tag:festivalfever.seatwaveblogs.com,2008://57 2008-07-25T12:34:38Z Fasten those wrist bands... it's festival time Movable Type 3.36 tag:festivalfever.seatwaveblogs.com,2008://57.2909 2008-07-25T12:25:55Z 2008-07-25T12:34:38Z

Lovebox Weekender Day 2: Sunday 20th July 2008 Review by Katie Spain I arrive late. By the time my colleague and I drag our glitter-encrusted corpses to Victoria Park Sunday is well under way. We miss Esser and I kick...

Seatwave Lovebox Weekender Day 2: Sunday 20th July 2008 Review by Katie Spain I arrive late. By the time my colleague and I drag our glitter-encrusted corpses to Victoria Park Sunday is well under way. We miss Esser and I kick myself firmly in the shins for it. After his storming performance at Transgressive Records’ Cross Kings event last week, I wanted to see if the Londoner plays as well under the sun as he does in kitsch North London venues. Nevertheless, the afternoon vibe at Victoria Park is a good one. The party antics from the day before ensured that some revellers didn’t make it past their duvet. This means the crowd has thinned out enough for yesterday’s twenty-five minute bar wait to be more of a “Wham-bam-thank you Mojito man” experience. The sun is out, the porta loos are clean(ish) and it’s easy enough to meander close to the main stage. Thank the small-person Lord above for the clear view of the day’s acts. Our meeting spot is below the ferris wheel. It’s tempting to plonk ourselves down and for awhile we do just that. After catching the tail end of Frenchman Sebastien Tellier’s set, the view of Seun Kuti & Egypt 80 is an uninterrupted one. His set was a hot tip from a colleague and after seeing his legendary dad Fela Kuti play at Adelaide’s Womad Festival, I couldn’t miss it. Sure, I was thirteen at the time, but old enough to know a Nigerian master of sound when I heard it. Seun certainly comes from a mighty fine gene pool; not only does he have a glistening torso to die for, he’s sickeningly talented and has a sense of rhythm most Caucasian men dream of. He now leads his father’s former band Egypt 80 and first played with the band when he was nine years old. It’s a relationship that goes back a long way and the Lovebox crowd is honoured to be part of it. By the time the sound reaches us, the quality isn’t top-notch and I vow to see him in a more intimate setting. ]]> The balloons and body heat emanating from the Stockade dance area prove too alluring to resist and we find ourselves caught up in a tree-topped dance-athon. People are smiling, Monday morning is the furthest thing from the punter’s minds and children, adults and the odd nanna or two mingle with ease. This is a well organized, diverse and completely safe environment to be in. Most London fests verge on mass advertising overloads (you know who you are) but Lovebox has a refreshing emphasis on the music. It sounds simple but it’s a mark many competitors fall short of. A quick squiz at Aussie outfit Pnau brings on patriotic pangs but they’re short lived because Goldfrapp is due on stage. Arms outstretched we watch Alison shake her blonde tail-feather. Her get-ups are stranger each time I see her (today she looks like Big Bird’s feathered pink wife). It’s a sensory overload and one that’s bore me in a standard venue. Today however, the sun, fresh air and company suits the band’s soaring set. They’re a marmite band; you love or hate them. The Flaming Lips share a similar situation; either you get them or you don’t. I don’t and after being vaguely amused by some streamers, dancing superheroes and gigantic frontman encasing bubbles, I’m bored and pass the rest of the evening with a brief fling with The Go! Team and their bouncing fans and a hell of a lot of time amongst the dancing masses in the Stockade. It was a special day and one that organisers should be proud of. All 40,000 revellers at the sold-out festival would surely agree. Related links: Lovebox Festival's official site. Buy Lovebox Weekender tickets. Buy festival tickets. ]]> tag:festivalfever.seatwaveblogs.com,2008://57.2908 2008-07-25T11:06:49Z 2008-07-25T11:17:19Z

Lovebox Weekender Day One: Saturday 19th July 2008 Review by Missy Boomsticks After years of trying, I never quite made it to Lovebox. Year after year I vowed to sort out my social life far enough ahead to: a) Book...

