Tag Archives: festival

Bestival 2012 Album

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More information on Bestival here.

http://www.bestival.net/

Read TMM’s full review here.

Thoroughly Modern Milly travelled to Bestival with Wightlink on its 35-minute ferry service from Lymington to Yarmouth, one of three routes. Car ferries also operate from Portsmouth–Fishbourne (40 minutes) and there is a foot passenger catamaran service between Portsmouth Harbour and Ryde Pier Head (approx 20 minutes).

Call 0871 376 1000 or visit www.wightlink.co.uk for details.

Wightlink sells ferry-inclusive packages for the Isle of Wight Festival (June) and Bestival (September).

Bestival 2012, Isle of Wight

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I’m not sure I am quite cool enough for festivals like Bestival, I certainly don’t have the stamina to make it through a whole five days unwashed and living off a few hours sleep. Not any more anyway, not as a sophisticated 24 year old. Wandering round the dusty fields among hundreds of inebriated teenagers, I felt like I should be scraping them off the grass and guiding them back to their tents, even if that is where their stashes of cheap beer are kept. In fact my younger brother was in attendance at this huge Isle of Wight jamboree along with a large group of friends, none of whom I was allowed to meet, well not without bribing him with free food.

Bestival is not the easiest location to travel to, but the island site is idyllic and spacious, ideal for a music festival. We arrived on Saturday (I was desperately sad to have missed Django Django on Friday), once inside the fencing I was totally amazed and overwhelmed by the raucous energy, the endless groups of giggling friends and most alarming… the eccentric wildlife costumes that almost everyone was wearing. I arrived un-costumed, without even theme-specific nail art to justify my embarrassingly bland clothes choice. After the long drive, we were already in hysterics, and putting up our £20 neon pink tent provided further fun when the pop up function flew into the air and into our faces… this easy to use temporary accommodation in fact provided very well for us for our one night of camping, being roomy and weather resistant. Thanks must go to Sports Direct.

It was difficult to navigate our way round at night, music blaring from every quarter. The main stage glowed in the centre, and we watched some of the energetic ‘Two Door Cinema Club’ who managed to really motivate the swaying crowds playing songs from their recently released new album and a few older favourites. Every year festival food seems to improve and Bestival 2012 secured some of London’s most popular eateries: hugely popular Meat Liquor had a stall, Byron were selling their deliciously juicy burgers, and even Wagamama made an appearance.

We were ridiculously lucky with the weather, most of Sunday morning was spent sunbathing and munching on breakfast treats from the Breakfast club bus. The bands seemed to thrive in the heat, Rizzle Kicks consumed the stage with their hilarious, infectious set and Krafty Kuts was a brilliantly wild DJ act to dance crazily to in the roller disco arena – their sound is expansive and atmospheric and fully involved the audience. I really enjoyed some of the other entertainment too, in particular the dance lessons marquee and the Bollywood themed area.

Venturing into the woods and we found further thrills. A special mention must go to the Dukesbox band, a unique little group who play and sing from an enlarged jukebox, following the requests of their audience and providing renditions of popular numbers with gumption and humour. Better still they are actually very talented musicians, and bring something special to every cover. The perfect entertainment for a wedding or big party.

Stevie Wonder provided the climactic finish we had all been hoping for… taking to the stage unusually punctually, he gave a staggering performance. Dressed in a vibrant red outfit, he looked valiant and impressive. Performing hit after hit, the audience danced, jumped, sang and smiled. Almost every one of the 46,000 attendees (the most ever) turned up at the main stage to see the star of soul and it felt like a once in a lifetime moment. Favourites ‘Don’t you worry bout a thing’, ‘For once in your life’ and ‘Superstition’ were especially electric… not a note off-key not a beat missed, Stevie is still as magical as his very first record and it seems age has only bettered him. It helps too that his punchy band support him with charm and charisma and give the melody a dynamic vitality.

Bestival is now one of the largest of the new festivals, offering a range of exciting events and exhibits for festival goers to enjoy, though it is definitely geared more towards the younger and hipper generations. For me it was Stevie’s wondrous set and inspiring musical talent that made this epic journey so worth the effort. I will never forget seeing this unbelievable legend in the flesh, and Bestival will struggle to match this headliner next year.

http://www.bestival.net/

Thoroughly Modern Milly travelled to Bestival with Wightlink on its 35-minute ferry service from Lymington to Yarmouth, one of three routes. Car ferries also operate from Portsmouth–Fishbourne (40 minutes) and there is a foot passenger catamaran service between Portsmouth Harbour and Ryde Pier Head (approx 20 minutes).

Call 0871 376 1000 or visit www.wightlink.co.uk for details.

Wightlink sells ferry-inclusive packages for the Isle of Wight Festival (June) and Bestival (September).

