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Bestival 2016 – Sean Paul & Wiz Khalifa: Reviewed!

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The final day of Bestival 2016 has thankfully been a scorcher, and as we turn our sunburnt faces towards the main stage, it’s time for the first of tonight’s dual headliners – Sean Paul. Though, is it really a dual headline if they’re just one after another?

Highlights of Sean Paul’s set are Temperature, him saying his own name more than Craig David does, and obviously Get Busy which has the entire arena ‘shaking their thing’. What ‘thing’ that is, is seriously up for debate it seems. There really is nothing like watching a field full of drunk British people trying to imitate the very talented stage dancers’ dancehall moves. Truthfully, we ought to be stopped before we hurt ourselves or get arrested.

Like Glue still makes absolutely no sense but there’s something really comforting about Sean Paul’s music, it’s all about memories of the early noughties – riding five up in an old banger, arms hanging out the window swamped in gold chains and sunnies, being a complete gangster on the Coventry ringroad. Ballin’. The arena is a sea of waving arms and people climbing flagpoles for a better view (or eternal glory) as Sean Paul yells “I’ve never seen so much tits”. Well, I guess we’re at least good at that then.

For the second half of tonight’s festivities, we get a taste of Taylor Gang with Pittsburgh party animal Wiz Khalifa. Black and Yellow has the arena jumping with Wiz yelling “Let’s get fucking high y’all” and “Y’all seem to love loud music”. Other highlights include Work Hard Play Hard and See You Again, but the fact that he can’t seem to go more than two minutes without mentioning weed is just a bit predictably boring – “Shout out to all the ladies out there! How many of y’all smoke weed?”. On the other hand singing about say, heroin is possibly a lot less coherent or marketable.

Though Sean Paul and Wiz Khalifa certainly aren’t everyone’s cup of chai, it’s pretty obvious that the arena is full of appreciative applause after their energetic performances. It is however, the Prince tribute fireworks and big-screen play of Purple Rain (accompanied by streamers and purple smoke) that bring a tear to the eye. Oh how amazing it would have been to have seen him play Bestival.

All photographs © Andy McHardy – please do not use without permission.

Bestival 2016 – The Cure: Reviewed!

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Day two at Bestival is a bit of a wash-out, with rain coming in until 4pm the arena is a sludgy mess and the wellies are out in force. Nevertheless it hasn’t dampened the Bestival spirit, the crowds are rolling in for tonight’s headliner, The Cure.

Having played Bestival back in 2011 (a performance which was actually recorded for CD) they know it’s a vibrant and colourful festival… so naturally turn up in their standard undertaker-esque garb. Robert Smith’s unmistakable panda-eyed stare and backcombed mop grace the stage as the band kick off with the aptly positioned Open.

Calling out “I’m not going to start explaining what all the songs are about…” Smith warbles through The Baby Screams, and the entire crowd hoots along in unison for The Caterpillar. With a big screen showing MS Paint style heart designs, it’s on to hit Friday I’m In Love, with a quip “Wrong day for this really…” I mean, do The Cure purposefully not book Friday slots so they can make that joke all the time?

Just Like Heaven and Boys Don’t Cry are just, perfect. Every single voice in the crowd is yelling skyward. There’s nothing like the pure new wave gloom to make you feel like you are the most deeply emotional person that ever lived, and no-one could possibly understand your tortured genius.

However, this is where things get messy. After a longer than expected absence from the stage, The Cure pop back on for an encore. Then another. Then another. Now, the final encore does include The Lovecats which is fun to say and to sing, but come on. Two and a half hours of any band is excessive, let alone one which really less than half of the Bestival population has even heard of.

Much is made of Bestival’s age-range and how inclusive it is, but honestly – it’s an overwhelmingly young crowd, particularly with the other chosen headliners this year. Unfortunately this means a severe thinning of the arena every encore break, and by the third you can stride from the sound-desk to the front in thirty seconds. This says nothing of the performance though, The Cure are unfailingly brilliant, but perhaps a touch overdone tonight.

All photographs © Andy McHardy – please do not use without permission.

Bestival 2016 – Major Lazer: Reviewed!

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So here’s the thing. Festivals are continually criticised for their headline act choices, it’s always going to be the case. They’re damned for getting big name legends on repeat every few years, but also for giving newer bands the slot when they aren’t established or dramatic enough to be considered headline material. So what to do?

Well, most other festivals stick to the tried and tested, big act = big sales. But where does it end? The top drawer artist pool is rapidly drying due to either retirement or worse, death (2016 really has been a cursed year) and it just can’t go on. New blood has to flow.