Seatwave Lovebox Weekender Day One: Saturday 19th July 2008 Review by Missy Boomsticks After years of trying, I never quite made it to Lovebox. Year after year I vowed to sort out my social life far enough ahead to: a) Book tickets and b) Make sure my mates did the same. This year, I didn’t bother checking to see whether my eclectic music-loving pals had the Lovebox date in their diary. Instead, I vowed to see as much music as possible. It didn’t take long to realise that planned or not, you’ll always run into someone you know. I’ll put it down to size; the festival is small enough to meander leisurely and there’s ample grass area for perching and people watching. One could even sit beneath the ferris wheel and watch main acts enchant the masses. Saturday’s line-up was never going to disappoint and kicked off with Danish Popsters Alphabeat. They annoy the living hell out of me and are are bouncier than a litter of puppies but I’m told that and pint-sized frontwoman Stine led the band into a fittingly happy opening main-stage act. The Amnesty International Stage revealed some gems throughout the day. Maybe it was the effect of the Firefly solar power; never underestimate the sun me hearties. Boy, did the punters get a good dose of it on day one. Josh Weller, as always was a delight. His gravity defying hair, eclectic dress sense and feel good ditties is tonic for the stressed city dweller. He can pile the love in my box any day. ]]> Related links: Lovebox Festival's official site. Buy festival tickets. http://www.loveboxweekender.com http://www.seatwave.com/lovebox-weekender-tickets/season http://www.seatwave.com/festival-tickets/category ]]> tag:festivalfever.seatwaveblogs.com,2008://57.2900 2008-07-23T11:56:24Z 2008-07-23T14:28:05Z

2000 Trees Festival, 2008 Review by Cheryl Jacobs THE FESTIVAL IN A NUTSHELL Friend making potential: As it’s a smaller festival-bonding is more likely, especially when crammed into the intimate Leaf Lounge Tent. Target audience in attendance: Very mixed crowd....

