An Extraordinary Weekend At Bestival

Bestival 2011

As far as British festivals go, Bestival has to be THE most extraordinarily enriching and fantastical one out there. It’s like Never Never Land; a labyrinth of nooks and crannies to get lost in over four days on the beautiful Isle Of Wight.

After a quaint trip across the English Channel (and a ‘dad joke’-filled stand-up set from the Captain) we arrive in good time on Friday to see the astounding Patrick Wolf, who suitably sets the tone for one of the most uplifting festivals of the year. The distant blasts of a vocoder can mean only one thing though, and that’s Chromeo. It all kicks off for their set and it feels good to be watching this unassuming duo instead of your usual festival giants. I mean, we’re all getting a bit sick of seeing Muse and Kings Of Leon EVERY Summer, aren’t we? The point is, Bestival is a world away from all that; it’s a care free Eden where absolutely anything goes…even Mr Motivator, who opens the main stage the following day – genius. And after a stirring set from Mogwai back in the Big Top I make my way up the hill to the Bandstand for hours of acoustic twangings, bringing day one to a fulfilling close.

Saturday is fancy dress day (Rockstars, Popstars and Divas being this year’s theme) – an aspect of the weekender which some might say sets Bestival aside from all others – leading us into what we’re all waiting for: The Village People with 50,000 people standing side by side doing the ‘Y.M.C.A.’ Perfection. An outstanding set from Chris Peck And The Family Tree over on the Sailor Jerry Stage then sets us up nicely for another evening of hedonistic adventure. A-track and Annie Mac take proceedings to another level, whilst a visit to the flaming Arcadia stage simply blows your mind.

Sunday sees The Drums and Kelis draw huge crowds over on the main stage, whilst later Robyn plays an impressive hits-filled set. However, the absolute highlight of the weekender is still to come, and entering the stage dressed in the most impressive costume of the weekend, Bjork plays new material from her forthcoming album ‘Biophilia’ – including ‘Thunderbolt’ (where an actual electronic coil is used as an instrument, as it hovers overhead) – transporting everyone in attendance to another realm. Closing her set with ‘Hyperballad’ and ‘Declare Independence’, the stage is plummeted into darkness and heads turn towards further up the valley where the most outstanding fireworks display ends the most perfect weekend.

Frazer Lawton