Rob da Bank

Common People Southampton 2017 – Reviewed!

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Common People might be the littlest sister of UK behemoth Bestival, but it certainly packs it’s own unique punch. Held on Southampton Common (with a twin over in Oxford now too) it’s a two day hedonistic escape without the sleeping-on-a-rollmat or not-showering-for-four-days element, and as such, is an altogether pleasant affair.

Saturday sees the likes of Elvana (Elvis fronted Nirvana) doing, well… exactly what it says on the tin I suppose, and Loyle Carner whipping a tshirt around the stage and rapping hits from his debut album, to a sun-drenched and almost feverish front row made almost exclusively of ladies. Over on the Uncommon stage, local lads Fever are whipping up a storm with their classic punky rock vibes to a packed tent.

The arena itself is decorated with a well-known Josie Da Bank feel to it, silk flags flutter in the breeze and there are fairy lights, lanterns and rainbow streamers everywhere, but it’s the heart installation which simply reads ‘Manchester’ which stands out the most. After such a terrible event, it’s affirming to know that people will still make their way to a festival like this, but the increased police presence was very noticeable.

Despite the somewhat sobering feeling of walking past armed police to enter the festival, the atmosphere is free spirited and fun. The Kids area is packed with people attempting circus skills, hula hooping, bubble blowing and getting their faces painted. Hidden away in a magical little copse, it really does have that hazy secret summer feel to it, and the Jam Jar Bar is serving up delicious treats for the bigger kids. Did someone say Rhubarb Martini?

Over in The People’s Front Room, which is dressed up as a shabby-chic front room in case you were wondering… people are grooving along to funky sounds, but it’s pretty tightly packed so we’re off to check out the food options, which never disappoint at CP. Back in the dark old days of UK festivals your best hope was paying over the odds for some soggy chips and a distinctly grey looking burger, but at Common People your culinary compass can spin all around the world. From Paella to Macaroni Cheese, to thali boxes or soft shell crab burgers, there is nothing common about this menu. We can particularly recommend the brie, pear and walnut from The Gourmet Grilled Cheese Co. which was pretty flippin decadent.

Back at the main stage there are rows upon rows of screaming, glitter-bedazzled girls greeting a very dapper looking Tom Odell who is playing a roaring set from behind his giant centre-stage piano. Calling out “Southampton! Closest I’ll get to a home gig this season, back home, back in the badlands” Tom is returned with a chorus of “Marry me Tom!” from a group of young ladies who look like they might faint at any moment. One particular hardcore Odell fan has actually travelled with her father and sister from Brazil to see him here, now that is commitment!

Next up is Sister Bliss playing a Faithless DJ set in the deep evening sunshine which naturally has everyone up and dancing. ‘We Come 1’ is so heavy it rattles the panels of the helter skelter and Bliss looks right at home here in her sequinned bomber jacket.

Over to Pete Tong and The Heritage Orchestra to bang out some Ibiza classics and honestly, it is overwhelmingly amazing. Conductor Jules Buckley stands, arms spread wide in front of three tiers of orchestra and Pete Tong perched amongst the rafters at an LED lit mixing desk and they begin. It’s a strange sensation knowing these classics to be, to put it bluntly, somewhat simple musically speaking – but hearing them performed by the orchestra just brings them to a whole new level. Massive hits such as Fatboy Slim’s ‘Right Here, Right Now’ and Faithless’ ‘We Come 1’ get the full orchestral treatment but bathed in lasers and smoke. It’s strangely satisfying and retains the intensity of the original tracks. Pete also pays tribute to Manchester noting that it’s ‘on our minds’ before introducing Ella Eyre to sing ‘Good Life’ and Rudimental’s ‘Waiting All Night’ which are insanely good. Finishing up with Becky Hill on ‘You Got The Love’ has the whole crowd singing along and Pete Tong quips “We can’t pretend to go off and come back on again, there are too many of us!” as they close the show. With a mass surge out of the gates and into the town, day one of Common People is over and it’s been a blinder.


