Well, we promised it and here it is … a little earlier than planned, because we’ve just come off the phone from Bestival HQ (blimey – they called us!), and because they love the Island so much (especially Ventnor – and why not?) we’ve been given the exclusive and personal permission from the head honchos to tell the world before the embargo.
“Bestival promoter loves VentnorBlog … John Hughes” these guys really want Island people to be at the Bestival … I guess that’s why they gave Islander tickets when IOW Festival didn’t … and allowed you to buy your tickets over the counter instead of only through Ticketline or whatever ….
Wowser, wowser (whoops, showing my age now), unbelievable …. when I first heard who they were, I nearly fell off my chair, and these are only the first two headliners .. there’s still more to come, but you’ll have to wait a while for that one.
We’re talking old skool here folks …. I think I was still in gymslips at the time (don’t get ideas now), actually – I wasn’t really – just keep pretending I’m far younger than I really am … first up ……
Friday Night: Was just watching a video of theirs yesterday and in awe of how brilliant it was .. drum rolllllllllll …. it’s the Chemical Brothers. How mad is that? If you had to guess, bet you’d never have! The Chemical Brothers are coming to the Isle of Wight!
Here’s that video I was talking about ….
“We’re very excited to be playing at Bestival. It was the best party I went to last summer, I can’t believe we haven’t done it yet, we’re going to rock the house!â€?
Ed Simons, The Chemical Brothers
Just take a moment and allow yourselves to get over that one before I tell you who’s headlining on Saturday night ….
Ready now?
Sure?
OK ….
“Check your head” …
It’s the Beatsie Boys
Yes …
I said … The Beastie Boys
Just incase you’ve frazzled all your brain cells between the 80s and now … here’s a reminder
Delivering old skool and new …. they’re playing not once for your pleasure, but twice. TWICE!
How wonderfully mad (ooh, sound a bit posh there) that the Beastie Boys are coming to the Isle of Wight …. complete and utter respect needs to be shown to Bestival people for getting this lineup (and I’m not talking about the ‘rispekt’ nonsense that flies around the conversation of the youth of today … I’m talking REAL respect, Aretha Franklin style)
Others, Gregory Isaacs, The Levellers, The Orb (what? …. last time we saw them live was at Somerset House, in the pouring rain – watching the laser show through that was awesome), Billy Bragg, The Maccabees, The Cuban Brothers, Dub Pistols, Calvin Harris, Mr Hudson & The Library (last saw them at Newport Library – how rock and roll), Simian Mobile Disco, Bonde De Role, Cagedbaby, Horace Andy, Jah Wobble, Zion Train and Many More Live Acts To Be Announced.
DJs: Francois Kevorkian (ahhh, give me something to hold onto please I think I’m going to faint), Laurent Garnier (get the smelling salts), Gilles Peterson, Tim Westwood, Rob Da Bank, David Holmes, Justin Robertson, Erol Alkan, Ben Watt, Andy C and many more Djs Of the highest calibre.
As if that wasn’t enough, and you know they’ll bring you more … imagine the world’s biggest fancy dress party (I can, I was in the last one – and no-one outside of Bestival will ever beat it), Bollywood Cocktail Bar, Laughter Clubs (Bestival – you need to speak to Max Brennan about laughter therapy – he knows it all), Farmers Market, Kids Area, Morris Dancing (I want to learn this wonderful art, will there be classes?), Magical Moments and everything else you could imagine.
I feel exhausted …. we must’ve done something very good on this Island to be rewarded with so much bliss (all those good vibes at the TM retreat have paid off).
We will be bringing you the latest and the greatest on anything related to Bestival this year.
Be sure to make this your first port of call. Bestival rules.
