Bestival 2017

[incident]

49 minutes ago, Nobody Interesting said:

Pass - cos I was in normal camping but friends were in the green bit and told me about it - I will guess that it is don with peoples honesty. Personally I would never dream of making and leaving a mess anywhere.

I think that either you or your friend have misunderstood something. Shambala do have a "Green Campsite" but that's Green as in the colour, just as they have Red & Pink Campsites etc.. There's definitely no difference in rules, anyone camping there has had a £10 Recycling Deposit paid by someone in their group. It just sounds like your mate either didn't realise this, and so never claimed it back - or their ticket was bought as part of a group and someone else handled it.

[kerplunk]

10 minutes ago, Nobody Interesting said:

On their web site. The bond was introduced to 'encourage people to clean up after themselves'..... not after others.

I congratulate you on clearing up other peoples rubbish but we were told that we had to have a full bag of non recyclable rubbish and cans and such do not fall into that category hence not being able to do that..... and without being supplied with the proper PPE I would not suggest to anyone to go around picking up litter especially not at a muddy place where contamination from toilets into the mud is likely.

 

Same for shambala - except we were blessed with good weather of course.

 

[Kizzie]

Actually there was a 'special green' camping area at Shambala, I think it was mentioned in the guide that they sent via email to ticket holders.  I think it was with family camping with older children maybe?  They badged it as 'extra green campers' or something like that.

 I considered heading there if we couldn't find our mates (Kerplunk et al ), as there were only two of us carrying no booze or food, so our litter was a paltry affair, some wet wipes and a rizzla packet or two.   No I didn't get the eco bond tenner back, I knew I hadn't generated any where near enough rubbish so they got an extra tenner from me.

[kerplunk]

59 minutes ago, Kizzie said:

Actually there was a 'special green' camping area at Shambala, I think it was mentioned in the guide that they sent via email to ticket holders.  I think it was with family camping with older children maybe?  They badged it as 'extra green campers' or something like that.

 I considered heading there if we couldn't find our mates (Kerplunk et al ), as there were only two of us carrying no booze or food, so our litter was a paltry affair, some wet wipes and a rizzla packet or two.   No I didn't get the eco bond tenner back, I knew I hadn't generated any where near enough rubbish so they got an extra tenner from me.

Yes the essential guide map designates green camping as "Families and super tidy campers" - like all the campsite colours it had a theme. Nothing to do with the eco-bond deposit though.

Edited September 12, 2017 by kerplunk

[smogo]

I thought Bestival worked quite well at the new site. It'd be nice if they could somehow divide the main arena into themed areas a bit better, but the geography of the site makes that difficult.

Still, there were about 22 stages dotted around, and nicely spaced out to minimise sound bleed (at last - the main stage and the big top (sorry, "The Box") are located in different fields!). I was very glad that they'd brought back HMS Bestival, Reggae Roots and the Comedy tent after a year or more's absence, and it's good that the Ambient Forest lives on despite the move.

Not the strongest lineup of all time, but Saturday was packed - and although I don't like all of the following acts, other festivals would kill for a main stage running order like this:
Nadia Rose - Stefflon Don - Rejjie Snow - Laura Mvula - Danny Brown - Rag 'n' Bone Man - Dizzee Rascal - A Tribe Called Quest

Highlights of the weekend for me were Dizzee Rascal, Charlotte Church's Late Night Pop Dungeon and - on the comedy stage - Andrew Maxwell. And the food at the Feast Collective, which is always amazing.

Lowlights were: well, the weather. If Robin Hill had been bathing in glorious sunshine all weekend I'd have been really pissed off, but it looks like the Isle of Wight was just as stormy, so what ya gonna do? Just put up with it and plough on through.

I didn't spot a single bit of aggression or violence this year. And it was a nice, friendly crowd, just not as wild & crazy as usual, but I think that was because of the weather and the mud.