Sunday on Southampton Common seems a lot quieter, there are a smattering of people milling around for the first bands but it’s pretty sparse, at a guess some people went very hard last night and are nursing some pretty epic hangovers today.

The Novatones who come out strong and belt around the stage with their classic punk rock sound and jumping antics, it’s a great set and a shame so few people were out to see it. The Black Kat Boppers make short work of getting everyone who has made it in, up and dancing some sort of hybrid swing-come-dad-moves.

to being ‘stuck in traffic’ Nadia Rose appears to have all but missed her slot and Calum Lintott, who has just finished a set on the Uncommon Stage is hauled in to fill the time. He looks nervous as hell at first, forgets to plug in his guitar… “That’s a good start isn’t it! I did not expect to be doing this today” and waves awkwardly at his family out in the arena, but he pulls off a frankly fantastic second set anyway. Even the security guards are clapping along by the end and Calum seems pretty stoked about getting to play the main stage, ‘English Daisy’ and ‘Baby I’m Insane’ are going straight on the playlist.

Whilst Signals are mid set-up and sound check, Nadia Rose finally makes it to the main stage – albeit shoe-horned into the side with the DJ booth, accompanied by a large posse. Rocking a red bomber, with matching trainers and visible pants, as well as her signature space bun hairstyle – she is every bit the rapper celebrity the young front row have come to see. Busting out ‘Skwod’ and ‘Boom’ she has boundless energy and is absolutely fierce in her delivery, but it was maybe a little unnecessary of her to complain that “I’ve got a short set today, because I was put on late, but whatever” when it doesn’t seem like anyone was really at fault for that.

A brief but substantial downpour sees herds of people diving into bars and tents for shelter, which Amy MacDonald finds highly amusing “It seems a lot of people are scared of a little bit of rain… that’s a drizzle in Glasgow… southern softies eh?”. Standing in front of a broadway-esque red ruched curtain, the Scottish musician plays a storming set highlighted by recent hit ‘This is the Life’ but the rowdy contingent of Common People are squished side by side into the rainbow-ribboned Uncontained Stage area for Fat Man Scoop. Stalwart of the school disco, Fatman Scoop is of course playing an absolute cheese-fest of hits. Rocking lounge shorts and pool slides he leaves the decks to dance with three stunned kids who’ve been pulled from the crowd for DMX’s ‘Party Up’ but decides to get them to cover their eyes for his brief bout of topless shimmying. Good call Scoop, good call. ‘Be Faithful’ is exactly as obnoxiously loud and fun as you’d imagine, and with the appearance of Goldie, it’s just what we needed to get out of the grim weather funk.

Over on the main stage the House Gospel Choir are giving huge club hits in their distinctive style, notably a cover of Robin S’ ‘Show Me Love’, to a massive crowd. Up next British Sea Power aren’t garnering the same sort of response due to their softer, melodic sounds, but the front few rows seem to be die-hard fans who are absolutely loving them and their strange selection of stage-foliage.

Natives are shredding the Uncommon Stage with loads of people dancing and jumping around in the tent, and the bouncy castle has been dried and re-opened to hordes of terrifyingly fearless children. With a single experimental bounce and what thankfully was a minor collision with a manically grinning cannonball of a small girl, it’s time to escape to safety. Off to a less violent affair, lashings of glitter makeup from Dust & Dance and obligatory hair braiding, before heading over to see Wild Beasts. Flanked by flashing panel lights and a giant backdrop from their latest album ‘Boy King’ they have a distinct electronic rock sound that is definitely piquing some interest in the now quieter arena. I think they’re going to be the hot playlist add following the weekend, but I’m not sure they’re quite what everyone was waiting for.

Groove Armada pick it back up with a solid set of classic dance music, and I know it’s specifically listed as a DJ set but they really are holed up at the back of the stage behind a giant table. Why can’t DJ’s be at the forefront and engage with the crowd in any way other than that wistful sort of pointing into the sky reminiscent of Steve Zissou? Anyway… as they continue through the set the crowd builds and gets increasingly rowdy, during a remix of Breach’s ‘Let’s Jack’ security are rushed into the main stage pit to hold the barriers as people push against them whilst dancing.