This year, Rob Da Bank and co. have taken the far riskier, and frankly braver option of booking Major Lazer as their Friday night headliner. After a stellar daytime performance in 2014 they’ve been bumped into the top spot with good cause. The two year gap has seen Major Lazer release some huge anthems such as Lean On, Light It Up and Powerful (featuring Ellie Goulding), not forgetting the brand new Cold Water with Justin Bieber and All My Love with Ariana Grande. Tonight the rapidly filling arena is more than enough proof that newer bands can and will fill a top spot.

With bursts of streamers, flurries of confetti and smoke cannon blasts it’s unsurprising to see Diplo and pals take to the stage with a bang, Major Lazer are exactly the kind of high energy act that the Bestival crowd deserves. Wearing all-white outfits, flanked by dancers in sparkly black leotards, Jillionaire and Walshy Fire run around throwing tour tshirts out into the crowd to a frenzied crowd, whilst Diplo reminds us that Bestival is home turf for him – Rob booked him for the first time as a DJ back in 2004.

Despite a bit of dodgy sound (we do miss the much bigger speaker stacks of last year’s colossally huge main stage, sorry guys) it’s a great atmosphere and the Skrillex/Damien Marley collab Make It Bun Dem has the whole crowd attempting to wind. We British aren’t renowned for our sexy dancing skills but there are some serious shapes being thrown tonight, good job it’s dark.

Joined by Danish firecracker vocalist MØ, they tear it up with last year’s summer smash Lean On, and there’s something in Light It Up that just feels so… Bestival. Whenever I hear it I think of sundrenched fields of glitter-clad, neon-painted, carefree souls. Accompanied by a toasty array of on stage pyrotechnics and a considerable amount of jumping up and down, this is exactly what we came here for – wild abandon, and freedom from everything else in life.

We join in with the shirt-twirling, the dancehall steps, and duck as Diplo runs above the crowd in his giant hamster ball (okay okay, zorb…). It’s over far too soon. The only slight disappointments were the tiny acapella snippet of Cold Water, knowing that the drop is so good, and come on – for a band named Major Lazer, there were a distinct lack of actual lasers. Hopefully we’ll see Major Lazer back again soon, and kudos to Bestival for a great headline pick.

All photographs © Andy McHardy – please do not use without permission.

Line-up for Jagerhaus Announced for Bestival

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We’re delighted to announce that the Jägerhaus is destined to return to Bestival 2016. One of the most futuristic designs you’ll encounter on your festival travels, this year’s line-up is a thirst-quenching smorgasbord of advanced sonic sorcery taking in earth-quaking bass, skanking beats and mellifluous marvels.

A much anticipated live set from genre-resistant duo Maribou State tops the Jägerhaus’s Magic Meadow-based manoeuvres, plus they will have DJ sets from liquid DnB wizards Fred V & Grafix and Hacienda legend Greg Wilson, plus live reggae action from Stylo G x Jacob Plant.

Keeping you refreshed through the weekend there will be more live music from the likes of Theme Park, Boxed In, Trim, Elderbrook, Postaal, Raye, Bad Sounds, Pictish Trail, Virus Syndicate, Aldous RH, Loose Meat, NYTCLUB and 808INK.

And don’t miss DJ sets from Lemmy Ashton, M.A.X, Dirty Freud, Data 3, The Sultan presents JägerHaus Closing Party, Paolo Di Liberto, Ton Dis Up!, Simon Singleton, Deja Bruh, Pepper, JägerHaus Sunday Sessions, Top Rankin' Sound System and the Haus DJs who will be tearing it up long into the night.

Even more acts announced for Bestival!

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The clock is ticking and The Future is very nearly here. With just over two weeks until Bestival 2016’s psychedelic adventures begin we give you even more amazing musical greats who will take you on wild, harmonic excursions and keep you reaching for the lasers long into the night at the greatest party on the planet this September on the Isle of Wight.

Rob da Bank says: “The Future is fast approaching and I’m super-excited about all the new explorers who will be joining us on our journey into the unknown. From dance music legend and big Sunday Best favourite Joe Smooth and sublime selector Jaguar Skills, to hot tips Ashworth, Kid Canaveral and Nimmo there’s a little bit of something for everyone, just the way we like it!” 

