we can’t wait to welcome everyone come August.”
 
Standing as the mad scientists of indietronica, Everything Everything have garnered acclaim and awe with their constantly evolving soundscapes on modern life. Since emerging onto the alternative scene with their Mercury Prize nominated debut “Man Alive”, the Manchester quartet have grown from strength to strength, characterised by the multi-faceted vocals of frontman Jonathan Higgs. Dominating airwaves and stages around the world, these time-travelling explorers will be touching down at Electric Fields fresh from their widely acclaimed latest LP “Get To Heaven” for a set that’s sure to live-long in the memory.
 
National treasures don’t come much bigger than The Twilight Sad whose melancholic tales of heartbreak and life have soundtracked the emotional heartstrings of their homeland for nearly a decade. Their 2014 album “Nobody Wants To Be Here And Nobody Wants To Leave” was met with universal acclaim, breathing new life into the post-punk world. With a new release on the horizon, their performance at Electric Fields is set to captivate the masses, and cement their place as one of the most important acts of a generation.
 
Public Service Broadcasting stand in a world of their own, creating unique and challenging soundtracks to the pivotal moments in human history. Their most recent LP, “The Race For Space,” transported listeners back to the heady days of the space race, combing historical clippings of the time with their epic instrumental soundscapes. Their immersive, cinematic show is set to be a stand-out at Electric Fields this summer.
 
Scotland’s very own Model Aeroplanes stand as one of the most exciting new bands in the UK, and their dazzling blend of indie-pop shows exactly why major labels were scrambling to sign the Dundee natives. Expect a mesmerising performance from a band destined to fill arenas. 
 
Edinburgh’s Sneaky Pete’s will bring some of the most exciting names in electronic music to their own stage at Electric Fields this year. Erol Alkan, seminal electro pioneer, revered producer, remixer, DJ and head honcho of independent label Phantasy Records will be dropping tectonic vibrations throughout the fields, as he makes himself at home for an unrelenting showcase of the best in underground dance. Joining him on the Sneaky’s lineup will be renowned boundary-morpher Joy Orbison whose infectious beats will make for a celebration of groove and funky house. Drawing inspiration from a plethora of genres, the maverick Londoner has lead the way for electronic music, establishing a style that has soundtracked dark basement dens and festival stages worldwide. 
 
Electric Fields is delighted to announce that the Tim Burgess-curated Tim Peaks stage, famous for secret sets and an eclectic variety of artists, will be part of the 2016 family. The first artist to be revealed is actor Paddy Considine’s Riding The Low. So much more than a side project, the band’s infectious Suede-like melodies have seen them captivate crowds at festivals around the country.

Y Not Festival 2015- Review

Y Not Festival partied with the right people for its tenth birthday, celebrating with the likes of Snoop Dogg, Basement Jaxx, Primal Scream, Jonny Marr and a further eclectic mix of smaller music providing something for everyone.

The festival saw a mixture of people attending, all of different age groups with a designated camping area on site for families, catering for young and old, with an atmosphere of hippy and care-free vibes running throughout the whole weekend. Situated in rural Pikehall, Derbyshire across a vast amount of fields, in comparison to previous years it had definitely expanded. However, it wouldn’t be a challenge to walk from one end of the festival to the other within the space of fifteen minutes, so I’d still class it as a ‘small festival’. There was a dress up theme on the Saturday of ‘What I wanted to be when I grew up’ with plenty of super hero costumes, neon ravers and strangely animals.

FRIDAY

Reverend and the makers were an afternoon treat on the Friday, where they played both a mix of old and new material-which echoed an electronic feel throughout their set featuring some songs which some had been written in Jamaica. They did well interacting with the audience to get the crowd moving, especially to their catchy older tunes Heavyweight Champion of the World and He Said He Loved Me.

After a warm and sunny first day, Friday’s headliner Snoop Dogg closed the day full of live acts, and got the crowd going wild (even to the point where firecrackers were set off) to his set including tunes Gin and Juice, Drop it like it’s hot and Young wild and free.  It sounded very surreal when Snoop was bouncing off the audience addressing them “Matlock” as it seemed hard to believe that the rapper was actually there, in this small place in the Peak District performing to a huge crowd.

Although the all the live music had finished by 11pm, there were small tents dotted around the festival grounds where DJs including George Walford performed to party people until the  early hours of the morning which deemed very popular as the tents were packed with not much room to move about.

SATURDAY

Saint Raymond, a Nottingham based artist performed late afternoon on the Saturday, giving the audience a full hours-worth of indie pop tunes, which were really catchy numbers. Although the songs were quite samey you would probably dance to them even if you didn’t know them or hadn’t heard of them, especially their newer stuff. Young Blood and Bonfires were two stand out tunes that were enjoyable to listen to.

After a showery afternoon with ponchos galore, it managed to stay dry for one of the bands that were a main reason why Y Not was the place to be; Basment Jaxx. They didn’t fail to pull a great performance of the bag which included some of their absolute classics also mixed with their new songs, getting everyone dancing and singing to Romeo, Raindrops and closing with Where’s Your Head At. The end of their performance finished with a literal bang, full of confetti and fireworks which made the crowd want more.