Seatwave 2000 Trees Festival, 2008 Review by Cheryl Jacobs THE FESTIVAL IN A NUTSHELL Friend making potential: As it’s a smaller festival-bonding is more likely, especially when crammed into the intimate Leaf Lounge Tent. Target audience in attendance: Very mixed crowd. Some families. Average age group =25-30. On appearance, seemed to be less ethnic diversities than ,would, say get at a renowned festival like Glastonbury. Probably attracts lots of locals. Quality of the food: Mixed. The crepes were nice, and there was also a great range of smoothies and juices to be purchased. There was an emphasis on healthy eating. My friend had chick pea curry-thought that was a nice festival food alternative. She liked that v.much. Fast food such as chips and greasy stir frys were to a pretty average standard. ]]> Celebrities spotted: 2000 Trees wasn’t a posey festival. It’s the type of event for people really into their music, and who want to discover tomorrow’s next big thing. I didn’t spot one single Z-list celeb. Art Brut’s lead singer Eddie Argos mingled with the festival crowd before taking to the stage. VIP blagging opportunities: None! A lot of the performers mingled in with the crowds, so was no real need to try and sneak backstage. Line-up for beer: The q’s for alcohol were ok. There were two different tents selling booze, which lessened the load. Food q’s were busy throughout the day. My friend queued at a burger van for over half hour. Weirdest thing you saw: Nothing abnormally weird, just some very eccentric people. There was a guy dressed in a bright, floral jacket, tight pants, and a sign on his bum reading ‘DANGER-KEEP OUT’. Quite a few fellas dressed up as women. Lots of people in funny headwear. One lady had made a hat out of straw thatch (and looked like she’d tried to create a small thatched roof on her head). AND WE SAID THANK YOU FOR THE MUSIC Highlights: Headline act Art Brut were amazing. Due to the damp weather conditions, there were problems with sound equipment, eventually leading to a very delayed stage time. However, sensing audience anxiousness, lead singer Eddie came on the stage and started performing juggling, inviting the audience to chuck fruit and bottles at him so he’d have props to throw up in the air. For a guy those music has been feted by the likes of NME, Spin, and Rolling Stone, it was refreshing to see him connect so easily with his audience, even without a musical smokescreen. Art Brut’s set was a delight from start to finish. Eddie’s dry wit, and speaky singing style (think Jarvis Cocker) won’t be to everyone’s taste, but they were one of a select few bands, who were able to generate a genuine atmosphere and sense of fun within the tiny festival. In a more general sense, it was great to see some bright new stars shine. Particularly good were The Blisters (a London based pop/indie band-slightly Beatles-esque), who played the Leaf Lounge tent. Their set was pretty intimate, and got a great reception. Imperial Leisure- a ska/reggae line-up with a Madness style vibe going on, were also crowd pleasers, and generated some much needed energy amongst festival goers, who, if were anything like me, felt the day start to drag around 2pm. Lowlights: I found These New Puritians very disappointing. Like Art Brut they also experienced some sound problems. However, no excuse for a sulky and arrogant performance. They looked disengaged from their audience throughout. Another feted band by the likes of Observer Music Monthly and NME, I expected better things. I hope they put a bit more effort and pizzazz into the set they perform at next week’s Benicassim festival in Valencia. All round, the festival could’ve done with just one more big name act. Some of the unsigned indie bands were a bit run of the mill, and hard to get excited about. Related links: 2000 Trees official site. Festival tickets.]]> tag:festivalfever.seatwaveblogs.com,2008://57.2873 2008-07-15T15:53:08Z 2008-07-15T16:06:10Z

Rise Festival Finsbury Park, London 13th July 2008 Review by Katie Spain You’ll have to excuse the vantage point from which I’m forced to deliver my Rise Festival review. You see, I’m small. Very small. It makes gigs difficult to...

Seatwave Rise Festival Finsbury Park, London 13th July 2008 Review by Katie Spain You’ll have to excuse the vantage point from which I’m forced to deliver my Rise Festival review. You see, I’m small. Very small. It makes gigs difficult to see, especially when the crowd is a big one. If I’m going to be truthful (and I plan to), it’s also because I didn’t move much during the day long 'rise against racism' day of entertainment at Finsbury Park. Laziness wasn’t to blame; a body weak from food poisoning was. When you’ve spent the last two days heaving up your vital organs, the last thing you want to do is clomp around a festival ground and risk a jerk-chicken portaloo explosion. So, it was with reservations (not many), I plonked down on a picnic rug and didn’t move for the rest of the day. Unlike 2007, the sun beat down on us and the view to the main Rise stage was dotted with happy, smiling faces. ]]> Related links: Rise Festival's official site. All UK and international festival tickets.]]> tag:festivalfever.seatwaveblogs.com,2008://57.2872 2008-07-15T14:26:32Z 2008-07-15T14:32:59Z

Top 10 T In The Park Moments By Tim Kernutt 1. Amy Winehouse performs... Only Amy Winehouse can get a crowd excited by the mere act of turning up. Yet so common is it for Ms Winehouse to cancel shows...

