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Bestival Recap

08th September 2008 | by Aidan Williamson

You turn up to see a performer best known for her shambolic performances, addiction to drugs and alcohol and her bizarre behaviour. So why on earth would you boo when, true to form, she turns up late and struggles through her set like a toddler who's found the cupboard of kitchen cleaners?

"Well, gosh, I'd of expected more of her personally. I'm most disappointed at her lack of professionalism. I know what, I shall express my distaste by means of a harsh vocal dressing down. That will really shock her back on the straight and narrow. Just because your a heroin addict doesn't mean you can't be courteous!"

And yet, this is what happened. Winehouse - who we'll forgo the customary alcohol-related nickname for - arrived forty minutes late, only played half her set, and abandoned "Valerie" halfway through 'cause time was running out. Considering the news of her 48 bottles of whisky request which leaked out prior to the event, it's commendable she managed to stutter out onto the stage at all.

As with a large number of the other festivals this 'summer', mother nature was a harsh mistress. Lashing the site with harsh winds and heavy rain the site quickly became muddier than O.J Simpsons' order of events. Also riding high on the complaints list were the sound levels. Apparently people could still hear after My Bloody Valentine's set, and that means that in comparison, everyone else must've suffered from a serious case of the quiets.

Operating under the fancy dress theme of “30,000 freaks under the sea” this year, even the bands joined in. Amy Winehouse looked like a smacked halibut, Hot Chip's vocalist Alexis Taylor took to the stage wearing a medieval knight's outfit, and Hot Chip keyboardist Joe Goddard wore a green dinosaur costume. Elsewhere the crowd donned costumes aplenty. It was also a chance for the ladies to unleash their inner ho-bag. For example, at Bestival, instead of a nurse, you're a slutty nurse. Instead of a pirate, you're a slutty pirate. Instead of a jellyfish, you're a..... well, you probably get the picture.... a slutty jellyfish.

Bestival also held the distinction of being one of the few flyaway success stories of the summer. It joined Reading/Leeds, V Festival and T in the Park as the only major to sell out easily, despite the economic downturn. So bad were the financial conditions this year, that 38 British music festivals were cancelled and many, many more were forced to downsize or amalgamate.

Still, despite the atrocious conditions, Bestival muddled through to officially close the Summer festival season on the tiny Isle of Wight. Although sets from Sam Sparro, Lykke Li and Black Kids were canned, they benefited from surprise performances by 60-year-old veteran Grace Jones and ska (hold your spit please) legends The Specials, playing their first gig together in 27 years.

The strategy of playing off legendary performers seems to have done the event proud. My Bloody Valentine, Gary Numan, Sugar Hill Gang and Human League all brought in the sales and left people pumping their skinny fists like antennas to heaven. Let's hope they weren't conductive then.

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