Beachdown 2008
Get down on it – Beachdown 2008
The Hussy is giving out a press pass for this years Beachdown Festival. The ticket will go to the contributor whose work receives the most visits on The Hussy.
If you are interested go to our competion section to find out more….
This is an entry for the competition and a review of last year’s event.
The toilets. They were supreme. My previous experiences of festival toilets have been swing doors and precarious holes. You perch, hover or take a chance and sit, and pray that the entire structure isn’t about to collapse into the swirling pit of hell below. You bring your own toilet paper. And you don’t look down.
Yes. I don’t sound like a hardcore outdoor party queen. But I’ve done my share of festivals. I know how to sneak in my own booze, accessorise with nature, and survive off nowt but bread rolls and fizzy sweets for four days.
I certainly don’t expect a seat, a sink, a flush or a mirror! But that’s what the organisers of virgin Beachdown saw fit to provide their festival goers last year. I thank them from the bottom of my jaded heart. The almost constant supply of big yellow buses also meant that us local types with more vanity than sense could nip back home and freshen up between sets.
I think that most of the people who attend festivals have some sort of appreciation for, or affinity with, nature. They like their partying to have an aesthetic edge. Otherwise why bother to lug the best part of your comfortable home to the middle of a field?
There were plenty of aesthetics for when your eyes, and your brain, needed a little respite. You can see the sea, and feel that little bit closer to the sky than you would anywhere else in Sussex. If your tent or indeed, your head, needs airing – well the breeze up there is relentlessly stiff. Last summer gave us a pretty pathetic performance, but when the sun did stop by you felt warm inside and out.
OK, so I’ve talked about the toilets and the views. You probably the rightful place for this review is in Homes and Gardens. So let’s get on to the good stuff shall we?
Obviously, the music. Why didn’t I start with the music? Last year’s line up included The Maccabees, De La Soul, Fun Lovin’ Criminals, and Jose Gonzalez. Lots of local talent. Not bad for £85. And the site is small enough that you could get round and see everybody you wanted to without having to synchronise watches. Thanks to a combination of over-indulgence and the discovery of the dance tent, which, once I’d finished bouncing about in, I decided to lie on the floor of, I didn’t get to see that much. The Maccabees were wonderful though. Chirpy and impressively competent and got the freezing cold crowd thawed out. Because, I’m not gonna lie to you, it is bloody chilly up there. Bring layers. Get your nan to knit you something cosy. Nobody will care what you’re wearing. This is something else I really enjoyed about this festival. The absence of over-styled, super-preened fashionistas. Half the fun of these things is checking out what everybody else is wearing, if it’s nothing but Top Shop then you feel a bit cheated.
In addition to the bands, there were lots of opportunities to bob about al fresco. The disco dance shed, for example, a valuable addition to any atmosphere. The DJ’s judged the mood of the crowd perfectly i.e. we’re drunk, play something that’ll make us go waaaaay! I’ve already mentioned the dance tent, needless to say, I enjoyed that a bit too much. When you are sticking to your wellies with the sweat of your exertions, you can toddle off and get yourself a paella. Or a steak sandwich. Or a gourmet pie. A nice change from the usual Friday night cold chips or wilting kebab. I felt almost virtuous, being able to soak up all the excess with such healthy food stuff.
Of course, it wasn’t all gravy. I did get the distinct impression that the organisers were still finding their feet. Sorry to bang on about the toilets, but, beautiful as they were, there weren’t nearly enough of them. There was also the promise of the showers, but these never materialised. The setting up still seemed to be going on 2 days in. And I know I’m not supposed to complain about this sort of thing, but the security was fairly rigorous. You had to know your stuff if you wanted to get anything past those guys.
Still, we don’t expect perfection in England, do we? We can put up with a lot for the promise of a good time. And that promise, overall, was kept. In the words of Travis from Clueless: ‘two very enthusiastic thumbs up’.
To find out more and buy tickets for Beachdown 2009
Written by Emma Cave
Tags: Beachdownwriter
What's on your mind?
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April 3rd 2009 | 1
Row says:
A clear winner.
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Juzzzy says:
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Laura says:
Brilliant writer – never fails to entertain me.
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Sean says:
we need look no further than this entry for our winner…give her the champagne this minute!
Sean’s last blog post..Catweazle’s Lament.
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Jo says:
Pick Emma.
GO TEAM EMS!
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Dave says:
She sounds like a lesbian. she gets my vote
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tracey devlin says:
fantastically well written, deserves an award for her writing
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Lara McQuade says:
Brilliant
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Rhiannon Baynham says:
The most entertaining writer ever! I’m hooked.
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Gary says:
She’s a brilliant writer, give her the tickets so we can hear what she has to say about Beachdown 09!
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Helly says:
Ra-ra indeed! A winner if ever I saw it…
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tracey devlin says:
Absolutely fabulous, well written
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GoingSomewhere says:
Such talent should not go unrewarded. Give her the pass.