THOROUGHLY MODERN MAN: Asturias, Spain

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Asturias is one of Spain’s lesser known provinces, often overlooked by the regular tourist. Located in northwest Spain, it runs along the coast offering numerous sandy, secluded beaches such as Ribadesella, seen below, as well as adventure packed opportunities in its mountainous interior.

If you’re adventure orientated you can ascend the Picos de Europa mountain range, with peaks reaching as high as 8,688 ft and find great facilities for skiing, mountaineering and caving, for all ages – with activities and accommodation found here.

However, what about the weather? Good question. Its climate offers an alternative to the intense sunshine and sometimes stifling heat of southern Spain, providing long summer months of comfortable warmth and humidity, as well as variety in its winter months with occasional snow and rain.

Also due to its climate, Asturias is able to nurture large apple orchards to produce their famous local cider. This is a must try when traveling within Asturias as it is one of the region’s most famous specialities. A great place to sample the drink is Oviedo where the local waiters take great pride in decanting your cider from high above their heads into your glass which is held below their waists – and don’t worry their nonchalant manner while pouring is considered exceptional service.

Once you have sampled the tangy yet bitter-sweet cider, a relaxing way to experience traditional Asturian food is by sitting down to one of the many Menu del Dias at any town in the region. This is a three course meal that offers a variety of local food, such as Fabada, a hearty stew of red kidney beans, shoulder of pork, chorizo and black sausage, served with rustic bread, cider or local red wine.

The local food and produce can be found throughout the year, however, if summer festivals are your thing then Asturias can cater for this too. In Gijon, the annual TorosGijon bullfighting festival provides the opportunity to be immersed in one of Spain’s most famous traditions. So often glamorised on television and in Hollywood films, you very rarely find out what it’s actually like inside a bullring. The festival atmosphere is generated by people travelling from miles around for the five day spectacle. Each day six matadors battle against six bulls each weighing over half a tonne. It is definitely worth a visit for the pomp and ceremony alone, without mentioning the extravagantly dressed matadors.

Overall we found Asturias  to be a little Spanish gem that can provide a largely untrodden path for tourists, with a whole spectrum of holidays for the adventurous, family-focused or sun-seeking.

The Toros Gijon festival runs for one week in August – tickets can usually be purchased here for seats at the Plaza de Toros de Gijon.

Written by a Thoroughly Modern Man, Felix Daniel.

Wilderness Festival, Oxfordshire

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 Where else can you ride a Camel, eat at a Michelin starred banquet and take a yoga class by a serene lake – Wilderness Festival of course.

Expansive fields and hidden dips in the landscape were to be our home for the next three days – the most peaceful, spacious and clean camping experience to date – this doesn’t feel like a dirty festival more an energising weekend away in the countryside where you sit with flowers in your hair breathing in the clear air of the Oxfordshire rolling hills.

A hands on festival where everyone makes friends with everyone in an attempt to experience and take in as much as physically possible, Wilderness left me grinning from ear to ear.

The Old Vic Tunnels encouraged festival revellers young and old to get their hands dirty and create a Scarecrow in their name. Old coats, hats, dresses and sequins adorned figures of different sizes with some real gems being worn by festival goers alike. From Princess Fiona to cross dressing characters the Scarecrows were then paraded along the river and through the forest, to the beat of the festival’s Samba band, to their new home hidden in a tucked away valley where the party would later kick off once the sun disappeared over the horizon. The Tunnels then hosted a pumping Masquerade Party where we danced anonymously amongst our alter-ego creations.

Music highlights included the boundlessly energetic Sharon Jones and the “get the party started” Saturday night headliners Temper Trap.

With groggy heads on the Sunday morning there was nothing better than a swim in the lake in the beautiful Cornbury Park grounds to blow away the cobwebs. Muddy at first but blissful once fully submerged. Organisers tried to break the world record on Saturday night for the greatest skinny dip – who knows whether this was achieved or not – I expect officials got swept along by the hedonism of the night and lost count.

Arty, expressive, foody and chilled. We’re such bohemians!

More information on Wilderness here, and on the Old Vic Tunnels here.

Latitude Festival 2012

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After a treacherous and frustrating journey and an unnecessary mission to collect tickets, we arrived inside the gates of Latitude Festival… all slightly frazzled from the time-consuming organisational fiasco. The weather was bleak but dry and we wandered across the grass in search of food and musical inspiration.

This was my third year at Latitude Festival, but my first time as a day guest… no camping to endure but inevitably a lot of good music missed. 2012′s line-up was, in my eyes, the best yet, with a score of ace acts up performing each and every day. Friday was the must see bill for me, with Janelle Monae strutting her stuff on the main stage and Bon Iver headlining, not forgetting a little set from new icon Lana del Rey.

