Voted the best major UK festival in the UK festival awards last year, Bestival 2011 has colored Robin Hill Country Park on Isle Of Wight last weekend.
The four day music festival, organized by Rob da Bank, features all kind of music and its best point is the atmosphere.
Bestival 2011 started on Thursday with music everywhere, coming from Bestival FM and Freesports Park.
On the Big Top arena Back to the Phuture and Santigold (singing Lights Out, L.E.S Artistes) kick off a weekend full of rhythm.
Brian Wilson performed his retro-set of Beach Boys classics (I Get Around, Surfin’ USA) on Friday afternoon. Beardyman, The Correspondence (live), Crystal Fighters, Public Enemy, Chromeo (audio sex and liquid funk) energized the festival goers and Pendulum provided light and bass on the main stage.
Mr Motivator, Katy B, Paloma Faith, The Village People, Crystal Castles performed on the main stage on Saturday, while Metronomy took The Psychedelic Worm tent, Yuck took Sailor Jerry’s stage and Jaguar Skills Bollywood tent. Primal Scream was another big hitter of the evening.
PJ Harvey attracted the concert goers with songs from her Mercury-winning new album, Let England Shake. She presented an imposing gothic vision dressed in black, with a headdress of black feathers.
The Cure (with Robert Smith), Bestival 2011 headliner, sang for two and a half hours in front of a large and eager audience.
The legendary Crawley’s finest played all the hits from an 30-year career (Boys Don’t Cry, Friday, I’m in Love, Just Like Heaven, A Forestand, Lovecats).
English Nation Ballet performed on the main stage Sunday morning followed by the musical comedians The Cuban Brothers. Johnny Flynn, English anti-folk singer, charmed a young-looking audience on Sunday afternoon. Kelis said “I’m not here to entertain you…I’m here to pleasure myself” and played an energetic show while Swedish pop-star, Robyn, had the public singing along to melodies like Dancing on My Own, Call Your Girlfriend. Brooklyn indie outfit, The Drums, played an uninspired and dull afternoon set to a largely bored public. In White Campsite Andy C played Drum ‘n’ Bass at Arcadia’s steampunk-inspired, flame-shooting stage The Afterburner giving people a dancing in the rain experience. Swamp Shack, in the back of the Wishing Tree Field, hosted everything from gospel to jive to jungle. DJ Shadow, Tweak Bird (Sailor Jerry), Fatboy Slim (Big Top), Health (the Psychedelic Worm) performed during the night.
Icelandic goddess Bjork, Bestival 2011 exclusive, accompanied by a haunting choir of young girls closed the main stage with her spectacular Biophilia show.
She said she wasn’t offering the beats you might expect at a festival, but the festivals goers seem to think different. Hallucinogenic visuals that soar from the outer cosmos down to cellular microcosms, a cerebral video backdrop of erupting volcanoes, spasmodic DNA and the rotating moon completed the ethereal sound of her album. The avant-garde artist performed new music and hits including Hyperballad and Declare Independence from Volta. Biophilia is offered in the form of an interactive iPad app.
Bestival 2011 fancy dress theme was “Rock Stars, Pop Stars and Divas”.
The revelers were dressed like Lady Gaga, Amy Winehouse, The Village People, Madonna (Vogue-era), Jedward, Michael Jackson, Freddie Mercury (vacuuming housewives from the I Want to Break Free and boys with moustache, yellow jacket and white trousers).
[youtube ZvSy_O86DQA]
[youtube vXWyx6HYHyA]
Fireworks at Bestival 2011
[youtube hRjpYe6KXpE]