I had no sense of what the numbers were like, other than the fact that they never even pretended that it was about to sell out this year. But next year, all the smaller festivals ought to get a boost from Glastonbury's fallow year, so Bestival 2018 ought to do very well.

While 2017 doesn't join the upper echelons of my favourite ever Bestivals (they're probably 2011, 2012 and controversially 2016), I had an amazing weekend as usual, and really it was only the awful weather that let it down. I already can't wait for my ninth one next year...!

[eFestivals]

40 minutes ago, smogo said:

If Robin Hill had been bathing in glorious sunshine all weekend I'd have been really pissed off, but it looks like the Isle of Wight was just as stormy

funnily enough, the festival that did take place at robin hill (Electika, or something) was also hit by the weather, mostly the wind same as bestival. And similarly to bestival it had to shut down for a while, with cancelled acts as a consequence - but also the main stage not re-opening.

(tho it's possible that they didn't re-open the main stage cos lots of peeps went home. From the pics of the tent that did restart it looks much less than full, which would have been a very thin crowd at a big open-air main stage)

[rseamer]

18 hours ago, Nobody Interesting said:

Heaps of lovely flat camping..... but all reserved for those willing to pay extra for Pitch perfect, Camping plus etc......

 

Not true. I camped in general camping and had a very flat spot. It wasn't all reserved.

But I do agree that an additional flatter field for general camping would have helped those who really were on a slope.

[rseamer]

1 hour ago, smogo said:

I

While 2017 doesn't join the upper echelons of my favourite ever Bestivals (they're probably 2011, 2012 and controversially 2016), I had an amazing weekend as usual, and really it was only the awful weather that let it down. I already can't wait for my ninth one next year...!

Wow 2016 - that is controversial!!! (Having been to all them bar 1 that was my worst, with 2008, the really muddy year close behind)

I think my favourites were 2005, 2007 and 2012 but 2017 isn't to far behind for me. Oh and 2010 - the year we got 80's pop star Howard Jones to play after a long comedy campaign started by me on the old Bestival forum to get him to play (and that wasafter Rob da Bank had let me do a Howard Jones tribute DJ set a year or two before under the name DJ Hojo Hits in the Hidden Disco)

Smogo - were you near the front for Pet Shop Boys slightly to the right? I think I may have spotted you a few rows in front of me but wasn't 100% sure?

Edited September 13, 2017 by rseamer

[smogo]

Robin - yes I was in that spot. And Georgie - we must've crossed paths loads too based on what your highlights were!

The things I controversially loved about 2016 included:
1) The forced scaling back meant that there were more outdoor stages than usual, because they were saving money on covered structures.
2) Skepta followed by Major Lazer on the Friday night - I couldn't have asked for a better double whammy.
3) Eskimo Dance takeover on Friday afternoon.
4) PC Music takeover on Saturday night.

Yes, the site did look a bit shabby and under-decorated, but whereas once upon a time Bestival was the apex of festival design, these days the likes of Boomtown and Tomorrowland have taken over, and I really enjoy the more DIY, "knocked up in Josie's back yard" look of Besti.

Oddly I think that 2016's "shabbiness" carried over somewhat into this year's event, yet no one seems as negative about it this time. It's probably an expectation management thing.

[rseamer]

24 minutes ago, smogo said:

Robin - yes I was in that spot. And Georgie - we must've crossed paths loads too based on what your highlights were!

 

Ah cool. Well, if you're going next year and I see you I will try and say hello!

 

42 minutes ago, naughtygeorgie said:

I'd love to write of review but I'm still too ruined ... 

Highlights: Oh My God Its The Church!,

 

 

Oh my god I forgot them. How much fun were they? A proper 'Bestival' type band. I was laughing and smiling so much through their whole set. Sexy religion for the (arse) souls

[kerplunk]

6 hours ago, Nobody Interesting said:

I suggest you talk to Shambala about it rather than go by the name - as this is the area my friends stayed in and things were different regarding the eco bond.

