It’s going to be known as the year Glastonbury had no loos. The festival known the world over for being the hub of eclectic, diverse and almost encyclopedic music and culture is taking a year off. In a year when the festival market is said to be feeling the strain with Sonisphere canceling even with a Queen and American Idol hybrid topping the bill, it would appear people are being shrewd with their ticket buying.
Last year Bestival made the Isle Of Wight the place to be with The Cure delivering a spellbinding comeback headlining set alongside performances from Bjork and countless other timeless creative forces taking to the stage to perform sets that they are solely in control of, this year they’ve stepped it up yet again securing sets from Stevie Wonder, Sigur Ros, The Xx and Florence to name just a few. The Isle of Wight is the place to be, again.
Let’s get the bigguns out the way- Stevie Wonder is a living legend and the last ambassador of the Motown era who made it to colossal legend status. Recent gigs include headlining the Queen’s Jubilee concert amongst other world class performances. There will not be many more Stevie Wonder UK shows and the fact that Bestival have booked him is a must-watch for any fan of music. Sigur Ros? A touch of grandiose to the lineup for sure, yet another Blighty one-off and a set that will astonish and entertain in equal measure, his euphoric tones and timeless songs will be something truly special. For those who like to dance, rest assured sets from Soulwax, 2ManyDjs, Justice and New Order will do you fine. ‘There’s something for everyone‘ is a tired phrase when it comes to festival lead up but it’s never really seemed more appropriate.
For the lesser known, Frank Ocean is crooning at Bestival promoting his debut studio LP ‘Channel Orange‘ which will surely be the coolest and smoothest set the Isle has ever seen (aside from Mr. Motivator (Yeah, actual Mr. Motivator from the telly). Bands who have stolen the year like Alt. J and Alabama Shakes will also be taking their material to the festival to showcase it to the crowds. In fact, the class of 2012 have come up trumps on this line-up with sets from Azealia Banks, Ben Howard and Grimes also providing some of the soundtrack. It’s the perfect line-up for any avid listener of music in 2012. Anyone who has had any kind of buzz or hype is putting it to the test on our shores and the Bestival schedule will surely be one of clashes and decisions. That’s just how we like it.
What about when the music stops or if you don’t fancy seeing Two Door Cinema Club for the 25th time? You have the ballroom field with a full roller-disco, and the wall of death for utter madness and death-
defiance. For cabaret and fringe entertainment you can always spend a night and early morning in the field of Arcadia where you’ll be sure to meet the man or woman of your dreams, or nightmares. Bestival can never be criticized for shutting down early, there is so much going on. Rob Da Bank has roped in a host of DJs to ensure it literally never stops. It must be the only festival in Europe that can have a non-music event lined up simply called ‘Gay Bingo’.
I could go on for hours, when I’m there- I expect I will. Don’t worry about the lack of loos, hold it in for the weekend if you have to. For anyone who loves music or loves the summer, this is the place to be. It’s hard not to pack everything in to one article. I can promise you now, hearing ‘Sir Duke‘ live will just be the tip of the iceberg.
