Bestival 2014

[dan8k]

Dave, the person who owns/runs Bestival hates you, thats quite an achievement.

On top of that there is the fact that most of the people who post on this and bestival forums also do. You are just a massive buzzkill.

I just don't think Bestival is for you.

[eFestivals]

How horrifying it would be to come into contact with the lower orders.

What should the theme be next year then? Cultural Apartheid Bestival? Would you be happy then?

PMSL

[Chinaski_]

Wants - More rock acts, decent names that justify the cost of the ticket/travel costs, wider exposure to more challenging music, return of the Psychedelic Worm, The Black Angels and The Jesus and Mary Chain. Incentives on the part of Wightlink and Red Funnel to make the price of the ferry crossing in a car more affordable. More family/age friendly environment.

Don't want's - Radio 1 Playlist Committee Rock like Alt J, Bombay Bicycle Club, Vampire Weekend et al. Wider variety of music after hours and not just Dance music. Less marketable appeal to the Creamfields and Global Gathering crowd. Hipsters.

I don't see why you don't go to Primavera Sound if you want those types of acts, I doubt there'd be much difference in total price. JAMC played there this year and were great.

I do think that if Pixies are around they would be a pretty good shout, a good booking in a New Order sort of way. They'd probably be grateful to be given a headline slot at a mid-level mainstream yet still eclectic(ish) festival while the organisers get an achingly cool former major festival headliner that are still revered and that fits the image the festival seems to want to portray.

This. I can't see any other UK festival wanting them as a headliner next year, it would be a good and popular choice for Bestival.

Pixies, Neil Young or Beck to headline for my choice. But I reckon The Chemical Brothers, Vampire Weekend and Gaga for 2014.

[Sicknote]

"they're all here for the rave so they must be chavs/pill heads/anti-social"

Funnily enough the majority of people who came up to talk to me were the young people pissed off their heads or on drugs

One offered to trade my crutch (his mate had done his ankle in and couldn't stand up) for a "bump of K"

[Dave The Hedgehog]

How horrifying it would be to come into contact with the lower orders.

What should the theme be next year then? Cultural Apartheid Bestival? Would you be happy then?

Coming into contact with 'them' and avoiding 'them' are two different things - and as I say, I wouldn't mind coming into contact with 'them' until they create a problem for me and other people, which is unfortunetly what usually happens.

Dave, the person who owns/runs Bestival hates you, thats quite an achievement.

On top of that there is the fact that most of the people who post on this and bestival forums also do. You are just a massive buzzkill.

I just don't think Bestival is for you.

Well, it depends on the line-up doesn't it? If the line-up isn't to my taste, then no, it wouldn't be for me. Obviously. If the line-up is good and I can somehow justify the cost of a ticket and ferry costs then what usually happens is I'll go and enjoy those bands (only maybe 10 or 11 of them) and then fit the rest of the festival around that and just go off and have a good time exploring. As I'm sure just about everybody else does. Bestival - and I say Bestival when I seemed to grasp the final hurrah before it became what it is now - was perfect for me in attitude, location, quirkiness, size, crowd, variety of music, balance of some decent mainstream bands, mature bands and 'newer' bands. It's just one of those things I feel I'm becoming disillusioned by like I gather a lot of people who used to enjoy it have.

The people I would have thought would have gone to Bestival in the past are trying other things whereas the people who I wouldn't ordinarily associate with, who may have gone to festivals like Global Gathering and so on, are gravitating towards Bestival. Is that a problem? Not really, but I think Bestival's trying a little too hard to be 'current' as opposed to staying constant and being good at what it's good at it, which is being a place for weirdos to feel comfortable listening to weird music in a wholly artificial weird world. Bestival's in danger of just becoming normal, or average.

Edited September 13, 2013 by Dave The Hedgehog

[Dave The Hedgehog]

Also, as it happens, I did consider Primavera in 2013 as well but the reason for me not going to that, at the time, was circumstantial, and those circumstances stopped me from going to Green Man and Festival No. 6, and when I learned Summer Sundae had been cancelled, I couldn't go there either. Download and Hop Farm were also on the festival planner for 2013 but they were economical decisions (and the fact Hop Farm had been cancelled) rather than anything else, mainly because Glastonbury came first and the close proximity of all 3 festivals made it [not too] difficult to decide which I wanted to go to.

[smogo]

This is getting very repetitive, but:

1. Compare this year's lineup with 2011's and you'll see it really isn't that different in terms of the genres covered.

2. You weren't there this year, so have no way of knowing what the people there were like.

3. Bestival 2013 was anything but "average".

4. Saying you "liked it before it became mainstream" is about as "hipster w*nker" as it gets.

[smogo]

Oh one other point, the crowd in 2011 was noticeably different than usual, because The Cure have a massive international following of older fans who wouldn't normally go to Bestival, but who travel all over the world to see their heroes play at all sorts of festivals. So what you saw in 2012 was the crowd reverting to its normal makeup, rather than some kind of social degeneration.

[Tobieski]

Chase & Status, Foals, Lionel Richie

[seantizz]

I have to agree with the posters on here that argue for Bestival being a friendly, chatty festival. Everybody I've chatted to over the weekends in 2012 and 2013 have been pretty fine people.

I do get to a degree what Dave says about fans of other bands not getting what's on before and being a bit annoying - this happened this year for me when The Polyphonic Spree played the main stage and some chattering girlies took their place for Bastille... And then when Belle and Sebastian played the Big Top there was a load of chatter from people waiting for whatever was next - was it Disclosure - I forget? I don't think this is a unique issue for Bestival though - I met ruder people at Glastonbury this year, older people chattering and pushing their way at the Stones were the worst!

