Beach Break Live 2008 - Rated!

United Kingdom | 13 June 2008

Overall – 7/10

Quite simply one of the happiest festivals we’ve ever witnessed (probably due to the four months of summer dossing), Beach Break Live saw around 5,000 students decamp to Cornwall for some end of term partying in the sun. The Wombats, The Cribs and The Enemy headlined but there was quality throughout the bill with a good range of music across the festival’s one outdoor stage and three smaller arenas. Mix in the fun of the It’s A Knockout-style Cornish Goblet Games, Dutch hot tubs, the Stargazer tower and the fact there’s an amazing beach near by and you’ve got the best fun that can exist between a Monday and a Wednesday.  

Getting in and out – 6/10

Cornwall is a nightmare to get to from anywhere really (apart from maybe Devon) but it’s doable and well worth it. You can fly from some UK destinations and the drive through the west country is as nice as they get, but there’s still a fair distance from the nearest big town Newquay. Many festival goers were delayed getting onto the site Monday after buses failed to turn up for the Park N Ride shuttles, but organisers have vowed to improve on this for next year.

The Site – 8/10

While the festival isn’t actually on the beach, it’s a mere ten minute walk. Sited on top of cliffs overlooking Polzeath Beach there’s a stunning view over the ocean and sun set is a spectacle to behold. The site itself was compact and easy to get around with bar queues minimal, however there was quite a bit of soundclashing as a result. There were complaints from some residents over the noise and there are rumours that a new site may be found for next year, but organisers will be hard pressed to find a lovelier view.  

Atmosphere – 7/10

Would have been a solid 9 if gauged during the evening, but the daytimes were often quiet as sun seekers flocked to the beach instead. It made for a relaxed lounge about in front of the main stage but one challenge for organisers next year will be to keep more fans at the festival throughout the afternoon. Come evening, though, Beach Break truly came to life with thousands of noisy, drunk but very well behaved students packing the site.

Music – 9/10

Uppers...

The Wombats/Cribs/Enemy – all three headliners played blinding headline sets with easily the same level of effort, enthusiasm and energy they’d inject into playing the likes of Glastonbury or T In The Park. Clear favourites with the student audience, all three brought each night to a climatic finale whilst also helping to significantly boost the profile of the festival.

Noah And The Whale – set to be one of the festival bands of the summer, NATW have sun-kissed tunes in abundance just crying out for fair-weather cider drinking. And they started it all off by invited us on their tour bus for a Strongbow.
Wallis Bird – another one for a sunny afternoon, Wallis Bird has honed a hip-shaking festival performance with a collection of intricately arranged acoustic classics in the making. Just don’t challenge her to a drinking contest. Our money will always be on her.

Dan Le Sac Vs Scroobius Pip – the imposing and proverbial beat poet is becoming as essential a student staple as a Che Guevera poster. Always engaging and thought provoking, ‘Thou Shalt Always Kill’ receives its usual mass singalong - and fans thought lessons were over for this year.  

Johnny Flynn – joined on stage by sister Lily (who also filled in for Noah And The Whale), Johnny Flynn made it a family affair and showed you don’t have to be old and bearded to write timeless folk music. ‘Tickled Pink’ is as catchy a tune as you’ll hear this year and Johnny even won his battle with a nearby sound-system knocking out hip-hop. He won us over too.

Downers...

The Metros – despite being tighter than a university landlord and more energetic than a first year in freshers week, The Metros just try that little bit too hard and their raucous rock, which on tape sounds like a cross between Arctic Monkeys and Pigeon Detectives, comes across more like Madness when played live.  

Random event

The fancy dress theme on the final day saw some interesting costumes, ranging from CSI investigators to parrots to bananas, made even more amusing when thrown over the crowd during The Enemy's headline set. Singer Tom Clarke challenged "everyone" to crowd surf their way forward, resulting in a few fancy dress disasters as bits of novelty clobber were pulled off and tossed around in the melee.