After a couple of choice cocktails at The Day of the Dead Bar it’s down to Sean Paul to close out Common People 2017. Swaggering onstage in a dusty trenchcoat and a pair of sunglasses, Sean Paul looks every bit the nonchalant celebrity, but as ‘Get Busy’ begins it’s clear he is here to move and shake that thing as much as the crowd is. Flanked by two extremely energetic dancers, Sean Paul makes his way through a plethora of his classic hits such as ‘Baby Boy’, but it’s his version of Sia’s ‘Cheap Thrills’ that we are both wincing at, and simultaneously loving. It also then mixes into Ed Sheeran’s ‘Shape of You’ and honestly It’s hard to assign one feeling to something like that. To explain, he changes the words… a lot. Enough to have no idea what’s going on except for the tune.

Calling out “We’re bringing you music from around the world tonight… we’ve got music from Jamaica, we’ve been to Australia with Sia… the UK with Ed Sheeran… who wants to go to Trinidad and Tobago with me?” we can’t help but think he’s playing the metaphor because his driver (easily spotted by being the only one at the back of the crowd sporting a full suit and tie) is looking horrified at the idea of driving anywhere other than home after this.

The crowd is getting considerably louder and wilder as the show goes on, and during ‘Temperature’ two girls are hauled over the barrier by security for having a scrap over which one can get closer to Sean Paul. It’s 50-50 on the funny/baffling ratio. Ending with a chant of “Say no no no, we ain’t going home” is fun until it’s actually time to go home and return to the real world, but at least there’s a bank holiday tomorrow to recover. Oh Common People you have once again been superb, with your eclectic mix of music, beautiful décor and incredible extra-entertainment options you are really anything but common, and you know it. Roll on 2017, and if you can’t wait that long for your fix, there’s always the larger scale Camp Bestival and Bestival to continue those CP feels.

Bestival Announces Second Wave of Acts

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Setting the tone in our Year of Colour, we are excited to announce even more amazing artists who will be joining The xx, A Tribe Called Quest, Pet Shop Boys, Jamie T, Kurupt FM, Justice, Dizzee Rascal and many more as we redefine escapism for the festival generation. With a host of live music, super fat sound systems and DJs heading to our brand new site, join us as we increase the peace this 7th – 10th September at the Lulworth Estate, Dorset.

Rob da Bank says: “Bestival’s formula is pretty simple – we like you guys having fun, exploring new ideas and listening to amazing bands and DJs in a massive field or forest or both at the same time whilst dressed as a multi-coloured gherkin. If you like the sound of that you’re on board already, but if you need any more persuasion, we are proud to announce some mega new acts for Besti, repping the best in grime with Wiley, AJ Tracey and 67, through indie and rock with Blossoms and Twin Atlantic, all topped off with some good old fashioned rave with DJs from Heidi to Bjarki, Monki to the Ragga Twins and a massive garage takeover. Step up people, step the **** up!”

The Lulworth Estate will be rocking to even more amazing live music from the likes of grime godfather Wiley, indie powerhouse Blossoms, slick rhymer Loyle Carner, UK hip-hop hero Roots Manuva, Scottish rockers Twin Atlantic, folk troubadour Nick Mulvey, grime MC AJ Tracey, legendary hype man Fatman Scoop, Ninja Tune cut n paste maverick Romare and funk machine Sinkane. Plus, there will be appearances Tash Sultana, Alma, Cakes da Killa, 67, House Gospel Choir, London African Gospel Choir performing Graceland, Skinny Girl Diet, Smerz, Brushy One String, Hackney Colliery Band, The Greasy Slicks, Park Hotel, The Rhythm Method, Zoee, The Smiths Ltd, Disney Rascal, and the Rajasthan Heritage Brass Band. 

