aaamusic | On 09, Oct 2012

Here Tiz —- Bestival 2012, The Year of the Wildlife an ting’

 

Is it Bestival or is it Best-of-all…..?

Well, regardless of corny word play this years outing was categorised by NASA, BBC and Chuck Norris as the hottest place in the northern hemisphere from Thursday till Saturday. Fact, ladies and gentlemen that this festival has it all – even the toasty sunshine!!! Ah, the long hot summer……….. (well couple of days anyway)

P.s the hottest place thing…. All made up, but it was proper roasting!

So, another Bestival. And we hit the Izle of Shizzle front on as 6 of us burst forth from our trusty ‘go truck’ and head on down to find a suitable footing for the nylon schlaf chariots. The walk is long and mountainous my son, but we soldier on through the pain and burning flesh until we cannot walk any further and drop all our stuff on the dusty floor – that’s pretty much where we pitch up.

You may think that Thursday morning around 11, was a quiet time to arrive – well you would be and are pure wrong. It was proper busy with more than 80% of punters turning up….. 80%, that about 40,000 folks, 30,000 tents, half a million cans of lager and a busy morning for the man who drives the toilet hoover.

Well, Thursday is quite alive at Bestival, bars are open, music is playing, food is being served all over the place and we all meander back and forth, in and out, round and about of all the in’s and out’s that this yearly staple has to offer – its no secret that we love Bestival, and if you love Bestival……. Bestival will love you right back, with tickly bits and fireworks on!

Friday arrives with a bump and a slight hangover, but as we have brought lots of nice things, we have a hearty breakfast and start the day off with a couple of lagers before heading into the festival proper. And oh yes, its absolutely boiling hot!!!!!

Most are showing off either their partially naked bods or sporting their smashing fancy pants dress outfits – even although the fancy dress bit is’nt until tomorrow…….. so strange. Adam Ant keeps me glued to the spot for another full set, before we trek across the arid lands to the Big Top to get a bit of shade and bounce about to our mates Soulwax. The heat for me is really becoming a big deal and im wishing for the night…… which comes very quickly and after a refreshing beverage, we head from the craziness of the Rizla tent to view funsters and all round smiley happy types The XX. Which certainly cheered us up, just in time for Flo and her amazing Machine. Florence is kinda like watching a mad ghostly ballerina effortlessly floating about with ease and gazing off into the universe, im sure at one point i saw her levitate a few inches. None the less, it all added up to a fab-tastic headline.

 

Saturday is the day to explore. The woods are alive with games, songs and stuff, seats and chill out lie down areas, leading to the biggest of big wheels, helty skelty makes a re-appearance and there’s even a toboggan – and yes, its still really hot..

Its no shock that the bars are doing a great trade, but I do wonder how many folks are watching their intake on this toasty weekend. So, we stand in the massive queue for beers, which took a while.

 

Well, tonights bands are all good and I cant wait to see 80’s electro synth pensioners New Order break out the beats and get my funky retro bounce all going on – before storming over to French dance Gods, Justice – well we did, in that order and it was near chaos, because thats what everyone else wanted to do to. We did however, manage to push and squeeze ourselves and all our camera type gear through said heaving crowd only to find that some ….. person, had let 50 or so others through the barriers and right into the place I need to be – to work…. well, more pushing and I get to where I need to be. I expect a bit of shoving, it is a festival, but its not nice at all when people just push you for the sake of being dicks – not clever, unless you want a camera up your nose?

All is well, as we have a beer and relax after the main struggle. All our friends have vanished and im sure that it’ll be near impossible to locate them, so we visit a few dance tents an roller park and meet our fellow festival goer-types.

 

It really does go by very fast, and ta-da! its Sunday already…. its a little more cloudy now, and as windy as could be – so to ease me into that Sunday feeling we head on up to the Classic Album Sunday’s venue and chill the mother out for an hour or so, then head into breakfast with a full on rumble and scoff our tiny heads clean off. Well, its all about today it seems, all eyes are on the main stage – so that is pretty much where I stay. Although the occasional saunter for eats and look at the wall of death breaks up the morning. Most of the folks I meet (even those back stage types) are whoopin’ an-a- screaming for Sigur Ros who in return whoop and scream back. It seems to go down very well as the crowd do their level best to sing in Icelandic. Much frothing at the mouth. The set goes on for some considerable time and before we know it, its dark!. Well as the Ros depart, the remainder of the paying punters head to the main stage area to join the massed thousands for Stevie Wonder. Mr. Wonder walks on stage unaided and makes his way to a mic at the front of the stage – and tells us to love each other – and im sure a few of the crowd did just that. Following on Stevie rips into classic after classic with a few covers thrown in for good measure – Mr Jackson and one by Mr Lennon no less – all to much applause and rejoicing from the people out the front.

 

We intended to go see Orbital – but alas we have a shi to catch and head to the plastic hotel for a quick nap before scaling the north face of the Eiger with all our gear.

 

I cant believe its over so quickly, but glad that I was their. My biggest and bestest thanks as always to Aiden, Bruce, Kate, Stevie and all the guys and gals at Get Involved – and my apologies for being a little late (I have an cut on my eye ball )

 

See you soon for more adventures in the beer zone.

 

Dave Livingstone