Camp Bestival, Lulworth Castle
Camp Bestival, Lulworth Castle, Dorset, 30th July- 2nd August
The Lowdown-
Rob Da Bank is a busy gentleman. This is a guy that signs top acts on his label Sunday Best, DJ’s on the radio and has curated two massively successful festivals. Kinda makes you wonder what you’re doing with your life doesn’t it?
One of his creations- Camp Bestival, is warmly referred to as the “little sister” to The Isle of Wight’s Bestival and takes place in the picturesque grounds of Lulworth Castle on Dorset’s Jurassic Coastline. The mantle of “little sister” should by no means be read as diminutive title though, as proven by Camp Bestival winning Best New Festival at the 2008 festival awards and attracting mammoth performers over the years such as Billy Bragg, Chuck Berry, Florence & The Machine and Calvin Harris.Billed as somewhat of a family friendly affair, Camp Bestival makes a conscientious effort to accommodate all ages. The inclusion of a kid’s garden, big-top circus and performances from none other than The Cat in The Hat reflect this commitment to appeal to a younger crowd too. You can rest assured that if you have little’uns, they will be catered for. This accessibility, coupled with fantastic music personally picked by Rob Da Bank’s expert ears, makes for a refreshing change from a bunch of lairy lads camping next to you, swigging Carlsberg and butchering wonderwall.
Who’s On-
The choice of three generically different headliners demonstrates how diverse Camp Bestival really is. The chart-topping and universally acclaimed Clean Bandit open on the Friday. Kaiser Chiefs and their own brand of shout-along, indie-pop take the Saturday headline spot, with a set that will undoubtedly see Ricky Wilson scale the stage in dramatic fashion. Whilst the Sunday top billing is given to Underworld, who’ve been redefining what a rave is for over 20 years.The rest of the bill is equally interesting. Heavyweights of different scenes are appearing over the weekend; from urban rapper Professor Green to punk pioneers Buzzcocks. The line-up reads like an education in British music courtesy of Rob Da Bank.There are also poets, authors, comedians and talkers in abundance that show a festival needn’t be reliant upon loud music and a flashy light show. In attendance are teacher/battle rapper/poet Mark Grist, articulate spoken word artist Kate Tempest, comedian Marcus Brigstocke and Bill Oddie. Yep… Bill bloody Oddie will be giving a talk about bird watching. All manner of things are being covered at Camp Bestival 2015!
Why Should I Go?
Camp Bestival proudly presents itself as an all-encompassing experience with a wide range of events that will please ages from 2 to 72. Contemporary is a word thrown around far too often but not in this case. There aren’t many other festivals you can go to where you can see Wretch 32 one day and Bill Oddie the next, with a trip to the Guardian Literary institute in between for good measure.
http://www.campbestival.net/ti ckets - Buy Tickets here!
https://licklist.co.uk/camp-be stival/ -Info, reviews and pictures here!
Ford Maddox Brown