Ensuring dancefloor devastation of a truly futuristic kind, we are delighted to announce that super-beat ninja Jaguar Skills will be stepping up to the ones and twos at Robin Hill for a trademark tear up that is destined to take us to a new dimension in space and time. We’ll also have performances from musical polymath Ashworth, our old muckers Bugged Out with their Little Bugger, seductive sonic types Cirque Du Soul, classic house legend Joe Smooth, wigged-out wonder Justin Robertson Scottish alt-poppers Kid Canaveral, infectious disco divas Nimmo, Chicago don Roy Davis Jr, genre-skirting trio Strong Asian Mothers and vowel-phobic punks SWMRS.

 

Don’t miss Manchester rave legends A Man Called Adam, Canadian folk troubadour Aidan Knight, slick pop siblings Ardyn, Strobewax co-founder Bobby O’Donnell and Oxford’s own Burt Cope. And expect to be blown away by CC Smugglers, Deaf by Disco, DJ GG, Dr Sid, Ella and the Blisters, Feeling Gloomy’s Bowie Tribute, Full Nelson, Ghettospheric, Graceland, Greg’s Greats, Ian Void, Idiot Savant, Jay-L and Jules and Lisa.

Plus, there will be even more sonic marauding from the likes of Kaf-Tan, Kemback, Lucy Cait, Martin Davies, Miss Chameleon, Mojo Filter, Nick Gabriel, Noble Jacks, Not Saffron, Pete Kosanovich, Rev Milo Speedwagon, Roy Davis Jr, Stevie Wonderland, Tasty Lopez & Karistocat, The Beau Bow Belles, The Black Kat Boppers, The Caulfield Beats, The Men That Will Not Be Blamed For Nothing, The Shellac Collective, The Tom Seals Band, Thomas Urv, Timo Garcia, Tom Colborn, Tony Tunes, Uncle Junior, Vote Pedro, Vula Viel and Ziriguidum Samba Band.

Booking your place at Bestival couldn’t be easier with our amazing £25 deposit scheme. For just £25 (plus booking fee) you can secure your Bestival ticket at Phase Three prices now.

Pay the balance by 1st September and join us we venture into The Future with headline sets from Major Lazer, The Cure, Sean Paul & Wiz Khalifa and even more amazing music from Bastille, Years & Years, Katy B, Hot Chip, Carl Cox, Diplo, Fatboy Slim, Skepta, Craig David & so much more!

And, if you’re having trouble persuading your friends to come along to our luminous dreamworld, dial Rob da Bank’s Decision line now on 0845 388 BEST (0845 388 2378) for just 5p plus your standard rate per minute, and let the man himself twist their arms.

Bestival announces Caravanserai lineup

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As the summer sun beats down on Robin Hill, the wagon train of Monsieur Bateman’s incomparable masterpiece Caravanserai has made its way to Bestival’s Stardust field and a rendezvous with The Future. An arcadia of vintage caravans, wurlitzers, object d’art and alchemy, helmed by the inimitable Continental Drifts, Caravanserai is a cocktail-fuelled carousal of curiosity filled with eye-popping delights, raucous gypsy-bathed lilts and brass-powered beats, making it an unmissable stop on your date with destiny this September 8-11 on the Isle of Wight.

Rob da Bank says: “Caravanserai is without doubt one of the most incredible things you’ll ever come across at a festival anywhere in the world. Distilling the essence of merrymaking through the ages to create something truly futuristic and astounding, all topped off with delicious cocktails, this one should be at the top of your to do list”.

In time-honoured tradition Caravanserai will be a melange of madness and music both live and deejayed, featuring fevered enchantments from Budzillus, Cut Capers, Daytoner, Dejavoodoo, DJ Chris Tofu, DJ High Daniels, DJ Kosta Kostov, DJ Penny Metal, Forest of Fools, Immigrant Swing, Lee Bruck, and Madame Electrifie.

Plus, there will be outlandish expressionism from Mr B The Gentleman Rhymer, New York Brass Band, Oh My God! It's The Church, Owen Penrice, Rumpsteppers, Samuel Wulf & Lso, Seas of Mirth, The Balkanoes, The Ska Vengers, Thrill Collins, Transylvania and WBBL. 

But that’s not all, adding an air of sorcery and wonder to proceedings Cirque Bijou will present Cirqueserai, an aerial, acrobatic pageant of the preposterous that is sure to blow your minds!

And don’t forget, you can book your place at Bestival with our amazing £25 deposit scheme. For just £25 plus your booking fee you can secure your Bestival ticket at Phase Three prices now.

Pay the balance by 1st September and join us we venture into The Future with headline sets from Major Lazer, The Cure, Sean Paul & Wiz Khalifa and even more amazing music from Bastille, Years & Years, Katy B, Hot Chip, Carl Cox, Diplo, Fatboy Slim, Skepta, Craig David & so much more!

