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home » festivals » Bestival » Bestival 2004
Sunday reviewBestival 2004Friday 24th September 2004 Sunday’s mission was to locate the Troll Kissing Seat (because we all love them really, don’t we?), but it was not to be. Perhaps they heard I was coming. The weather had sadly changed for the worst and the wind had picked up considerably, bringing with it many showers of varying intensity. I was also struck by the litter which seemed to have sprung up overnight. In complete contrast to Saturday’s tidy greenness and teams of litter-pickers, the land was scattered with a great number of plastic beer cups and other bits of rubbish. This, along with the change in weather, created a startlingly different mood. We were soon cheered, however, by the Ben & Jerry’s ice-cream stall which stole the refreshments show with two massive scoops of their superior ice-cream for just £1.50. That beat the vans hands down. I’m not sure if it had been there the day before, but to be honest I wouldn’t have noticed it had it not been for the four fluorescent paramedics scoffing a variety of flavours with gusto. They, like those in the Welfare Tent the day before, had encountered no major problems and were having a good weekend. The wind had blown large numbers of people into the adjacent beer tent and the warming comforts of the Tiny Tea Tent, both of which were doing a roaring trade, and those I spoke to, locals and visitors alike, were all impressed with the atmosphere but were a little worried about the impending weather and the lack of day ticketers for the final day. A friend from our local Solent TV told me that Saturday night had been completely packed for Fatboy Slim and Basement Jaxx. Today there seemed to be an air of the best of Bestival having passed. As if in hope of clinging on to the mood of the day before, Chas & Dave began their set early and went down a storm with the small but enthusiastic crowd who really got into old favourites such as ‘Gertcha’, ‘The Sideboard Song’, and ‘Oh Darlin’’. I coped with it all, but had to draw the line at ‘Snooker Loopy’ ringing out across a festival field. A great knees-up ensued in front of the main stage, however, as they played with great gusto amid a rather incongruous cloud of stage smoke. Rain started to fall towards the end of the set and as soon as they had left the stage, the crowds dispersed towards shelter and left the main stage area practically empty. The Cocomo Bollywood Cocktail Bar day beds were empty and, with nobody beneath them, even the brightly coloured parasols seemed subdued. Yet still there was entertainment to be had as four Hells Grannies mingled along the edges of the field, fighting amongst themselves and dishing out hard stares.  We took comfort in some rather lovely Falafels and dodged between stalls during the sporadic rain. Gradually a few people emerged as Ori-Jah-Nal began their set. I must confess I have never heard of them, but I like reggae (just know nothing about it) so we stuck around for a while. They sounded great and it was such a shame that they had to play to such a small crowd – at first, not many more than you could squeeze into your average pub – but they treated the crowd as if it were 2,000 strong, and soon brought more from their shelters to join in. It was during this set that the children began to get cold and a little bored so we decided to head off. Had we been camping for the weekend we would have been more geared up for the weather and if the music had had a different flavour, I’d have stayed anyway. It’s too easy to be a lightweight when your house is only a few miles away. I didn’t even need to use the very shiny and new looking portaloos with their next-to-nothing queues. Bestival was a lovely, relaxed and chilled festival with some of the usual trappings such as the beer tents, clothes stalls and fooderies, but much less in the way of crowds and bustle. The land lent itself well to general lounging around and it is a shame that the weather wasn’t good enough to bring more to Sunday’s party. This is not a festival for inclement weather I fear. At the big festivals, people get on with it despite rain and mud, but Bestival is a ‘sit on the grass and soak it all up’ kind of place. It would certainly benefit from an earlier slot in the year, but I doubt the owners of this very popular tourist resort would be too keen on losing a week’s trade during the school holidays for a ‘reasonable’ rent. It was a shame to see police on the site in such obvious numbers. They were certainly much more noticeable than I have seen them at larger festivals. There didn’t seem to be any need for it as it had been a very peaceful weekend. Safety measures seemed to have been well thought through, with potential problem areas such as the lake and the wooded areas being fenced off. I certainly didn’t notice anyone being foolhardy. I do hope that Bestival returns next year. I doubt I would want to go for the whole weekend, but a day ticket if the music was interesting enough (and I’m prepared to try new things) might be in the offing. I am certain that Sunday Best and all those involved can build on this success and bring a festival with spirit to the Isle of Wight.  review by Paula Bailey photos by Paula Bailey |
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