OnTheWight is pleased to welcome a new contributor to the team. Having completed a degree in Media and Sports Journalism, Dom Kureen has been writing poetry and regular blogs since. He’s a young, passionate contributor, with a keen interest in sport, music, film, interviewing and fiction. In his own words. Ed
The tenth instalment of the Bestival took place at Robin Hill from September 5th-8th and was, in my view, one of the best to date, with a legendary line-up and enough on-site activity to keep even the most fickle social butterfly entertained throughout.
Auditory seduction
There was plenty of music to pleasure the senses during the weekend, with a roll call that would have had Woodstock organisers blushing, in the days when free love reigned and free spirited hippies provided a legacy for today’s skinny-jeaned hipsters to inherit.
The extensive combination of legends and contemporary artists of various genres has long served Rob and Josie da Bank well, with Sir Elton John emulating 2012’s septuagenarian superstar, Stevie Wonder, in providing a memorable set that surely left nobody doubting that he still had it.
Genuinely moved by the appreciative audience
The face may have sagged a touch and the hair become a little less convincing, but Sir Elton’s vocals remained tight and his ivory tinkling was world class.
Concluding with ‘Your Song’, he seemed genuinely moved by the appreciative reception he was afforded at his first festival appearance since the 1969 Isle of Wight extravaganza.
Spellbinding headlinders
Friday and Saturday’s bill toppers were also spellbinding, with Norman ‘Fatboy Slim’ Cook’s DJ set ensuring an ultra smooth rave atmosphere and Snoop Dogg/Lion concluding Saturday’s main stage antics in his customary relaxed style.
The emotive lyrics of ‘Young Wild and Free’ ramped up a gathering that was already in full party mode.
Raw 1990s hip-hop
Although they weren’t to everyone’s taste, Wu-Tang Clan’s expletive-laden set gave a flavour of raw 1990s hip-hop, it was perplexing to witness the sour faced reactions of some parents in attendance, who were presumably under the misapprehension that it was wise to lug their three year old children into this highly charged crowd.
The downside of Wu-Tang was that only four of the original clan of nine made it to the Bestival (ODB passed away from a drug overdose in 2004 and some members were stuck at customs.)
It doesn’t end there
There were several other notable performances during the weekend; Flaming Lips, whose usual cacophony of five-star visuals and psychedelic rock was interspersed with waves of eccentric dialogue between songs.
Caravan Palace’s high octane Electo swing was an unexpected Saturday afternoon treat and Chic featuring Nile Rodgers had the crowd rocking for the duration of a Sunday offering which was filled with familiar ditties.
Franz Ferdinand, meanwhile, gave their usual veritable feast of catchy, if relatively unmemorable fare – perhaps they could have switched time slots with Wu Tang Clan, despite their reputation and following warranting a spot high on the card.
Local highlight
Signals were breathtaking when they hit the main stage early on Friday afternoon, lead singer Ellie Price is probably the most talented front woman on the Isle of Wight at the moment and her likeable presence, aligned with a vocal dexterity that belies her youth, was a raging force behind the band’s dynamic display.
Oozing atmosphere
While the Isle of Wight Festival struggled to sell half of its ticket allocation this year, its award winning Island counterpart attracted a virtually full house (or field) to Robin Hill, with the official providers selling out a few days before the first acts took to the stage.
With regards to stages, the Port was a tremendous addition, providing a spectacular setting for DJs to ply their trade. It also paid homage to the nautical theme of HMS Bestival.
Fabulous fancy dress
That carried through to the fancy dress, which is always a highlight of the weekend.
Seeing more than a dozen people dressed as former England goalkeeper, David Seaman, was hilarious and some of the imagination on show deserved an award in itself.
For four days there were positive vibes in the air and the venue as always gave a bewitching, varied backdrop to proceedings. Even the most intrepid and explorative camper would have struggled to get everything done in four days.
Legacy
The Bestival began as a footnote at the end of festival season. A few thousand folk entered the venue to watch the likes of Basement Jaxx and Zero 7 headline the 2004 event. It has swiftly evolved into something very special, possibly second only to Glastonbury as a revered entity within the UK music scene.
Life seems surreal when you take a step back and realise that you’re stood in a field on the often slumbering Isle of Wight, witnessing the likes of Elton John, Nile Rodgers and Snoop Dogg performing songs that have been subliminally pumped into our heads from a distance for decades.
Nine years (and ten editions) into its life span, Bestival shows few signs of grinding to a halt. Thanks to the passion and work ethic of the da Bank family, the Isle of Wight continues to host world greats year after year. This is a music festival with an abundance of heart, notably absent is the level of cash cow commercialism many of the other generic summer offerings are becoming suffocated by.
Here’s hoping that Bestival continues to thrive and we can celebrate a 20th anniversary in 2023!
Images: © Victor Frankowski |
Ian Taylor | Carolina Faruolo | Dan Dennison