We’ll have plenty of new sound system action keeping the floors lit all weekend long, with celebratory behaviour from Andy C presenting 25 years of RAM featuring Andy C, Calyx & Teebee, Culture Shock, DC Breaks and MCs Tonn Piper, and Carasel & 2Shy. Bestival lifetime resident David Rodigan presents Ram Jam with Preditah, Conducta & MC Creed, Venum Sound and a very special guest still to be announced. And there will be footwork frenzy for the Teklife Showcase with sets from DJ Spinn, DJ Taye, DJ Paypal & Teklife Dancers.

The Garage Pool Party will be rinsing some classic beats with garage playas Heartless Crew, DJ Luck & MC Neat and Oxide & Neutrino all dropping enough two-step love to keep HMS Bestival rocking. Ensuring the subs are red hot right across the site we’ll have turntable tear ups from the Raindance crew featuring Rat Pack, Slipmatt, Billy Daniel Bunter and Uncle Dugs, Jungle Fever, with Brockie & MC Det, Jumping Jack Frost, Ragga Twins, Funky Flirt, Shockin B, Eastman Sound, and Ruddy Ranks and Nice Up! presents Daddy G, Kiko Bun, StarOne, Riddim Punks, Ghost Writerz, Shepdog, Serocee, Red Eye Hifi, Mr Benn, Cut La Vis, Jamie Rodigan, Origin One & AAA Badboy.

 

And as if that weren’t enough, there will be even more deck-based brilliance from Mad Professor, Heidi, Bjarki, Monki, Melé, Nightwave, Willow, Anna Wall, Jem Haynes, Reggae Roast & MC Natty Campbell, Tayo, Martha and DJ Dapper Dan.

Common People Announces Sean Paul and Pete Tong Plus Many More

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But that’s not all, The Common Stage will see sublime dancefloor duo Groove Armada hitting the decks to provide their own inimitable brand of booty shaking brilliance with appearances from Wild Beasts, Foals (DJ set), The Selecter + The Beat, Saint Etienne, Amy MacDonald, House Gospel Choir and Lucy Leave On Saturday in Oxford, while South Park’s Sunday mainstage action will see BRITs Critics’ Choice winner 2017 Rag’n’Bone Man’s staggering vocals and gospel-powered grooves, plus music from Becky Hill, The Cuban Brothers, Elvana: Elvis Fronted Nirvana and Coldredlight.

And in Southampton, The Common Stage will see BRITs Critics’ Choice winner 2013 Tom Odell’s charismatic swagger and rave legends Faithless on the ones & twos, plus there will be appearances from Loyle Carner, Becky Hill, Stefflon Don, Seán McGowan, Kassassin Street, Elvana: Elvis Fronted Nirvana and Black Kat Boppers on Saturday. And Groove Armada, Wild Beasts, British Sea Power, Amy MacDonald, Nadia Rose, Novelist, House Gospel Choir, Signals and The Novatones will appear on Sunday.

Filling your dancing boots throughout the weekend, the Uncontained Stage will be jumping with My Nu Leng & M8s and very special guest Goldie, Novelist, Redlight, GotSome and Klose One, all stepping up to the plates to drop bombs on Saturday in Oxford and Sunday in Southampton, while hands in the air behaviour will come courtesy of Moxie presents On Loop featuring sets from Joy Orbison, Midland, Kornél Kovács, Felix Dickinson and Or:la on Saturday in Southampton and Sunday in Oxford.

Discovering new music is what gets the man like da Bank out of bed in the morning, it’s the very the lifeblood of the Bestival team! So, we’ve teamed up with fellow new music evangelist and Oxford institution Nightshift once again to showcase the best new local bands alongside some of the most exciting acts around on the Uncommon Stage, including ShaoDow, Zaia, The Balkan Wanderers, Jess Hall & Barney Morse Brown, Kanadia, Vienna Ditto, Death of Hi-Fi, Leader, Young Women's Music Project, Rhymeskeemz, The Shapes, Low Island, Desert Storm, The Epstein, Little Red, The Pink Diamond Revue, Catgod and Slate Hearts.