SUNDAY

Rhodes played on the Sunday at the main stage where the majority of the audience were chilled out on the grass. Coming to see Rhodes was a choice well made. He lulled the audience into a soothing state with his distinct folk sound, which would be much needed for most people on the Sunday, after two or three massive days of music, giving people some ear TLC with his music.

Another artist who was an easy listen was Nick Mulvey who played at the Quarry Stage in the evening. He had crowds swaying during his performance as his guitar playing was pretty impressive, creating sounds that wouldn’t seem possible on the guitar and accompanied by his voice gave a calming act to the audience, a gem for a Sunday evening.

Primal Scream were the closing act on the Sunday where everyone old and young squeezed into the crowd to see the rock band with the all-time classics perform. The highlight was definitely Moving On Up, which got everyone singing. Although they put on an impressive show to close the festival, I would have preferred Basement Jaxx as the final act.

On the Sunday night there was a silent disco, which was a fun way to finish the festival off and is always hilarious when you take off your headphones to see everyone dancing and lip-syncing in silence.

Y Not offered festival-goers big names in music at a small scale venue. Pikehall, Derbyshire is a cosy location which seems to have expanded itself throughout its ten years of existence. It is a place where emerging artists are given the chance to perform alongside many local and up and coming artists who also take slots on the main stage. The atmosphere and set up of the place reminded me of a smaller scale Glastonbury festival with plenty to see and do. Including small tents with things to do before the music started, somewhere to go and get glitter on your face and your hair braided or even pick yourself up some off the hook outfit. Y Not provided an impressive selection of food ranging from noodle bars to beef burgers and also catered for the vegan and vegetarian festival goers. I’m excited to see what next year will bring, as I can only imagine even bigger and better. Y Not get yourself there next year, I definitely will be.

Snoop Dogg, Primal Scream & Basement Jaxx to headline Y Not Festival 2015

Hip-hop icon Snoop Dogg, Scottish alternative rockers Primal Scream and electronic duo extraordinaire Basement Jaxx are the first headliners announced for Y Not festival, 31st July – 2ndAugust, Pikehall Derbyshire. From singer-songwriter Saint Raymond to garage punk duo Slaves, a diverse feast of genre-hopping artists is confirmed for the event. Summer is sure to sound stunning in the Peak District countryside when Y Not rolls in to town. Tickets at £89.50 are available now via ynotfestivals.co.uk.

Whether you know him as Snoop “Doggy” Dogg, Snoop Dogg or Snoop Lion, the Westcoast rapper is a hip-hop legend and his hits such as ‘Gin and Juice’ and ‘Drop It Like it’s Hot’ are regarded as classics. Here’s hoping he brings the Californian sunshine with him for his headline set at Y Not festival. Air guitars at the ready for cult 80's band Primal Scream who will be performing hits such as 'Moving on Up Now' and 'Country Girl' to fans and crowds alike. Finally to top the bill of the Derbyshire bash are Basement Jaxx, a duo who have rocketed from their beginnings in the Brixton club scene to top charts internationally plus bag an acclaimed BRIT Award for Best Dance Act No doubt dancing shoes will be essential for this set.

For guaranteed festival vibes folk and acoustic singer-songwriters Saint Raymond and Nick Mulvey take to the stage, whilst rock quartets We Are the Ocean and Pulled Apart By Horses both perform. Finally Lancashire lass Rae Morris and sharply attired two-piece Slaves, plus Glasgow’s indie-pop duo Honeyblood, Gengahr, Jagaara, The Academics, Ruen Brothers, Fearless Vampire Killers, Allusondrugs and King Pleasure & The Biscuit Boys complete the first announcement.

Wilko Johnson to play Bingley Music Live

The final line up announcement of Bingley Music Live has revealed that Wilko Johnson has been added to the bill for this year’s edition of the festival.

The former Dr Feelgood guitarist was sadly diagnosed with terminal cancer in January. Fortunately he has remained healthy enough to undertake a series of live performances over the summer. This includes an appearance on the Main Stage at Myrtle Park on Saturday 31st August.

Since the 1970s the singer, guitarist and songwriter has been credited for his enormous contribution to the British rhythm and blues scene, firstly in Dr Feelgood and later as a member of Ian Dury and The Blockheads.

Widely hailed as one of the founding influences of the punk movement, Wilko conceded in a recent interview with The Guardian that his illness has lent him fresh perspective and given rise a particularly fertile creative period, admitting: 'I still feel like a hero on stage'.

Being a national rock'n'roll hero is what Wilko does best and Bingley can revel in Wilko’s distinctive choppy guitar sound and famous ‘duck walk’ one final time.

Wilko will be joined by the likes of Primal Scream, Chic feat. Nile Rodgers, The Human League, The Cribs, The Fratellis, The Neville Staple Band, Tinchy Stryder and Katy B during the much loved, three day Yorkshire festival which runs between Friday, 30 August and Sunday, 1 September.