Bestival in a little over a decade has managed to establish its name as one of the best large scale festivals in the UK. Music lovers and festival goers for a second consecutive year visited the new festival grounds in the Lulworth Estate. The green fields of the Estate with its picturesque Castle were decorated with impressive stages and circus-themed sets that looked like they came out of a sci-fi movie. Bigger than ever and with a line up full with a variety of up and coming artists, well-established music acts, and industry veterans Bestival was four day of music, dancing and fun.Original rock had the chance to visit the festival and it exceeded all our expectations, from the acts to the fancy dresses, the festival was a celebration of music and youth. When stepping foot into the entrance you feel like you are entering into a different world, you forget all your worries and you just enjoy the music. With 12 different stages, there was definitely something for everyone, one of our favourite little special moments was a talent show we had the chance to attend when we had 30 minutes to wait for the next act from the main stage. The talents were all … for the lack of a better word talented. Singers, comedy acts, poets … all under a small tent-stage. What made the acts even more enjoyable was the loud reception of the audience the interactions with them and the intimate atmosphere they managed to achieve. Another unexpected moment for us was the stationary bike box. A little metallic container filled with stationary bikes and dance music playing nonstop, passers-by would stop and occasionally as a small crowd would gather a party would start.
Early in the morning, despite having the initial urge to hide from the sizzling sun that was roasting our skin, we soon forgot all about the summer weather that reminded us our Spanish vacationing, we put on our high SPF sunscreen and tried to see as many acts as we could! Silk City might be a name that wouldn’t turn a lot of heads; so how did they manage to headline day 2? Silk City is none other than Grammy-winning DJ producers Diplo and Mark Ronson. Being a newly formed duo they are still trying to find their unique sound, with a lot of remixes of old classics like Kelis’‘Milkshake’, and collaborations with Dua Lipa in the song ‘New Rules’ they managed toi mpress the crowd and the anticipation of what is coming next in the future is definitely built.
For more than an hours Silk City made the ground of the Castle Stage to shake with the vigorous dancing of the crowd. It might have only been their second show ever, and we can not lie, the duo needs to refine their chemistry as a duo, however that didn’t matter all that much as the audience left with glee portrayed on their faces. If Silk City was not for you, Bestival had to offer such a variety of acts that itis guaranteed you would find something for your own enjoyment. The best example of an artist that might have surprised you is the bassist Thundercat he gave us an hour of mesmerising electro-funk as he strums his signature six-string bass skillfully. Thundercat might not be the strongest vocalist but his smooth voice draws attention to his humorous lyrics, our favourite song was “Thundercat – A Fan’s Mail (Tron Song Suite II)” with lyrics like “Everybody wants to be a cat […] Cool tobe a cat (meow, meow, meow, meow)”, it is a hymn for all cat people (like myself) ! Meow Meow Meow Meow. Mura masa (the stage name of Alex Crossan) is another virtuoso producer that made his appearance on the main stage. Heis multi-instrumentalist who started uploading on Soundcloud a few years back and 2 years ago he started gaining further attention from the music industry.
Last year he released his debut album with guest performances from Desiigner, Charli XCX and A$AP Rocky. Alex’s Bestival Castle Stage live was flawlessly timed, the feel-good ethereal electronic tracks he performed, with the help of his vocalists, were marvelously complemented by the orange-pinkish tones of the sky while the sun was setting. Confidence man performed their heavy synth electro pop tunes with stoic faces and crisp robot-like dance moves. All the way from Brisbane, Australian, they might be a little camp but definitely uplifting! Better sit down boy, got the party started and the audience swaying to their infectious rhythms. Indie rock was not missing from the festival. The Big Moon, the London based all-female band despite mentioning being taken aback by the unusual heat performed their modern indie-pop tunes with no traces of discomfort. Their chemistry in combination with amazing vocals and masterful guitar skills excited their loyal fans who were present and set up a nice mood for the days to come. Another indie rock band that amazed us with their performance was Sundara Karma. Their electrifying stage presence commanded the Big Top stage.
A highly engaging show with ‘Loveblood’ and ‘Flame’ being its highlights. A personal favourite was Kojey Radical, his star shined bright on the centre stage. Kojey, an East London rapper, had a magical way of connecting with the audience. From looking completely sheepish in the course of one song the audience was jumping up and down. The only quitter moment was when the performance of’97’ which, ashe mentioned, was commemorating a good friend he lost recently. His emotional lyrics, powerful delivery and catchy hooks deserve much more attention! First Aid Kit performed wearing their bedazzled and heart sunglasses (mandatory for the main stage) while the sun was setting they mesmerised the crowd with their hit songs. With a strong fanbase present, the duo relaxed and started interacting with the musicians and the audience. They sang many of their hit songs like ‘Rebel Heart’, ‘The Lion Roars’ and their own version of the ‘Running Up That Hill’. The highlight of the show was ‘You Are The Problem’ that shouted their message about everything that’s wrong with blaming victims of abuse instead of the predators. It shouldn’t come as a surprise that Grace Jones managed to gather an audience of all ages. Despite being 70 years old, she remains as fascinating as ever. For fifty full minutes, she dominated that stage with her powerful dancing to her iconic songs. With many extravagant costume changes such as an impressive lion mane and a giant strap-on dildo, the audience couldn’t take the eyes off her while she performed her iconic songs ‘Pull Upto the Bumper’, ‘My Jamaican Guy’, ‘Nightclubbing’, ’Private Life’ and many more. Pop music at it’s best with Caribbean vibes, a truly epic stage from a legendary artist. MIA’s talent in non-disputable and at Bestival, it was accompanied with a high spirited and very animated performance. Throwing flowers to the audience, high-fiving, letting the audience have the mic and demanding a LED phone sea of lights it was the perfect ending for Bestival. The crowd had to reciprocate, dancing at Maya funky tempos, shouting along to all the lyrics and having the best time of their life. We can’t wait for next year!
Check out this photo gallery from Eftychia Lianeri below! (https://www.instagram.com/efleean/)
