Bestival 2006 - The undercover review, by Dawn Edwards

Finding yourself in a cold, damp field in the early hours of the morning would normally be something to worry about, but not for the Weekend campers at the 3rd Annual Bestival, held at Robin Hill Country Park from 8th- 11th September.
The normally tranquil hills and woodlands at Robin Hill Country Park became the perfect setting for a weekend of live music from a variety of performers; several Island-based bands joined hot, new acts from around the globe such as Mali and the USA, along with numerous DJs to keep the party going throughout the day.
After setting up the tents in your chosen spot on Friday morning, there were several activities going on throughout the Park to keep you occupied until the live acts started on the main stage in the afternoon.
There were a number of choices of crazy antics to get involved with throughout the weekend too. Tree-climbing in the ‘Bestivalley’ was a favourite for those of us who are in touch with our ‘Hippy’ inner-self, (or inner-monkey). It was a favourite mainly due to the fact that after climbing up to the top of one of the 60-foot trees, then hanging out in the canopy, before taking the abseil back down to earth, you got the best view of the Bestival, apparently anyway!
Some Bestival-goers chose to tie-the-knot in the Bestival’s very own Inflatable Church in the Village. The church returned, bursting at the seams with merriment and mayhem. Friday night’s Hen and Stag disco provided the perfect love-match zone, whereas Saturday and Sunday evenings made way for the Wedding DJs to provide a perfect atmosphere for nuptial bliss! The Wedding-themed activities were all overseen by Reverend Duncan Pritchard and his beloved dishevelled brides and carefree choirboys.
The most fun of all however, came from the Fancy Dress event on Saturday night. Last year’s fancy dress parade was a Guiness World Record- breaking success with more than 10,000 cowboys and Indians marching round the Bestival site. Although this year’s original fancy dress them of ‘Circus’ had to be abandoned due to several people admitting to suffering from Coulrophobia (fear of clowns), this year’s parade, led by the Island’s top four samba bands, proved to be another record-breaking display of aliens, robots, pirates and film stars. Two fellow Bestival campers, Laurie Wright and Luke Williams were telling me how great the Bestival was, especially the fancy Dress night as “Where else on earth can you say that you’ve taken a leak with a pirate, two cowboys, Jimi Hendrix, and Jesus!”
As well as the on-going musical displays across the site, there were many ways to relax and unwind on the hills. As the Bestival was open to families, there were certain quiet areas where it was possible to take a moment to appreciate the beauty of the hills surrounding you, whilst experiencing a range of relaxing massages and therapies in the peaceful Red Squirrel filled hills. The “Bestivalley” was a green area devoted entirely to arts and crafts. With opportunities to try out woodturning, and to learn from artisans how to weave a traditional basket, make Bestival bunting from recycled cloth, or even build your own wind turbine, most peoples’ creative side managed to shine through. Alternatively, you could paint your own multi-coloured masterpiece from wholly natural ingredients. The Bestival accommodated for the creative campers in a number of ways and styles. The most imaginative and popular art-based activity however, was painting the giant, Hollywood-style Bestival letters in the 24-hour Twilight Circus Field. By the end of the weekend, the originally white 7ft lettering had been transformed into a crazy, colourful display of stars, smiley faces, animals, and ‘peace’ symbols. There was also a chance for the ‘artists’ to get their handiwork shown on TV when Channel 4 filmed the results.
The ‘Retreat’ returned again this year, located in the Boutique campsite. Bigger than ever this year, the Boutique returned offering a multitude of ways to unwind. The Sacred Rejuvenation Tent was a chill-out area offering a range of energising drinks, snacks and soft, flowing music, enhanced by a team of highly-qualified, professional therapists and healers on hand. The early-risers amongst us were able to take advantage of the 9am Yoga classes, whereas others took advantage of the wide variety of treatments on offer, including Reflexology, Shiatsu, Aromatherapy Massage, Reiki, and Indian Head Massages, amongst many others. In addition, the authentic Sun Lodge medicine Tipi offered one-to-one healing sessions, Shamanic workshops, and Didgeridoo lessons.
For those Bestival attendees who didn’t go to relax and unwind, but to have a head-banging, non-stop party, the numerous bars across the site offered a variety of lagers, wines, and spirits, not to mention BestivALE, a special brew concocted by local fizz merchants specifically for Bestival that’s now served around the rest of the country too.
The Headlining-acts on the Main stage were a must see for all true Bestival fans. Gogol Bordello, hailing from New York via Ukraine, were truly the unhinged, passionate gypsy-punks they claim to be, providing one of the most enjoyable, danceable live music acts on Friday night that I’ve ever heard. The Pet Shop Boys Headlined on Saturday night, starting with some of their more recent musical experiments, but closing their set with what the crowd obviously wanted to hear, their all-time best single – ‘Go West!’ Saturday night also saw Kid Creole & the Coconuts on the main stage with their kooky mix of calypso and disco sounds energising the crowds. Sunday’s Headlining act was obviously the Scissor Sisters, however, Amadou & Mariam, a pair hailing from Mali, now one of the most revered acts on the continent, had the crowds in rapture, with their hip-shaking, foot-tapping Afro-blues African masterpieces.
For the majority of Bestival visitors, the weekend became a dramatic treasure-hunt for a musical heaven. However this year’s “Hidden Disco” managed to stay hidden for a lot of the campers, with only a few managing to find it before the weekend drew to a close.