REWIND FESTIVAL SOUTH 2021
Henley On Thames
The worlds biggest Eighties Festival returns to the glorious riverbanks of the Thames in the beautiful market town of Henley-on-Thames. The Covid passes have been downloaded or printed out, and the crowds are back in all their radiant glory. The BBC weather app predicts thunderstorms and heavy rain for ninety per cent of the day. However, the clouds keep their mood-killing moisture held within, and the first day of Rewind 2021 dodges the showers. After Mr Motivator has done his best to get the ground warmed up with a fifteen-minute keep fit workout QUEEN SYMPHONY start the music with an uplifting and, at times, cruise ship run through of Queen greatest hits. ‘We Will Rock You’, ‘Don’t Stop Me Know’ and ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ get the hips shaking and voices loosened with many in the crowd sporting Freddie Mercury costumes, including way too many middle-aged men in the ‘Radio Ga Ga’ get up. HUE AND CRY have an almost impossible job of following the musical roadshow, and ‘Looking For Linda’ still sounds amazing while the TREVOR HORN and his band dig out some massive pop classics. ‘Two Tribes’ and ‘Video Killed The Radio Star’ are eclipsed by the banned ‘Relax’, which still feels slightly edgy as the entire audience naughtily sing along to the “suck to it” line.
JOHN PARR brings ‘St Elmo’s Fire’ to life while DJ JAMIE TAYLOR and THE DOCTOR do a sterling job between acts of keeping the colourful throng bobbing along. The outfits people wear at Rewind are simply eye-popping and need to be seen to be believed; if people-watching is your thing, then this is the festival to be at. ROLAND GIFT still has the chops, and his FYC set is married with a flicker of blissful late afternoon sunshine. ‘Johhny Come Home’, ‘Suspicious Minds’, ‘Good Thing’ and ‘She Drives Me Crazy’ are all sung word for word and further cement both his and the FYC legacy. NIK KERSHAW gets the VIP crowd dancing on tables with ‘The Riddle’, ‘Wouldn’t It Be Good’ and ‘I Won’t Let The Sun Go Down’, but it’s ‘The One And Only’ (made famous by Chesney Hawkes but written by Nik) that induces the days biggest sing-a-long. Suddenly all feels right again; the UK, it seems, is moving out of the eighteen-month Covid shadow and blissfully bathing in the last of the summer festival light. BILLY OCEAN gives his usual professional best of run through as ‘Get Into My Car’, ‘Red Light’ and ‘Caribean Queen’ are all greeted like a negative lateral flow test. JIMMY SOMERVILLE closes the Saturday, and the ageless well-heeled frontman turns the clock back with a faultless headline set. ‘Smalltown Boy’ and ‘You Make me Feel’ are the gravy on the chips as day one ends with smiles, Mum/Dad dancing, glitter tears and arid ground.
SUNDAY.
We wake to find blue skies; I indeed saw it with my own eyes. Sunday at Rewind always has that morning after the night before feel to it as twenty thousand or so bleary-eyed forty plus somethings tenderly emerge from tents, hotels and Airbnb hideouts. Before then strapping on the lycra, face paint and costumes to get back out there. The seated crowd are gently massaged back into life by ASWAD, and their laid back Reggae resonates and then nudges many to their aching feet. ‘Shine’ and ‘Don’t Turn Around’ are perfect musical entrees for the day ahead. PETER HOOK AT THE LIGHT just smashes it. The former New Order and Joy Divison bassist kicks off with ‘Blue Monday’ then a blinding ‘True Faith’ before an emotive and perfectly delivered ‘Love Will Tear Us Apart’ wraps up an all to short set. KATRINA (without the Waves) dropkicks a celebratory ‘Walking On Sunshine’ out before THE CHRISTIANS take us to ‘Hooverville’. PETE WYLIE (The Mighty Wah!) induces a few thousand, oh I know this one looks, as ‘The Story Of The Blues’ flutters over a sea of hands and slightly reddening faces. SOUL II SOUL simply ooze class and ‘Back To Life’ and ‘Keep On Movin’’ both sound so fresh they could have been written yesterday. GO WEST always go down a storm at Rewind, and this year is no exception as ‘Call Me’, ‘We Close Our Eyes’ and ‘King Of Wishful Thinking’ are all rolled out with Peter Cox still insisting on pulling some ridiculous sex faces as he searches for the simplest of notes. GARY DAVIES compere’s today’s line up, and it’s safe to say he is well and truly saved by DJ Jamie, who once again pulls out some stonking tunes between bands including Salt “n ‘Peppa and The Jam, he just knows the crowd and it works on every level.
The pink flamingoes are out in force for MARC ALMOND, who doesn’t disappoint the evening crowd. ‘Tainted Love’ hits the bullseye, but it’s ‘Say Hello Wave Goodbye’ that envelopes, hugs and then release a few thousand inflatables to be waved into the sunset; it’s a beautiful, semi-ridiculous and well milked moment. BANANARAMA stoke the fire with a set of pure unadulterated set of synthetic pop and cheese. ‘Robert DeNiro’s Waiting’, ‘Venus’ and ‘He Was Really Sayin’ Somethin’ keep the slowly thinning crowd throwing shapes and bopping along.
WET WET WET are true blue-chip Rewind headliners, and the band close the festival with a set of greatest hits. Lead singer Kevin Simm can certainly bang out a tune, and his delivery of those songs best associated with Marti Pellow is simply outstanding. ‘Sweet Little Mystery’, ‘Angel Eyes’, “Wishing I Was Lucky’ and new song ‘Going Back To Memphis’ all tick boxes and transport a few thousand people back to simpler times of pencil cases, woodpecker cider and ill-advised lovebites. ‘Goodnight Girl’ and the chart bothering ‘Love Is All Around’ complete a thoroughly enjoyable set. Rewind South is just the perfect summer festival. No ego’s, no cool points and no dress code. Come as you are, come as you wish but in the words of Frankie, COME!
For more Rewind 2022 info including line up, tickets and sites head over to https://rewindfestival.com/
(All photo’s lifted from the Rewind South Facebook page)