I've finished this summer- and my gap year- with an incredible weekend at Bestival 2013. It was my third year at Bestival and I hope to continue this annual tradition 'til I'm too old rave it up at Big Top and my Zimmer frame gets rejected by security.
While I love going to festivals with just one best friend (going in a pair to Outlook and Benicassim resulted in making new and amazing friends and having an insanely good time), Bestival has always been a huge communal thing for me. Last year I partied to Major Lazer and Buraka Som Sistema with a group of about thirty. This year we were an unusual assortment of twenty friends; a strange mix from Leeds University, Manchester University, my old school and friends of friends. I shared a tent with Amy and Bex (two of my best friends; the latter whom accompanied me to Benicassim).
Highlights of Bestival this year were Clean Bandit, Fatboy Slim's Birthday Bash (Bestival was celebrating its 10 year anniversary), Crystal Fighters and Angel Haze.
Clean Bandit, who are currently winning over 2013 with their hits 'Dust Clears' and 'A&E (Random Acts)', demonstrated that good music is still about. The group, who formed at Cambridge University, rallied the crowd with an enthusiastic set, buoyant beats, electronic tunes and brilliant talent. They are musicians who play the string quartet that you hear on their track, giving them a truly skilled and artistic edge.
Fatboy Slim at the Main Stage was just a standard, well chosen DJ set but the vibe of 60,000 party-goers who were high off Bestival's love and energy (or other things) was insane. His set was the beginning to an unforgettable evening (albeit, maybe a little hard to remember in my state). Similarly, Crystal Fighters were a phenomenal end to the entire festival. They pumped tunes that excited my friends and me to new levels of happiness (Crystal Fighters is like, our thing, and their song which goes 'Hola, me llamo Mimi, I LOVE LONDON' (if you sing 'Mimi' a little differently) is like, my song).
Then I'm onto Angel Haze. So, boohoo; I missed most of the legend that is Elton John but hey, Angel basically blew out all your candles and became rocket woman with her awesomeness. Excusing my awful puns, Angel Haze truly smashed it. I've been waiting to see this girl for so long now and was forced to go alone while everyone else ran to Elton John. I did bump into some friends but that is irrelevant. What is relevant, is that Angel came INTO the crowd during 'New York'. I was standing right next to her, so close, you could probably hear me in her microphone. She screamed 'dopeness' and spat bars like a don. Azaelia Banks could eat turd in comparison to Angel Haze. One criticism- she played way to many new songs and didn't give me the opportunity to show off my Angel Haze rapping skills.
So yeah, Bestival was cool. I got to wear my yellow happy pants from Thailand, parade the very last of my rapidly fading tan, and drink obscene amounts of alcohol. When I left the house with my boxed wine, vodka and ciders, my Mum thought that I was taking drink for three of us. Little did she know...
Next year, I want to take the dressing up seriously (for those of you who don't know, Bestival is a festival all about dressing up; paint yourself gold, wear nipple tassels etc.). This truly is the motto of every Bestival goer, fancy dress
or otherwise; anything goes.
Definitely, one hundred percent certain, there is no doubt; I'll see you there next year. And the next. And the next. And the next. (etc.)
PS. The title is for you savvy ones; let me know if you get it ;)