The venue was teeming with people – in its seven years of existence the crowd of Latitudees has increased from 4,000 to 35,000 and nowadays it certainly feels like a squeeze. My festival advice to you: decide on a few acts you want to see get there 20 minutes early for a good spot and prepare to be squashed.

The day had its highs and lows. I had a particularly unpleasant experience at the female urinals: it just doesn’t seem fair to queue for half an hour for such an ordeal… after attempting and failing to use the designated funnel I had to rejoin the queue, this time for normal toilets. That’s the last time I make that mistake.

Starving from the journey we wolfed down stone-baked made to order, and rather delicious, pepperoni pizzas and set off for the main stage. Amadou and Mariam triumphed with a soulful and charismatic set, colourful in costume and jubilant in mood, the crowd danced joyfully in the mud.

Before returning to the Word tent for a nostalgic set from Dexys, I thought I should see what else was on offer. Don Paterson’s poetry was particularly touching though the Literary tent’s offerings were less inspiring. I had a great chat with the Emerald City girls… we bonded over our specially designed Tatty Devine necklaces and talked about fabulous Stylist magazine.

Thankfully Janelle Monae’s magnificent showcase made the tiring journey to Latitude entirely worth the hassle… the stage and band were dressed in elegant black and white and after a grand introduction from her teammates Janelle entered concealed beneath a black cloak. Aside from her obvious talent as a singer and dancer, this young performer certainly knows how to work the crowd. Her set consisted of popular tracks from her own repertoire, of which ‘Tightrope’ was my highlight, but also a few exemplary covers… including Jackson Five’s ‘I want you back’. She exhibited endless energy and a personality that you can’t help but fall in love with. Towards the end of the set she managed to coax the whole audience into sitting on the floor, only allowing us up to dance when she felt the anticipation had reached its peak! As if the performance hadn’t been exciting enough, for the final farewell Janelle lunged into the crowd for a brief crowd surf!

As expected Lana del Rey was rather a limp and lazy disappointment, although her performance here was marginally better than the flop at Lovebox… and she still managed to pack out the Word tent with her desperately loyal fans. Another round of food and it was back to the main stage for the final act, Bon Iver. I have always liked his music but this show exceeded my expectations, a spectacular light show accompanied his passionate and sincere music, it was incredibly atmospheric.

As we walked wearily out, we witnessed the magical scenes that appear as darkness falls at Latitude… Pagan ritualistic fire parades, actors and performers everywhere asserting their creativity and involving the guests in their fun. For a day trip from London, Latitude is a huge effort but to see an unforgettable star like Janelle Monae, I would definitely do it all over again.

Massive thanks to my dad for driving us all the way there and back.

http://www.latitudefestival.co.uk/

Hop Farm Festival 2012

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Hop Farm is a happy festival. Couples cuddle, kids play and music lovers unite for three days of listening, watching, eating, camping and dressing to impress.

We were blessed with predominantly sunny weather this year for the 5th annual festival in Kent. The line-up wasn’t perhaps as thrilling as previous years and yet the positive mood and joyful vibe were enough to ensure everyone had an awesome time.

We arrived late afternoon on Friday and after parking my friend’s dinky convertible, we started the epic walk to the campsite. Both of us were laden with pillows, tent equipment, clothes and fake eyelashes – I felt like a donkey, and must have burned several thousand calories trekking with all the baggage. Luckily I had just enough energy to flirt with a couple of security guards and they carried our bags for the final leg, helping us find a suitable spare clod of grass for our miniature tent. The final gasps of breath were used to blow up two air beds and construct our accommodation, a tall order for a pair of girly girls. A bottle of white wine later and we were on our way, following the pumping beat and the distant melodies coming from the main stage.

This year Hop Farm had a variety of vintage stalls and before I even had the chance to see a band I was in the midst of second hand silk shirts, floaty dresses, scarves and headbands… all the festival gear you could possible need. There was the usual face painting artists, a bohemian couple with their wishing tree and other hippie areas.

For me musically there were a few real highlights, most blend into a haze of beery, sunny relaxation.

For the headliners, well I’ve seen Bobby D before and I’m sad to say that this year his voice sounded wearier, his attitude sulkier and his performance less memorable. Noone can deny his obvious musical genius though and a virtuosic harmonica solo made his presence worth watching. Peter Gabriel and the New Red Blood Orchestra made quite an impression… this artist certainly pushes boundaries, his filmic set filled the field, a mysterious and exciting style of music that I felt really suited Hop Farm’s ambience.