All the cyborg-ladies… What to wear to Bestival 2016

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The Future is almost upon us! With just three weeks until Bestival 2016, you've got just enough time to pull together a killer outfit, so get cracking.

Every year amazing fancy dress concoctions are on display and this year's theme 'The Future' is sure to continue the tradition. Expect to see steampunks, planets and moonpigs, aliens and astronauts, dystopian delinquents and galactic rulers… but if you've missed the creative boat, don't fret!

Check out our mini-collection of some cyborg pieces you can pick up quick online…

Ebay: Alien ring, refraction goggles, biohazard mask and light up shoes

Cyberdog: Cage dress, silver dress, holographc backpack and alien necklace

Breo: Tron-style watch

Primark: Metallic nail polish

Amazon: Star Trek tshirt

 

See you in the future, cosmic cuties!

Bestival announces final headliners for 2016

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Busting out from the houses of joy, our mighty main stage is going to take a spanking as we turn up the levels on a Future soundclash that will bring Bestival 2016 to a jubilant close. Announcing not one but two Sunday night headliners, hip-hop will meet dancehall for a mind-blowingly triumphant booty shaking party in the ultimate Sunday night head to head on the Isle of Wight.

Rob da Bank says: “We love a big finale at Bestival, we also love hip-hop and dancehall and a massive soundsystem superclash between Wiz Khalifa and Sean Paul seems like a solid plan to close off another big weekend of music of raving, partying and expanding your minds at Bestival. Pull up!”

Commenting on his Sunday night headline performance Wiz Khalifa said: “Can’t wait to be back in the UK and perform at Bestival. The fans here have such good energy, it’s going to be lit.”

Looking forward to his headline appearance, Sean Paul said: “I can't wait to play at Bestival… I’ve heard the grand finale on the Sunday night is the best festival spot in the UK and I'm gonna bring the fyyyaahhh”

Yes! In a UK festival exclusive, we have not just one but two Billboard Hot 100 chart toppers – hip-hop superstar Wiz Khalifa and dancehall legend Sean Paul – who will be the twin big things at the greatest party the Future has ever seen. Kicking off with Sean Paul, who will be taking it uptown with sweet beats and all the bass, you can expect to be dutty wining all the time as we transcend the normal and head into the unknown. Famed for getting the dance bouncing with tracks like Get Busy, Temperature and Entertainment, you know this is going to go Full Frequency… but that’s just part one.

Once the dancehall behaviour has lit the blue touch paper on our most epic of finales, we get the hip-hop as Wiz Khalifa takes to the stage to drop the dopest flow. Pittsburgh’s finest rhymer, Wiz came to worldwide attention for his track Black and Yellow, and keeps on smashing them out of the park, with Work Hard Play Hard (something the Bestival crew are well versed in), See You Again and We Dem Boyz cementing his place as one of hip-hop’s MVPs and one of our favourite ever MCs. Guaranteed to take the party into the stratosphere, if that’s not a sure fire knock out one-two, we don’t know what is.

But you know us, we don’t know when to stop! Capping what will be one of our most incredible Sunday nights ever, the man like da Bank, Tayo and more will take to the stage for Purple Rave a truly spellbinding audio-visual tribute to Prince. A huge and enduring influence on everyone in the Bestival family, Prince was unquestionably up there with the greatest musicians in history. So, don’t you dare miss our eye-popping pyrotechnic paean showcasing hits, rarities, the odd cheeky bootleg and more, all accompanied by a coruscating firework spectacular that will be our heartfelt tribute to the one that got away.

And keeping the good news flowing we have got even more future sailors joining the Bestival bill, who we predict will be making jubilant appearances across the weekend, including Oxford quartet Glass Animals, and fast, mesmeric masters Crystal Fighters.

Giving you the Future of festivals now, don’t miss out on our Robin Hill adventures. Keep an eye out for the omens: www.Bestival.net, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram / Tumblr

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The Feast Collective – Bestival’s tasty lineup

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With a host of musical manna, futuristic stages and sublime entertainment already announced, you might think Bestival’s Future couldn’t be more dazzling, but you’d be wrong. Inflaming your future food affections, we are mouth-wateringly delighted to announce the pioneering culinary artists who will be serving up this year’s menu of appetising eats and treats at The Feast Collective.

