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home » festivals » Bearded Theory » Bearded Theory 2010 » reviews

a storming set by Dreadzone brings Bearded Theory to a suitably brilliant close

Bearded Theory 2010 review

published: Wed 19th May 2010

Bearded Theory 2010

Friday 14th to Sunday 16th May 2010

Bradley Nook Farm, Hulland Ward, Ashbourne, Derbyshire

£65 for a weekend ticket / under 16s £15 / under 12s £10 / under 5s free

daily capacity: 1500

last updated: Fri 7th May 2010

Sunday opened with the somewhat surreal experience of the Cheeky Girls, who were either brilliant or brilliantly rubbish depending on who you asked. After a clearly nervous start, overlooked by the watchful eye of their mother, they settled in and made everyone smile some with and some at them.

The world record setting of the most false beards collected in one place is yet to be clarified by The Guinness Book Of Records, but was as equally surreal as The Cheeky Girls this early in the day. Hobo Jones & The Junkyard Dogs do what they do best with their infectious covers, which led nicely into an evening and night line up that for sheer danceability will take some beating anywhere this summer.

Pama International brought their highly danceable ska and reggae sound to the party before a quick dash to the dance tent for Lorraine who played one of the sets of the weekend and really built the crowd for Sunday's dance headliner.

A quick dash back to the main stage for some more Ska action with Neville Staple. The ex (current?) Special received one of the warmest responses of the weekend and had the whole field singing and dancing to classics such as 'Message To You Rudi' and 'Ghost Town'. Another run down the field for a dance headline set from the always superb Banco de Gaia kept everyone's bodies moving and was the highlight of the weekend in the Magical Sounds tent and a real coup that the organisers managed to book him.

One final dash up the field and a chance to have a final dance for the weekend with massive festival favourites Dreadzone. Mixing new and old material, this was a storming set and brought a brilliant weekend to a suitably brilliant close.

That Bearded Theory went ahead at all in 2010 is a real credit to the organisers. That it went ahead as well as this was beyond credit. As a small independent festival, Bearded Theory deserves the success it has clearly enjoyed and the love that all those that attend it have for it it is a testament to what can be done when you get the right people doing it.

Dreadzone

review by: Phil Adcroft