Seatwave Top 10 T In The Park Moments By Tim Kernutt 1. Amy Winehouse performs... Only Amy Winehouse can get a crowd excited by the mere act of turning up. Yet so common is it for Ms Winehouse to cancel shows due to "Exhaustion", that fans often expect a no-show from her. Her performance was catchy, talented and kooky - testament to the fact that she is famous for a reason. 2. The Bitter Sweet Verve Richard Ashcroft of the Verve is no stranger to success, however it appears he is still a stranger to modesty. Before doing a stirring rendition of "Bitter Sweet Symphony", Mr Ashcroft asked fans the rhetorical question of whether they knew what it was like to write a classic song. It's a good thing he knows what its like, I guess. ]]> 3. Eddy Grant Renaissance Eddy Grant confirmed his current revival with a smattering of old hits amid new releases. Mr Grant is a 60 year old on a mission. 4. Powderfinger Bring the Weather The boys from Brisbane get more rock-focused by the year, which we can all be grateful for. One of the better sets of the festival, and on a sunny afternoon too. 5. Prodigy Pack a Punch The mad dance-rockers brought the festival to a stand-still. The performance of "Breath" was enough to take your breath away. 6. The Kaiser Chiefs Cause A Storm No band gets a crowd more excited than the Kaiser Chiefs, and this proved to be the case once again. 7. Buffalo Burgers Are the Business The buffalo burger stand in the gourmet food area did a roaring trade for a good reason. Try one at the next festival you attend. 8. The Chemical Brothers One of the most intense light shows on the planet, and some classic tunes to boot. 9. The Crowd Revolt Against the System The 80,000 strong crowd did everyone proud in an attempt to ignore the overly-vigilant security and festival bureaucracy, with the ticketing system being an absolute sham. Could it be that T In The Park's success has gone to its head? 10. REM Close How apt that one of the most successful bands of recent times close off one of the biggest festivals in the United Kingdom. Related links: T in the Park tickets. All festival tickets. ]]> tag:festivalfever.seatwaveblogs.com,2008://57.2871 2008-07-15T11:05:56Z 2008-07-15T13:34:08Z

Zoo Thousand and Eight 4th - 6th July Review by Andy Hirst The organisers of the Zoothousand festival really pulled out all the stops this time; their band selection was nothing short of inspired; a varied and intriguing mix...

Seatwave Zoo Thousand and Eight 4th - 6th July Review by Andy Hirst The organisers of the Zoothousand festival really pulled out all the stops this time; their band selection was nothing short of inspired; a varied and intriguing mix of quality acts spread across 3 days in the beautiful Kent countryside. The mere thought of seeing Dizzee Rascal, Wiley and Gallows at the same festival was reason enough for me to lust eagerly at the festival program and the prospect of attending. The fact that I had not heard of this festival through the normal avenues of advertising did not perturb me - perhaps I was not reading the right magazines or looking at the correct websites, a criticism I frequently fall foul of, yet a line-up like that was bound to pull a good crowd whether they were the fashionable presses intended demographic or not. In addition to the expertly selected line-up, the organisers had even managed to challenge the infinite wisdom of the Met office; wind and rain had been rashly forecasted for the duration of the weekend yet when Friday arrived the weather, though not blistering hot, was certainly far more pleasant than we had been led to believe. Surely the weekend was all marked out to be one of the best festivals of the summer?! ]]> Related Links Buy Festival tickets Win two tickets to Reading Festival ]]> tag:festivalfever.seatwaveblogs.com,2008://57.2834 2008-07-08T10:42:21Z 2008-07-08T10:54:56Z

Jamie Hince fancies the crowd at The Mighty Boosh Festival. Hop Farm 5th July 2008 By Zarina Raja The Mighty Boosh Festival, an event showcasing a variety of comedy and music, took place on Saturday 5th July at the Hop...