Rob da Bank says: ““Ever since we started Bestival, making sure that all the food we offer is top notch has been really important to us, so I am really proud to be able welcome so many mouth-watering stalls to The Feast Collective. We’ve got amazing sea food, loads of amazing gluten-free choices, and flavours from right around the world, so make sure you dig in and enjoy!”

It might be The Future but you can forget all about 3D printed cheeseburgers or Major Tom’s protein pills and get stuck into a seductively scrumptious array of nutritious and delicious food from some of the finest purveyors of bonne bouche around, including this year’s Feast Collective hosts Le Rac Shack, who will be dishing out a proper melt down of a play list from cheesy classics to tunes that'll make you go gooey at the knees. Plus, we’ll have winners of the Best of the Best prize at the 2015 British Street Food Awards, Seadog; ‘real' Southeast Asian street dishes and food to inspire happier living from Makatcha, and the wrap-based goodness of rich, succulent meaty meat combined with fresh, vibrant and inspiring salads from The Cauldron. 

Don’t miss out on The Chocolate Bear Kitchen’s gluten-free and inclusive dining menu, with thoughtful vegan, dairy-free and raw options. Indulge in Polar Pops’ 100% natural ice lollies, handmade in the UK from real fruit and vegetables with no added sugar, or become a shrimpster and explore the taste of the ocean in a brioche bun with Shrimpy. 

You can also expect delectable heart-warming and good for the soul soup that will change your life from The Rattling Pan, the ultimate fried chicken sandwich from Butchies, the very best Mauritian street food flavours from Coco Labelle and inventive oriental fare from Ta Ta Eatery. And finally, be sure to visit The Best of Taste of the Wight Stall, who will be bringing a selection of the Island’s finest produce, from Krista’s Cold Pressed Juices to toasties made with local pesto and cheese.

Forward thinking food adventures in a field, The Feast Collective is the future of festival cuisine.

Bestival Announces Amphitheatre Line Up

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Cloaked among luxuriant trees in Bestival’s Ambient Forest lies The Amphitheatre, an enchanted world of arch amusements. Featuring a provocative feast of curious follies by day, and an unmissable whiff of penetrating, tongue in cheek fun by night, this is just one glimpse of The Future at our anthology of the absurd this September on the Isle of Wight.

Rob da Bank says: “We like to think we’re pretty open-minded and uninhibited at Bestival… and it certainly feels like that in the middle of the night down by the Amphitheatre. It might be off the beaten track but it’s definitely one to search out if you’re looking to have your mind blown by all manner of crazy things. From our mates Sink the Pink, Jodie Harsh and Scottee to madcap theatre, spellbinding poetry and brilliant comedy you won’t know what’s hit you”.

Resplendent below its verdant canopy, The Amphitheatre is a treasure trove of off-the-wall entertainment by day, including electrifying gig-theatre from My Beautiful Black Dog, a celebration of the Bard on booze with Shitfaced Shakespeare, sketch comedy from Beasts Presents Mr Bestival, anxiety comedy from Morbid Abnormal Me, the final part of Sleeping Trees’ live movie trilogy, Sci-Fi, dance-theatre from Scary Shit, sketches, songs and super-good jokes from Shelf Comedy Duo, absurd comedy from Simon Slack – The Fantastic and an enlightening look at drug policy with Leap – Good Cop Bad War. 

We’ll also have music from London Contemporary Voices Choir, beatboxing heavyweight and artist Reeps One will be turning up the heat for Nando’s Music Exchange, there will be fx pedal mania with Dawson Loop Station and the Sounds Familiar Quiz, plus versification with The Satin Lizard Lounge curated by Scroobius Pip, our Island Poetry Competition winner Kestrell and the amazing Roundhouse Poetry Collective, all hosted by Jack Rooke.

As day time turns to night we discover exactly what lurks beneath the belly of the Bestival beast… fizzing with gay abandon, The Amphitheatre will transform into a glitter-strewn arcadia where our number one drag slags Sink the Pink await you on Friday and Saturday night. We’ll also have bottle-blonde-bombshell beats with Dystopia Presented by Jodie Harsh, limp-wristed future weirdness from Scottee's Camp, Hacienda legend Greg Wilson's Super Weird in the Woods, with The Reynolds and Blind Arcade, Backstreet bacchanalia with Figs in Wigs, homo-hip-hop from Hard Cock Life, and the chance to unleash your hidden diva with Gospeloke. Plus, there will be Two Total Losers and the Fabbo Future Quiz, and it’s all hosted by Aoife Hanna.

There are still plenty of treats to be revealed for our Future paradise, including our Sunday night main stage headliners and much more, so head to www.Bestival.net, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram / Tumblr

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