And continuing our long and illustrious partnership with The Joiners in Southampton we are delighted to present Beans on Toast, Black Honey, Natives, Happy Accidents, Cassava, Fever, XOCKHA, Feeble Grandpa, Scarecrow Boat, Nakamarra, Gun Shy and Deltorers.

Oxford will see universal dance adventures at The Pig’s Big Record Club Stage, hosted by the Shellac Collective 78s DJs and ensuring the party always swings, there will be a host of local DJs from Southampton and Oxford across the weekend.

With amazing music keeping your feet moving throughout the bank holiday weekend, we’ll be bringing a little taste of our legendary madness and mayhem ramping up the Bestival antics to transform Common People into an amazing festival wonderland, with plenty of our off-the-wall shenanigans including boss boogying at the Disco Shed in Oxford, and the World’s Biggest Bouncy Castle in Southampton, plus both shows will have the old-time pleasures of Vintage Funfair Rides, surprising Pop-Up Performances, brass-powered Horns of Plenty in Oxford, and Saints Brass in Southampton with the savoury delights of Scrumptious Street Food, decadent drinkies from Cocktail Bars, a fantastic Kids Area with the gymnastic pageantry of Circus, Face Painting, Crazy Inflatables, and much more!

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.

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

#Bestival16

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

#Bestival16

Common People Southampton 2016 – FULL REVIEW!

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SATURDAY

As one of Bestival's satellite babies, Common People Southampton was always going to be hit and in it's inaugural year 2015 proved you can have all the feel of the festival in the middle of a city, but now round 2 has started on the common and there's a new sense of ownership, like Southampton has taken CP to heart.

Over in Oxford a new dawn rises on a sister festival, but we're getting the kinks-ironed-out experience of a trialled triumph and the site looks incredible. Towering high right inside the main gates is The World’s Biggest Bouncy Castle, a Bestival x Something Creative collaboration that looks like it should have been made by Willy Wonka or be home to a herd of unicorns. Apparently it can comfortably hold one hundred people at a time, but we bet the somersault-police couldn’t catch us in that many…

A decent queue is forming already but it’s off to the main stage we go for first band of the day, Wild Front who to be honest look a little scared to be there. After a sort of quiet start, the Hampshire lads get their rhythm and there are some full on dancing fans down the front.

Next on are West End Kids, an energetic musical troupe who buzz through hits from all the biggest stage shows, followed by the legendary kids comedy duo The Chuckle Brothers. Who can resist a bit of to-me-to-you with Paul and Baz (…and Tinchy Stryder)? The massive and rowdy crowd singing along with them is decidedly younger than they should be for long-time fans, I can only assume they’ve been hitting up youtube in preparation for the festival…

Rapper Lady Leshurr gives us a short but energetic set, after being over an hour late due to ‘traffic’ but dressed head to toe in camo and waxing lyrical about her weave and being from Birmingham, hit ‘Brush Your Teeth’ goes down a storm. Though she clearly doesn’t trust us – yelling “Has every single one of you brushed your teeth today?” “I feel like some of you are lying”. The Sugarhill Gang crowd-please with ‘Apache (Jump on It)’ and ‘Rapper’s Delight’ with Hen Dogg sporting epic double-denim and a rather fetching gold tipped cane.

Over on the Uncommon Stage Southampton crew Our Hollow, Our Home have drawn a big crowd, and Chris is jamming on the guitar in The People’s Front Room. Elsewhere the Jam Jar bar is packed with people sipping fancy martinis and the kids area is awash with laughter from the wonky bicycle trials.

Hometown band Signals pack out the Uncommon stage, as mermaid-haired frontwoman Ellie bounces about, we get a taste of the curiously named genre ‘math pop’. Ghostpoet is getting soulful on the main stage to a big crowd, and Gaz Coombes is rocking less of the Supergrass era sideburns and more of his second solo album ‘Matador’.