The main thing I want to pick up on is ferry prices. I got a car return with wight link for me and 3 others in my car for £66 total... I booked it in February. A bit of forward planning but it's hardly bank-breaking in the wider scheme of things. Why all the moans about ferry costs?

And being helpful now - might I recommend (as an old Summer Sundae goer myself) that next year you try Beacons. It might be the sort of size for you and have the bands you're looking for at a decent cost...

Sean

[JC-Mo'Fucka]

Would like to see drake or kanye top the bill. Provided kanye can sort his live show out a bit.

[smogo]

I could see Rob booking Kanye, but he's a bit of a risk. Drake is extreeeeeeeeemely unlikely.

[Matt - Ed Banger Records]

I'm sadly unable to attend next year, but, if he managed to book Portishead I would probably have to go! Be interesting to see who headlines in 2014

[tillyandthewall]

2013 was a major let-down for me compared to 11 and 12. The removal of Psychedelic Worm, emptier Tomorrow's World and Arcadia areas, less acts on the Big Top and Main Stage each day, made it seem to me that there was penny-pinching going on. The crowd demographic change that the event attracted this year detracted from the atmosphere - although the young'uns were friendly enough, an older crowd tends to be more knowledgeable and appreciative - The Flaming Lips shouldn't be playing to a half empty field. I'm not sure if I'll go back next year, but what I'd like to see for '14 would be:

- Cram the acts in on the top two stages - make them an area that you can linger for a couple of hours to

- Move the 'body and soul' part of Temple Island to Tomorrow's world. Temple Island should be a 'pit stop' area with a mini-selection of the areas found further west. And the Psychedelic Worm.

- Get the 'cult' acts in which will bring an older appreciative crowd - Portishead, Neutral Milk Hotel, Depeche Mode as headliners for example.

- Clamp down on anti-social behaviour. It's more society than Bestival's problem, but there is a big problem people being out of it and verbally abusive to others, fighting, with which people seem to give a free pass to. Being a dick there should equal ejection. Yes, 'Bestival is for nice people' is their Rule One, but it needs to be emphasised more and offenders should not be made welcome.

[Dave The Hedgehog]

- Clamp down on anti-social behaviour. It's more society than Bestival's problem

This, although when does 'clamping down' become an excuse for more policing? (something I gather '13 suffered from moreso than other years). Also, I don't think Bestival would have half the problem it is has with anti-social behaviour if it didn't prioritise in booking acts that cater to that demographic over acts more people can appreciate, and share that appreciation with others. People who appreciate music and the social aspect of festivals are more likely to 'get on' and not cause too much of a problem.

The main thing I want to pick up on is ferry prices. I got a car return with wight link for me and 3 others in my car for £66 total... I booked it in February. A bit of forward planning but it's hardly bank-breaking in the wider scheme of things. Why all the moans about ferry costs?

And being helpful now - might I recommend (as an old Summer Sundae goer myself) that next year you try Beacons. It might be the sort of size for you and have the bands you're looking for at a decent cost...

Beacons has been on the planner for the last few years now. I didn't go this year mainly because when it came to getting tickets, I discovered I already had something booked for that weekend and couldn't go. I think last year I didn't go because it was called off due to flooding or something.

Anyway, the ferry prices - this is all down to initiative, and I agree, there 'are' ways of getting it cheap. I drove down last year and it cost me around £50 (minus the petrol) because I used a surplus of clubcard vouchers, so something that I think might answer this is like a sticky thread that offers people advice on ways to cut costs. Obviously as a foot passenger, it's much cheaper, but for comfort and ease, driving is always the best option, but it will come at a cost. Going down on Wednesday - cheaper but you have to find accomodation. Night ferries are cheaper too but not by much, and then obviously there's the hovercraft which is foot passenger by default. What you have to consider with the ferry costs is - on a usual day, you'll be paying probably about a quarter of what it'd cost on Bestival (and IOW Festival) weekend if you take a car and don't use your initiative, and I've yet to find a decent justification as to why they'd bang the prices up other than 'because it makes us more money'. This is bollocks.

[thewayiam]

Would like to see drake or kanye top the bill. Provided kanye can sort his live show out a bit.

Hasn't he just been charged with battery and something else? Stay well awake from this bloke.

[Frankly Mr Shankly]

Hasn't he just been charged with battery and something else? Stay well awake from this bloke.

Because Snoop & Wu-Tang have never been charged with anything have they...

[JC-Mo'Fucka]

I don't know but he has produced one of the most exciting albums of the year.

Drake would be unlikely but i think he would fit well. He's one of the biggest at the moment so it would be a good move.

[Matt - Ed Banger Records]

Drake would be a dreadful choice but Kanye would be pretty decent, bet he charges the earth though - he's been charged with battery and attempted grand theft, basically wrestled with a pap and tried to nick his camera, nothing too bad all things considered

[jackarmy]

Chemical Brothers
Pixies
Morrissey

[thewayiam]

Because Snoop & Wu-Tang have never been charged with anything have they...

nope lol ;P.

[Frankly Mr Shankly]

Chemical Brothers

Pixies

Morrissey

Just the thought of that has got me wet. Haha

[dentalplan]

That'd be fantastic but what is actually going on with Morrissey now?

[thewayiam]

That'd be fantastic but what is actually going on with Morrissey now?

that was my thought and the last time it was said he could of died he made a comment that those words were a lot closer than some may think.

i'd be surprised if he plays anytime soon.

Just an idea, not sure if it's right or not but it Example a contender for next year to headline?, he has just announced an 11 date arena tour including the o2 and a fair amount of bug arena's you can think of.

[jackarmy]

That'd be fantastic but what is actually going on with Morrissey now?

I don't think even he knows. He craves attention though, and with his book being pulled I'm sure by the turn of the year he'll have thought up another way to stay in people's minds (hopefully some European dates)