Seatwave Jamie Hince fancies the crowd at The Mighty Boosh Festival. Hop Farm 5th July 2008 By Zarina Raja The Mighty Boosh Festival, an event showcasing a variety of comedy and music, took place on Saturday 5th July at the Hop Farm in Kent. Along with the sun came hundreds of Boosh fanatics, many of whom were dressed as characters from the hit BBC series. Throughout the day, Boosh fans saw the likes of Gary Numan, White Denim, Polar Bear, Robots in Disguise, The Kills, Jarvis Cocker, Har Mar Superstar, Peaches and The Charlatans, take to the main stage. ]]> Dee Plume of Robots in Disguise, and girlfriend of Noel Fielding, said it was: “A family festival. It’s a bit like a soap opera, all our friends are here and we’ve been dancing with our niece and nephews.” Alison Mosshart of The Kills said of their performance: “I liked the gig a lot. It was way too sunny though, next time, let’s do it in the dark.” Jamie Hince of The Kills and boyfriend of Kate Moss said: ‘The sun was in my face; I couldn’t really see anyone. There were a couple I fancied in the crowd though…’ Related links: The Mighty Boosh tour tickets. The Kills concert tickets. Robots in Disguise concert tickets. Sign up for the Seatwave newsletter for your chance to win free gig tickets. Sign up to the Seatwave Facebook group - yep, more free tickets! ]]> tag:festivalfever.seatwaveblogs.com,2008://57.2832 2008-07-07T15:46:25Z 2008-07-07T15:53:54Z

Fingering the Counting Crows 02 Wireless Festival Hyde Park Sunday, July 6 2008 Review by Tim Kernutt On a day at the Hyde Park 02 Wireless Festival 2008 in which the Counting Crows was featured as the headline act, it...

Seatwave Fingering the Counting Crows 02 Wireless Festival Hyde Park Sunday, July 6 2008 Review by Tim Kernutt On a day at the Hyde Park 02 Wireless Festival 2008 in which the Counting Crows was featured as the headline act, it was the Australian band Powderfinger that out-rocked all acts. On a rainy day in which Ben Harper and the Innocent Criminals, the Goo Goo Dolls, the Delays and Eddy Grant also played, punters may have gone home wet but would have been hard-pressed to be disappointed at the variety of bands on offer. Arguably Powderfinger had the enviable task of following on from the tepid, but crowd-pleasing, Goo Goo Dolls. Led by lead-singer Bernard Fanning, Powderfinger has now been playing for nearly two decades having been initially formed in 1991. Yet so fresh is the new material from their latest albums, it is almost as if they are a new band. Having had a hiatus in 2005 when band-members decided to temporarily pursue solo interests, Powderfinger came back with a vengeance in 2007 with the release of 'Dream Days at the Hotel Existence'. Funnily enough, it was probably only the Australian and New Zealand contingent in the crowd (which was actually a significant number) that knew of the band before they entered stage right, however by the end of the performance in which hits such as 'Love Your Way', 'My Kinda Scene', 'Since You've Been Gone', 'Who Really Cares', and 'Baby I've Got You On My Mind' were blasted out across Hyde Park, everyone had the band's name on their lips. ]]> Highlights: - The sun bursting through the clouds after rain had persistently irritated the crowd for an hour, shining immediately after lead-singer of Powderfinger Bernard Fanning had mentioned Spain. - The charisma of Ben Harper. - The Australian pie shop. Related links: All festival tickets. Sign up for the Seatwave newsletter for your chance to win free gig tickets. Sign up to the Seatwave Facebook group - yep, more free tickets! ]]> tag:festivalfever.seatwaveblogs.com,2008://57.2830 2008-07-07T15:21:22Z 2008-07-07T15:27:06Z

02 Wireless Festival Saturday 5th July 2008 Review by Max Hogg For me the defining moment of this festival was the man on his Blackberry. He was dancing along to the end of a surprisingly good set from the terribly...