 

 

 "No substance to that at all - think your friend has his wires crossed. Eco-bond is the same system wherever you camp."  - Shambala

 

[kerplunk]

2 hours ago, Nobody Interesting said:

Seems then office and people on the ground are not talking from the same book!
 

That would be a  surprising thing to happen at a festival!

I'm sure Bestival isn't for everyone - people have different expectations. I'm one for who Bestival had lost it's shine a bit in recent years and gave it a miss last year after an unbroken run of 10 festivals, so my return this year was a quite tentative and driven by curiosity as much as anything else. I'm glad I went though - fun was had and no major problems with the organisation (apart the lack of real ale which is actually quite a big one for me - but I'll let them off just this once so long as it's sorted next year!).

[Paul ™]

They managed it at Robin Hill, no decent cider is a festival must for me these days...

[smogo]

There was a "craft beer" stall right opposite the main stage. I didn't investigate, so I don't know if they were selling that American muck or just real ale under a trendy name.

[kerplunk]

3 minutes ago, smogo said:

There was a "craft beer" stall right opposite the main stage. I didn't investigate, so I don't know if they were selling that American muck or just real ale under a trendy name.

Yeah we 'investigated' it a fair few times to break up the Amstels/Strongbow monotony, they had fairly nice (but expensive) IPA and Pils. No cask ale. On Saturday evening we finally found a bar in a hopitality area with some very nice amber ale on (forget the name but it was 5%) which was nice while it lasted - it was closed on Sunday.

[smogo]

Oh yeah, the courtyard bar, that was a nice little hidden chill-out area.

[tillyandthewall]

Well, that was good.  I've previously been on the IOW from 2012-14 but the last few years seemed to be on the wane.  I was excited for all the headliners and Shadow, and exploring a new site.

 

Travel was fine by coach, avoided any holdups.  About 10 minutes to get wristband sorted and a walk past a sniffer dog.  The site's compact, considering I had a 45 minute walk from crew camp to the Port on the IOW, camping was really close.

 

Thursday was a good settling-in day, Jamie T was rammed but not uncomfortable.  Arena checks were the usual bit of ingenuity required.

Friday was a good chance to explore.  I wonder how many people didn't see the Lawn all weekend?  The Feast Collective was top-notch, the Indonesian beef curry hit the spot even for lunch.  The xx have grown as a band, very confident.  Spent time in my two favourite venues, Club Dada and Caravanserai.

 

After that the mud started to hit the spirits and there was less wanderlust, but still got around.  My highlights was seeing Tribe (obvs,) the ridiculous talent of Danny Brown and Charlotte Church's Pop Dungeon - I've not seen this in the past as I thought it was just a DJ set, silly me.  PSB and Yoda helped to lift the spirits on Sunday.

 

Overall I think it was a partial success, never saw any trouble, enough to do so that you can just about cover it all over a course of a weekend, and if you like a wide range of music styles you can have a bit of each.  And lets not forget not all festivals have the late bands/ DJ curfews like Bestival.

 

They've made a good start that can be built upon.  The site needs a little rejig, the main drag with Kanye and the disco ball was well used but there was st‎ill grass by Desperados all weekend.  There was a bit of soundclash between the stages, particularly Invaders of the Future, and Reggae Roots.  A mobile mast for EE would be nice, yeah I know you can get away from technology at festivals but it would be handy.

Another good lineup and I'll be back, I'd like to see some bigger names, that you can chill to in the early afternoons on the main stage to draw in people each day.

[JC-Mo'Fucka]

On 9/13/2017 at 9:23 AM, smogo said:

I thought Bestival worked quite well at the new site. It'd be nice if they could somehow divide the main arena into themed areas a bit better, but the geography of the site makes that difficult.