Public Enemy get the crowd moving with the likes of ‘Don’t Believe The Hype’ but it’s just not the same without clock-toting weirdo Flavor Flav who apparently wasn’t allowed to come for some reason – “F–kin governments. Flava flav can’t be here because of F–kin governments”. The kid in the front row wearing a PE tshirt and a bedside alarm clock around his neck is obviously devastated.

After a tasty dinner at one of CP’s many amazing food outlets (Soft-shell crab burger? Brie and Pear toastie? Truffled mushroom quesadilla?) we are ready to take on the night, and so are Primal Scream. Rocking an eye-offendingly bright pink blazer, frontman Bobby Gillespie lopes about the stage looking every bit the archetypal boho rockstar. It’s a great, powerful set from the band with new album Chaosmosis material hitting the mark. Over on the Uncontained Stage (read: rave station) Kurupt FM are winding up the absolutely rammed arena into a frenzy, there are bodies everywhere – it’s a mostly teenage rampage.

On the main stage, the much anticipated return of Southampton son Craig David has drawn practically everyone from around the site and it’s not without a touch of nostalgia that we’re singing along to hits ‘Fill Me In’ and ‘Re-Wind’. Though the TS5 moniker is largely being ignored, it is fun to hear him mixing in tracks from other artists and sampling some proper legendary stuff, but to be honest – we all just love a bit of him singing his own name over and over again. Ahh memories.

Check out our full Craig David review here!

SUNDAY

Sunday stacks up a bit cooler but everyone still seems to be rocking up in bright festival-attire, and the telltale signs of yesterday’s sunburn are found in every bald head or exposed shoulder today. Shrieks of mayhem are emanating from the behemoth bouncy castle and a quick peek inside is like looking at a candy-coloured warzone. Kids are tombstoning each other, toddlers are being skimmed within millimetres by their falling parents and the flip-police have no hope of stopping the teenagers intent on putting the maximum effort into possible neck-injury. It’s awesome.

Next door on the Uncommon Stage, Arid Wave are rocking everyone’s socks off, but it looks like Hercules Morse on the main stage have fallen foul of the Sunday hangover absentees – there just aren’t that many people here yet. M.E.R.C.Y. – Southampton Urban Collective take over the main stage in the absence of Xylaroo, with two of the most adorable… sorry, SICK, hiphop dancers Jamie and Jamal giving us proper attitude and a heap of up and coming artists alongside.

Later on, Mr. Motivator draws a massive but spacious crowd as young, old and anyone in-between are getting their groove on with the positively ageless Mr. M and his lovely wife. Sporting a dazzlingly terrible-yet-amazing lycra onesie he plugs in his jams and off he goes doing squat technique mixed with curious life coaching “If the grass is greener on the other side, you probably aren’t watering yours. No man's gonna water my grass”. Telling us we’re “Much better than Oxford” only serves to endear this living legend to us more, and with classic moves such as ‘drive the car’ and the possibly slightly inappropriate for a younger audience ‘whip the horse’ – what’s not to love?

Brighton scenesters The Magic Gang look like they’ve stepped right out of Empire Records and give us a good dose of proper melodic indie pop before Chas & Dave take to the stage (flat-cap mandatory) to tell us about those ‘London Girls’.

Now we brace ourselves for the powerhouse of unmentionably bad behaviour that is The Cuban Brothers. The CB’s are of course rocking a new set of crazy patterned suits for the occasion, throwing down headspins, flares and insane flips all over the shop, as Miguel assures parents that all of the rude things he says will go right over the kids’ heads. This would be fine, but there’s no way you can make those kids un-see him pretending to slam his willy into a microphone whilst wearing only a thong, now is there? That right there is seared into some young memories. Newest member One Erection almost smashes his teeth out doing a massive front tuck off the stage into the pit and gets thoroughly told off by security for hopping into the crowd. M.E.R.C.Y lads Jamie and Jamal are invited on stage to dance with the CB’s and their faces are absolutely priceless when the guys hit the stage in their holographic fringed jumpsuits. However they are visibly horrified when Miguel dons a pair of extremely skimpy Bjork-esque swan pants. ‘Mike For President’ is the only song I remember because there was so much happening. He gets my vote though.