Seatwave 02 Wireless Festival Saturday 5th July 2008 Review by Max Hogg For me the defining moment of this festival was the man on his Blackberry. He was dancing along to the end of a surprisingly good set from the terribly named Does It Offend You, Yeah? and simultaneously firing off emails left right and centre. You can imagine the message he might be sending: “Futures prices on Zimbabwean maize are still far too low. Buy me a million dollars’ worth. Off to see Deadmau5. Keep me abreast of developments.” Ensnaring your bonus for the year at the same time as signalling your moderately modish music tastes and avant-garde weekend activities to colleagues is undoubtedly fulfilling. But whatever the content of Mr PDA’s emails, the episode neatly summed up a very different festival crowd and atmosphere from those that would lose their wellies on a farm in Somerset or lose themselves under a field of fluorescent butterflies. It left me totally unmoved. ]]> Related links: Festival tickets. All artist concert tickets. Sign up for the Seatwave newsletter for your chance to win free gig tickets. Sign up to the Seatwave Facebook group - yep, more free tickets!]]> tag:festivalfever.seatwaveblogs.com,2008://57.2831 2008-07-07T15:15:16Z 2008-07-07T15:41:03Z

02 Wireless Festival Hyde Park Friday 4th July 2008 Review by Chris Todd The mass of people all arriving at 8.30 meant that Morrissey's fans decide to wait until he’s due on rather than doing something as crass as watching...

Seatwave 02 Wireless Festival Hyde Park Friday 4th July 2008 Review by Chris Todd The mass of people all arriving at 8.30 meant that Morrissey's fans decide to wait until he’s due on rather than doing something as crass as watching The Wombats. Within minutes of his arrival, an empty Hyde Park is awash with thousands of expectant fans. His arrival makes one girl burst into tears as soon as she sees him as Morrissey fans tend to do, this is either from excitement or the fact he is wearing a Playboy t-shirt which is rapidly replaced oddly by an American Idol one. Kicking off with a beefy rendition of one of his finest tracks; 'Last of the Famous International Playboys', he precedes to make Hyde Park his with a greatest hits set incorporating songs from his forthcoming 'Years of refusal' as well as long lost Smiths classics such as the gorgeous 'Stretch out and wait' and a rapturous rendition of 'Irish Blood, English Heart' all delivered in his particularly dismissive way. The stench of burger bars and hot dogs hangs so heavy in the air that even Mozzer can smell it onstage to which he begins to berate the audience by 'Announcing you stick death inside your bodies', Kylie also is on the receiving end of his ire commenting on her OBE "Which I believe to be totally deserved, as for me... I'm nameless, timeless, that's about it really". The showstopper however is a stunning and emotive rendition of 'Life is a Pigsty' which ends with him writhing on the floor looking like a true icon, just to hammer that status home they finish with an electrifying rendition of 'How Soon Is Now' ensuring a mass sing-along occurs before the crowd leave elated if maybe also slightly depressed. ]]> Related links: All artist concert tickets. Sign up for the Seatwave newsletter for your chance to win free gig tickets. Sign up to the Seatwave Facebook group - yep, more free tickets! ]]> tag:festivalfever.seatwaveblogs.com,2008://57.2829 2008-07-07T15:01:44Z 2008-07-09T09:12:04Z

02 Wireless Festival Hyde Park July 3rd 2008 Review by Malcolm Black The clouds open up over London’s Hyde Park as this year’s Wireless Festival gets underway commencing with UK Grime MC Wiley and some heavy b-lines from XL’s b-boys,...

Seatwave 02 Wireless Festival Hyde Park July 3rd 2008 Review by Malcolm Black The clouds open up over London’s Hyde Park as this year’s Wireless Festival gets underway commencing with UK Grime MC Wiley and some heavy b-lines from XL’s b-boys, Cool Kids. Each day at Wireless is carefully programmed to appeal to a certain type of music lover and typically the opening night of Wireless is tailored towards dance and urban music and this year’s line up is certainly the cream of the crop, Roisin Murphy, Hot Chip, Mark Ronson, Hercules & Love Affair and of course the main man himself, Jay Z – whose performance at Glasto can only of amplified the excitement of seeing the Hip Hop superstar headline at the Main Stage. To be expected there’s not that much is going down upon arrival late afternoon, entering the stark, dark and near empty Scan Disk tent to hear Alice Smith who tries her best to warm the tent with her charisma and lusciously powerful soulful voice. She jokes with the handful of loyal fans “Wow there’s so many people here”, but carried on un-phased. ]]> Related links: Festival tickets. All artist concert tickets. Sign up for the Seatwave newsletter for your chance to win free gig tickets. Sign up to the Seatwave Facebook group - yep, more free tickets!]]> tag:festivalfever.seatwaveblogs.com,2008://57.2828 2008-07-07T14:52:48Z 2008-07-07T15:01:34Z

