Saturday review (2)

Into the arena early-ish on Saturday, the first problem is food. Everyone has the same idea, and there’s massive queues at every stall, a recurring theme of the weekend – this many people needs far far more! Similar is experienced with every trip to the bar, where there’s just too few bar staff.

King Creosote provide a pleasant soundtrack to breakfast, followed by the most recommended (in the site newspaper, the Bugle, and in the programme) act of the weekend, John Martyn. Wheeled on in a wheel-chair (he lost a leg a year or two back), the guitar legend plays a short 45 minute set to a thinnish but appreciative crowd, and with the worst sound quality (perhaps due to the wind?) I heard from this stage all weekend. It includes a few Martyn classics including Big Muff, but nothing from Solid Air – booo!

The Bollywood Bar hosts another legend, DJ Derek, possibly the only man on the planet that can play Bob Marley without it seeming the lazy DJs choice. Ska, reggae, dub, motown classics, and the song where he says it all started, Nina Simone’s ‘My Baby Just Cares For Me’. Ace!

Back to the main stage for Bestival stalwarts The Cuban Brothers, the party is now in full-swing. The fantastic atmosphere is something rarely experienced at any festival anywhere anywhen, proving that although it’s the acts that sell the tickets it’s the crowd that make a festival, not the bands.

The party continued with Kid Creole and the Coconuts, something I expected to be cheesy but which was mature and tasty, so much more musically than those seventies hits. The crowd thinned out before the Rachid Taha Band with Brian Eno started, but wherever they went it can’t have been as good, despite me being unable to hear anything Eno-sounding throughout the set. The crowd built up again before the end, as people flooded to the stage for headliners Pet Shop Boys.

What’s the point of seeing a band live? Is it to hear your favourite songs reproduced note-perfect, or do you expect something more, the band and crowd building a vibe, an atmosphere, adding to the performance? PSBs sounded perfect – well, they would when they don’t need to play a note, just push the play button on the backing track. Tennant’s voice was spot on too, but there was nothing there, it was cold. Live music needs to be live!

Heading to the Big Top afterwards for Sasha he was nowhere to be seen - I’ve no idea who the band were that were playing instead. After a while they were gone, and it was time for the ‘Late Night Cabaret’, hosted by festival regulars Continental Drifts (for those who don’t know, they programme the acts for Lost Vagueness). Chris Tofuowski (erm … that’s not really his name) announces a 'gypsy punk' set, and throws his arms around like a loon trying – and mostly failing – to garner the interest of the crowd. If they’re like me, they’re waiting for the Youngblood Brass Band...

They start late, too late for me - damn that 3am Friday start, I need more sleep. I’m still there when they appear, but the sound has been turned down and they seem less than the fantastic act I know they can be. A few songs in, and the desire for sleep wins out.

Latest Updates