Still, there were about 22 stages dotted around, and nicely spaced out to minimise sound bleed (at last - the main stage and the big top (sorry, "The Box") are located in different fields!). I was very glad that they'd brought back HMS Bestival, Reggae Roots and the Comedy tent after a year or more's absence, and it's good that the Ambient Forest lives on despite the move.

Not the strongest lineup of all time, but Saturday was packed - and although I don't like all of the following acts, other festivals would kill for a main stage running order like this:
Nadia Rose - Stefflon Don - Rejjie Snow - Laura Mvula - Danny Brown - Rag 'n' Bone Man - Dizzee Rascal - A Tribe Called Quest

Highlights of the weekend for me were Dizzee Rascal, Charlotte Church's Late Night Pop Dungeon and - on the comedy stage - Andrew Maxwell. And the food at the Feast Collective, which is always amazing.

Lowlights were: well, the weather. If Robin Hill had been bathing in glorious sunshine all weekend I'd have been really pissed off, but it looks like the Isle of Wight was just as stormy, so what ya gonna do? Just put up with it and plough on through.

I didn't spot a single bit of aggression or violence this year. And it was a nice, friendly crowd, just not as wild & crazy as usual, but I think that was because of the weather and the mud.

I had no sense of what the numbers were like, other than the fact that they never even pretended that it was about to sell out this year. But next year, all the smaller festivals ought to get a boost from Glastonbury's fallow year, so Bestival 2018 ought to do very well.

While 2017 doesn't join the upper echelons of my favourite ever Bestivals (they're probably 2011, 2012 and controversially 2016), I had an amazing weekend as usual, and really it was only the awful weather that let it down. I already can't wait for my ninth one next year...!

3

I agree with almost all of this. The glory days of stevie wonder and having acts pack out the big top in the afternoon are well behind us, but it's a new good start for them. It would be hard to justify paying more than £160/170 but you could get tics for that price at one point, so fair play to em. 

 

I have no idea if there were enough people there for it to have been profitable enough, but I hope so! 

[JC-Mo'Fucka]

Also did anyone go inside Kanye's head? That might have been my favourite moment second to Tribe! 

[smogo]

10 hours ago, JC-Mo'Fucka said:

Also did anyone go inside Kanye's head? That might have been my favourite moment second to Tribe! 

I never saw it open!

[jackarmy]

14 hours ago, JC-Mo'Fucka said:

Also did anyone go inside Kanye's head? That might have been my favourite moment second to Tribe! 

Got in it on the Wednesday night - very good fun!

I'm hopeful that Bestival will continue next year, their social media team has still been fairly active. I would suggest perhaps scaling back on the likes of Common People over 2 sites, and the overseas festivals and concentrating on the mothership.

[smogo]

Well, Rob da Bank has tweeted: " Normality always feels strange after festival season...and yes I have started booking for @Bestival @CampBestival and @CommonPeopleSO /OX 18 "

Rumours of Bestival's demise are way off the mark.

[tillyandthewall]

7 hours ago, smogo said:

Well, Rob da Bank has tweeted: " Normality always feels strange after festival season...and yes I have started booking for @Bestival @CampBestival and @CommonPeopleSO /OX 18 "

Rumours of Bestival's demise are way off the mark.

There was an ad on the back of the programme, 6th - 9th September 2018.

[eFestivals]

11 hours ago, tillyandthewall said:

There was an ad on the back of the programme, 6th - 9th September 2018.

the fact they've not made that public by other means strongly suggests to me that it's not the certainty the ad suggests (and the ad might be there just because they had a page to fill). I'm guessing they want a bit of time to properly evaluate this year before fully committing.

Having said that I do (now) expect it to be back. This year's was very well received from what i've read, so I'm sure RDB will be encouraged by that.

[seantizz]

With Neil's comment up above, it's probably a good time to link into my eFestivals review of the weekend (which I finished this morning!!)... 

I had a fine time - it wasn't perfect but there was enough happening to keep me positive.. 

http://www.efestivals.co.uk/festivals/bestival/2017/review.shtml