Wireless Festival Day 1 - Thursday 3rd July 2008 James Hamlin checked out the Main Stage for Jay-Z's post-Glastonbury performance. Did the big man cut it? Last night saw the final act in the Live Nation annual summer take over...

Seatwave Wireless Festival Day 1 - Thursday 3rd July 2008 James Hamlin checked out the Main Stage for Jay-Z's post-Glastonbury performance. Did the big man cut it? Last night saw the final act in the Live Nation annual summer take over of Hyde Park as the O2 Wireless Festival kicked off in fine style. O2 Wireless is a strange thing, it wants to be a festival but can never really be one – it has far too corporate-a-feel for that. What it does provide is big acts and a chance for Londoners to come down to Hyde Park after work and have some festival style fun on their doorstep. The opening night's headliner doesn’t get much bigger than certified New York city hip hop don, Jay-Z. The storm in the tea cup that was the Glastonbury Jay-z headline show was now firmly in the books and this was a chance for Hove to put on a real show for his ever passionate London-based fans. ]]> Related links: Jay-Z MySpace. Jay-Zconcert tickets. All artist concert tickets. Sign up for the Seatwave newsletter for your chance to win free gig tickets. Sign up to the Seatwave Facebook group - yep, more free tickets!]]> tag:festivalfever.seatwaveblogs.com,2008://57.2837 2008-06-29T14:41:06Z 2008-07-08T17:04:41Z

Wakestock Blenheim Palace 27th – 29th June 2008 Review by Matt Killeen Wakeboarding. I had to look it up. Clearly there was some kind of watersport going on at Blenheim Palace but if you’re the type who owns their own...

Seatwave Wakestock Blenheim Palace 27th – 29th June 2008 Review by Matt Killeen Wakeboarding. I had to look it up. Clearly there was some kind of watersport going on at Blenheim Palace but if you’re the type who owns their own wetsuit you should probably stop reading now. For me to attempt to cover the sporting activity would be a waste of material. While I could talk about the rumoured propeller problems and the fact that no riders could stay on their feet as a result, I can’t honestly claim that to know what I’m talking about. It might take me all weekend to figure out a Minnewashta from a Batwing and I’m afraid it just doesn’t seem as exciting as getting to bitch, from some position of authority, about the music. Therefore lengthy analogies around the words Butterslide, Tantrum and Tail Rail have also been shelved in favour of some serious criticism. The bill was extremely promising in terms of both people I was looking forward to seeing and people who I expected to disappoint. The Mondays, Mark Ronson, The Streets...So who is who? Read on...or, as my editor says, bring on the scorn. Ah, I love the smell of dissatisfaction in the morning. ]]> Related links: Festival tickets. Wakestock official site. We interview Hadouken! about their Wakestock and Glastonbury experiences. Sign up for the Seatwave newsletter for your chance to win free gig tickets. Sign up to the Seatwave Facebook group - yep, more free tickets! ]]> tag:festivalfever.seatwaveblogs.com,2008://57.2802 2008-06-25T15:59:07Z 2008-06-30T13:50:40Z

Imagine my delight this morning, when I realized that the male bouncers are permitted to frisk the lady punters. What a way to start a sunny Wednesday at Hove Festival. The weather looked overcast this morning but it was a...