I am always appreciative of Hop Farm’s petite scale, after gobbling our Breakfast Club burritos in the morning we wandered with glitter only partially distracting our vision. Discovering new artists is such a joy for me and here we fell in love with the talented ‘The Tallest Man on Earth’ and the veteran ‘Taj Mahal’ and sang along to great bands like Athlete and Damien Rice who both gave heartfelt melancholic renditions of their repertoire on stage. A mention must also go to Sir Bruce Forsyth, who at the age of 84 gave one of the most spirited and smiling performances of the weekend, tap dancing and singing tremendously, obviously overjoyed by the audience’s warm welcome.

To avoid the traffic queues home on Sunday, we left before Suede, the final headliner. But we went out with a bang, standing at the very front for Kool and the Gang and grooving enthusiastically to the infectiously fabulous musical show on stage. These hip guys dance with charisma and masses of sex appeal… the crowd went wild, flinging themselves energetically towards the stage, arms flailing desperately towards the attention loving performers.

On the way home to the Euro football final, we reminisced about the spectacular weekend we had enjoyed at Hop Farm. As ever this festival presents its visitors with great music, delicious food and an unbeatable atmosphere. I can’t wait to see what 2013 will bring to this special event.

Visit the Hop Farm website here.

Lovebox Festival 2012, Victoria Park

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Lovebox is the ultimate London festival. Three days of music, fun and frolics in Victoria Park.

Thanks to TFL’s unkind timing with engineering works, the Central Line was down all weekend, making the journey to the Mile End destination rather more challenging. Getting home on Saturday almost ruined the experience for me, and after falling asleep on the District Line home, I debated cancelling my return trip on Sunday. But the infectious programming of Chic, Lana Del Rey and Chaka Khan was too appealing to resist and I am so glad I went back for round two.

This year Lovebox celebrates its 10th Birthday, with a line-up of eccentric and classic artists, old and new, bold hip and cool. The ever evolving London street style was very much evident in the grounds of Victoria Park: Doc Martens, dip dye hair and neon brights all trending very obviously. Many chose to don their own creations and elaborate specially arranged outfits, that I tried to sneakily photograph as much as possible (see the album here). There was a real feeling of ‘anything goes’ with everyone having a good time and openly expressing themselves.

The great thing about day festivals, is a different group attends each day depending on the line-up. Each day the guests arrive fresh faced and raring to go… having enjoyed proper showers and clean sweet smelling toilets in the comfort of their own homes! I didn’t go on Friday… as dance music isn’t so much my scene, but I had a ball on Saturday and Sunday… enjoying the entertainment, food and jolly atmosphere to the max.

Saturday saw a more mainstream troupe and it was definitely the busiest day. With Friendly Fires topping the bill, the fans were a mix of all ages, united in their love of good music. The weather was uncharacteristically unsummery however, with an offensively harsh wind and chill in the air. The Love-boxers didn’t let this deter them, dancing and singing with more gusto than ever.

I was glad to be finally getting the chance to see Emeli Sande, a characterful girl with a truly sensational voice. She sung through some of her new album, energising the crowd and satisfying us with familiar tracks. I was sad not to hear ‘Easier in Bed’ – a beautifully gloomy acoustic song top of my ipod playlist.

Groove Armada were my Saturday highlight. Bursting onto the stage with energy and charisma, they stunned the crowd with hit after hit and got everyone dancing. Friendly Fires were good too, and looked spectacular thanks to brilliant lighting. From up on the shoulders of a friend, the performance looked amazing. I was shocked to discover how much I enjoyed the House band Booka Shade on the Second Stage. This groovy German duo create contagious beats and twisted tunes which seem to really excite the listeners.

Sunday welcomed a more specialist crowd of disco lovers and 80s divas. It was a relaxed and chilled out vibe, unconventional outfits reigned in the fields. The weather had calmed down and it was easier to enjoy the festival without needing to shelter! I ate Hummingbird cupcakes and had my photo taken in the Doc Marten booth – the perfect afternoon! The old school bands received an enthusiatic retro reception; Chic and Chaka Khan both belting out their famous songs. To hear ‘Freak Out’ and ‘I’m Every Woman’ live was incredibly exciting. Chic are an enormous band: the crew on stage and more and more musicians came to join the party. Shaka Khan has a killer voice and vocally stole the show… filling the stage and field with her sparkling presence and attitude.

Lana del Rey’s performance live is a controversial topic and I was hoping the rumours weren’t true. I was disheartened to witness a set that was dull and damp. Her voice is good enough, but shatters the illusion of the cd. She barely moved from the spot, and didn’t smile, dance or offer any rapport with the audience… for someone with such a captivating look and sound she was totally average. I have to admit though seeing an overnight icon like Lana so close up was exciting, hopefully her set at Latitude will be more spirited. Unfortunately I missed Grace Jones, the final act of the night, needing to get home and avoid a horrific journey like the previous night. It was the right decision as I left on a high, still reeling from the Lovebox party.

http://www.lovebox.net/