Jamie Lawson’s ‘Wasn’t Expecting That’ has everyone up and singing in the sunshine – he even managed to get us to do a decent job of harmonizing, but it’s Katy B’s set that really lights the place up. Bathed in the setting sun her sequined dinosaur dress shimmers all over as she dances around the stage with her troupe, and the likes of  ‘Lights On’ and ‘Katy On A Mission’ has the arena jumping – especially when she doubles up the tempo. Chalk up another win for Southampton as Katy yells “Southampton, you are abosolutely smashing oxford right now I have to say”.

As the last of the daylight goes and the Helter Skelter and Big Wheel go neon, there’s just one more act to finish off what has been another amazing Common People festival, and it’s no small fry. Eighties synth-pop legends Duran Duran blow through a hit parade of absolute classics such as ‘Wild Boys’, ‘Hungry Like the Wolf’ and ‘Girls on Film’. With tributes to both David Bowie and Prince, it’s a special one and ending with anthem ‘Rio’ couldn’t be more fitting on the costa del Southampton. As the arena clears and the crowd spills out into the streets to head home, it’s obvious that once again CP has been a massive success, and it sounds like Oxford is loving the CP vibe too.

Read our full Duran Duran review here!

Bestival unveils even more acts for The Future!

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As Bestival’s luminous dream world draws ever nearer, we have news of a host of amazing new live acts and DJs who will be dropping future sounds among the cosmic campfires, mindful escapism, intergalactic raves and Mexican wrestling when Bestival heads into The Future this coming 8-11 September at Robin Hill on the Isle of Wight.  

Rob da Bank says: “As ever we aim to please at Bestival and cover all bases at our insane island party. So let’s head into The Future with one of my favourite electronic acts ever Leftfield, a-song-a-month sensation Oh Wonder and newbies Honne and Anne-Marie, plus jungle and house legend DJ Zinc and hardcore heroes Slipmatt, Billy Daniel Bunter and Altern-8!”

They’re one of the biggest and best live dance music acts ever, so we’re over the moon to announce that Leftfield will be tearing up the Big Top on Saturday night. Famed for their speaker smashing bass, and a truckload of anthems from Phat Planet and Release the Pressure to Swords and Universal Everything, they never fail to give the dancefloor a proper spanking. You don’t want to miss this one.

But that’s not all as we’ll have breathy synth duo Oh Wonder, electronic soul from Honne, Rudimental collaborator and winner of MTV’s Brand New list Anne-Marie, hotly tipped rapper Tiggs da Author. acoustic trance from The ShowHawk Duo, and post punk three-piece and Robert Smith faves The Twilight Sad.

There will be even more live music from London Music Awards’ Rising Star Espa, widescreen indie types New Desert Blues, Sunday Best’s own Alice Jemima and Xylaroo, high octane rhymesters Too Many T’s, and the incredible winner of our Isle of Wight bands competition Lauran Hibberd. 

Joining our future perfect fun on the ones and twos we have a host of forward-thinking crate diggers who’ll keep you dancing all night long including super sharp shooter DJ Zinc, the World of Rave & Music Mondays crew with History of Rave action from DJ Slipmatt going b2b with Billy Daniel Bunter and a DJ set from Altern-8, plus grime selector Sir Spyro, Radio 1’s Clara Amfo, freestyle femme fatale Amy Becker and woozy, psychedelic wunderkind Roosevelt.

We’ll also have pleasingly repetitive beats from Junk: Not Your Thing featuring Luca Pilato & Jordan Mckinlay, Bestival FM co-host and all round party phenomenon Goldierocks hosting the main stage, and dancefloor devastation from Ghettospheric, K2rah, Dr DJ, Joe Roberts Presents Ecstasy Garage Disco, Suspiciously Delicious, Bitr8 and Isle of Wight DJ competition winner Just Eden. 

Plus, there will be energetic pursuits from the amazing Reggaerobics who will be helping us blow away the cobwebs with some stirring morning manoeuvres.

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