Seatwave Imagine my delight this morning, when I realized that the male bouncers are permitted to frisk the lady punters. What a way to start a sunny Wednesday at Hove Festival. The weather looked overcast this morning but it was a mere flash in the weatherman’s pan. A tan is looking more and more likely. I have another little linguistic gem for you today; If you speak English and you haven’t yet arrived, be sure to pronounce ‘Hove’ as follows… “Hova”. It’ll save you blank looks from bus drivers and giggles from the locals. Things are looking a little more disheveled today but I’m still dumbfounded by the cleanliness of the festival site itself. These Norwegians have their act together when it comes to cleaning up after themselves. Recycling is the done first thing and although the woodlands surrounding the fest smell increasingly like stale urine, you’re okay so long as you stick to the paths. Outside on the main stage, I can hear the keyboard banging sound of Thom Hell. The Norwegian artist is from a town called Kristiansand and from here, I like what I’m hearing. Soft guitar strumming and soothing vocals for the hungover masses. This evening promises, Foals, Band Of Horses, Beck, Flogging Molly, Bad Religion, Blood Red Shoes, Magne F, Joe Lean and the Jing Jang Jong, Behemoth, Primordial and the almighty metal making Dimmu Borgir. It’s time to let some hair down. tag:festivalfever.seatwaveblogs.com,2008://57.2803 2008-06-25T15:52:19Z 2008-06-25T15:57:24Z

Hove Fest – Day Two I can’t help but wonder… will Peter Doherty and his Babyshamblers be as moved by the Norwegian scenery as I have been? Who knows if the UK clan have hit Scandinavia yet; for all I...

Seatwave Hove Fest – Day Two I can’t help but wonder… will Peter Doherty and his Babyshamblers be as moved by the Norwegian scenery as I have been? Who knows if the UK clan have hit Scandinavia yet; for all I know they’re still pounding British pavement but they’re set to the Ampfiscenen at 1.15am on Thursday night and Beck’s in ‘da Norge hood’ so who knows. Today’s festivities began with a very long and gob-smacking walk into Arendal. We watched people buying fresh crabs straight off the boat, grappled with the supermarket (have you shopped without understanding what it says on the label) and managed to work out the Hove festival bus route. It’s easy as jumping on and off, so long as you know what number to take. As we walked back to the apartment to prepare for another festival onslaught, we passed a massive silver truck unloading gear in to a waterfront venue. Along the side of the instrument-filled black boxes the word ‘BECK’ was printed. You guessed it, the pint sized performer did a an intimate gig last night. We missed it, but that’s what you get when you’re at a fest. I wonder if Mr Doherty made it. One gig we did make however, was The Kooks. Allegedly, the Hove Festival homepage almost broke down from traffic overload when the band was announced on the line-up. Either way, they got a storming response to a cracking set on the main stage last night. Old favourites, new favourites and a lot of banter for the Norwegians. One passer by commented on Luke Pritchard’s mighty fine stage presence. Fine job boys… I almost felt a little bit patriotic (and I’m not even British). The next hour was a blur… the mix of duty free vodka and apple schnapps we accidentally left in our bag (?!) had to be consumed and where better to do it than in front of a volleyball court adorned with semi naked sporty types. A tough looking official even cleaned up for us. It’s easy to get away with murder when you’re little and you can’t speak the language. We later risked death (it seemed like it at the intoxicated time) to perch on the steep hill leading down to the AMFI stage for Avenged Sevenfold. The highlight was the brief cover they did of Pantera’s ‘Walk’. It’s moments like these… you need the portaloo. The tail end of The Wombats’ set saw us through to a beer stop and a fling with The Pigeon Detectives. A bout of troll hunting turned into a search for the beachfront cinema. We didn’t find it… but the ferry and a hangover later came into view. Full marks to the paramedics dealing with the girl we passed who’d misplaced her legs and the power of speech. It’s time for Wednesday… pray for sun. I'm due to head back for Glastonbury on Thursday but if this continues, I may have to give that the arse. ]]>