Beach Break Live :: Wessex Scene Online

Beach Break Live

5th October 2009
Tom Shepherd

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Oct 09 - Reading Festival, Richfield Avenue
Oct 09 - Sonisphere Festival, Knebworth
Oct 09 - Glastonbury, Pilton Farm, Somerset
Nov 09 - Green Man Fest
Dec 09 - Walter Trout at The Brook

More by Tom Shepherd

Dec 09 - Say Anything
Nov 09 - East Pak Antidote
Oct 09 - Interview with Dan Black
May 09 - The Audition: Self-Titled Album
Mar 09 - You Me At Six - Save It

Unpredictable weather, warm cider, portaloos, five pound bacon baguettes, three hours sleep and wet wipes, it could all only mean one thing, the return of the festival season.

But fairground rides, skate ramps, artificial beaches, wild life safaris, silent discos and mustache bars? This could only be one festival in particular, Beach Break Live.

With the last minute loss of their proposed site in Cornwall, the entire Beach Break festival was moved some 300 miles east to a remote safari park in Ashford, Kent. However, this didn’t deter 10,000 students from flocking to the festival, who, despite severe weather warnings, were rewarded with four days of (almost) continuous sunshine.

What followed was a week of high spirited partying, relaxing afternoon siestas and more fun filled events and sights than you could shake a stick at. And then there was the music..

Tuesday saw the musical shenanigans well and truly kick off, an early highlight of the afternoon coming from VV Brown. The soulful songstress’ offbeat stylings being just what’s needed to get the crowd on their feet. She offers the audience a string of jazzy numbers from her debut album, with single ‘Shark In The Water’ proving to be one of the biggest sing-a-longs of the day. The evening sees a restless crowd gathering in waiting for the arrival of Friendly Fires. This band really know how to work a crowd, their electronic indie vibes whirling up a frenzy, not to mention frontman Ed Mac’s now iconic disco dance moves leading the way for a field full of students to follow suit. A real unashamedly heart warming set.

Wednesday morning and what better way to shake the hangover than a blast from the ACM Gospel Choir? A sense of the surreal surrounding the main arena as the youthful choir take to the stage in their coordinating attire, but a talented performance none the less. Unfortunately the same cannot be said for Dan Black, who’s pop disco sound comes across somewhat half hearted, lulling those who stick around into a mid-afternoon slumber. But the day is far from over yet, not while Hadouken still have a say in the matter. The band haven’t played a live show for nine months, but it’s as if they haven’t been gone a day. Churning out the new material with a bolshy attitude, while still slipping in a few fan favourites. Closing the mainstage are The Zutons, who have a clinical coldness about them this evening. Never the less the crowd lap it up and inevitably ‘Valerie’ engages the biggest audience reaction, somewhat to the bands dismay.

The third day sees one of the biggest surprise highlights of the week, appearing in the form of folk songstress Alessi’s Ark. Her day-dreamy acoustic sound soothes the crowd, prepping them for the final day of music. Ou Est Le Swimming Pool? however, take a different approach; they barrage punters with a wall of heavy pop sounds, some of which seems to get through. The band seem genuinely enthused by the amount of people singing their lyrics back. Dizzee Rascal is handed the honour of closing the mainstage, and undoubtedly pulls in the biggest crowd that that it has seen all week. He rewards his fans with a set which is predominantly made up of his more recent hits, and while it’s clear a few old faithful feel letdown by this, the majority of the audience couldn’t care less. Dizzee ends the festivities, somewhat predictably, with a rendition of recent smash ‘Bonkers’, which many continue to sing long into the night.