Beachdown Festival 2008

United Kingdom | | 30 August 2008

It’s going back a few years now but some of you may remember the catchphrase of the leek-carrying Welsh comedian Max Boyce: "I know, because I was there.."

This could well become the new catchphrase of the lucky thousands who attended the inaugural Beachdown Festival near Brighton over the August Bank Holiday weekend. The festival's stunning site in the South Down hills could only have been sculpted by the Festival Gods such is its beauty.

Billing itself as ‘the UK’s newest and most chilled out festival’ Beachdown boasted a mightily impressive and eclectic line-up with 90 live acts, 70 DJs and 50 cabaret acts. Even the much-loved Keith ‘Cheggers’ Chegwin put in an appearance which saw him working a crowd of around 30 very enthusiastic fans in the vast dance tent. Bless him.
Family festival goers were well-catered for with a family camping area, children’s entertainment area and even a Rockskool, offering tuition to the next generation of main stage headliners.

With the undulating hills you would have needed the fitness levels of an Olympic athlete to keep up with all the bands. Luckily, there was a vast and tempting range of food tents around the site to keep up energy levels with everything coming from local suppliers.

Friday night saw a dynamic start to the weekend with Southern Suspects blend of hiphop enthralling the crowd.  On the main stage Los Albertos warmed the crowd up before the amazing Carnival Collective appeared. Never have so many musicians and dancers graced one stage before, at least 30 of them creating a wall of sound with their inimitable samba/break beat/reggae/funk soundscapes. Beachdown couldn’t have got off to a better start.

CC kicked off proceedings again the next day on the main stage while Eastbourne band Your Friends Are Architects set stage 2 alight with a highly kinetic set. Recently signed to a label they are definitely a band to watch in the future. Lightspeed Champion's Dev Hynes looked rather less comfortable – unusually like a rabbit caught in the headlights - but the crowd gradually warmed to the band's mix of swinging indie. In contrast geek-rockers The Young Knives take no prisoners with a strong set and look set for world domination.

The Maccabees, for reasons unknown, decided they didn’t want any press interest in their show so I settled instead for a strong dose of funk from Freak Power on stage 2. Jon McClure, frontman with Reverend and the Makers, was certainly on fire tonight. Posturing and strutting at the front of the stage in combats and a mohican, he looked like a harder, scarier version of De Niro’s Travis Bickle from Taxi Driver. If, as he says, he is soon to quit the music industry for good then he will certainly be going out on a high. Their set was riveting and one of the best of the day.

NYC band Reckless Sons kicked off Sunday with a good old, down and dirty rock'n'roll set. Considering the very un-rock'n'roll time of day and spartan crowd these guys certainly kicked some butt with lead singer Matt Butler looking much like a younger Springsteen. Brighton band Gloria Cycles apparently met through a shared love of music and photography which endeared me to them before I’d even heard a note. Their incisive indie pop perfectly suited the Beachdown vibe and had the punters dancing on the hills.

Two of my personal highlights were Duke Special and Azymuth. The former took to the stage with his eccentric drummer Temperance Society Chip Bailey who proceeded to batter hell out of his drum kit and various percussive devices. Duke's obsession with Vaudeville and eyeliner was clear to see but if ever a lesson were needed in the importance of space between notes and music, this was it. Rio de Janeiro band Azymuth stunned the crowd at stage 2 with their sublime mix of jazz, soul, samba and chillout. The musicianship was outstanding and only matched by their humble appreciation of the crowds reaction to them. They were simply a delight to watch – and later, to chat to. A fantastic day of music was topped off with a super slinky performance from the gorgeous Roisin Murphy while the Fun Lovin’ Criminals worked their laid back magic on an appreciative capacity crowd.

The weather took a turn for the worse on the Sunday but the site and infrastructure coped admirably with the appalling weather – and was a credit to the organisers.

Once again, one of the first bands to take the main stage on the Monday played an absolute blinder. A-Human, led by their charismatic singer – Dave Human, electrified the sparse crowd with their menacing electro-pop. The guy’s energy was impressive with several forays into the audience to dance with unsuspecting members. If A-Humans energy was palpable Brighton Band Imperial Leisure was completely off the Richter scale. Whatever they had for breakfast I want some! This ten-piece ska/punk band were frenetic and great entertainment with an aerial horn section who must have been on the Red Bull. Jose Gonzalez was a perfect choice for Beachdown with his mesmerising acoustic sounds wafting over the crowd – with Gogol Bordello due on in a couple of hours, this was definitely the calm before the storm.

Jah Wobble later brought his own inimitable blend of dub-step to stage 2 with a distinct ambient Chinese edge. However, nothing that night could touch the vibe that Roy Ayres brought to a chilly evening. With Bah Samba – yet more Brighton based musicians – backing him, he played his heart out completely winning over the capacity crowd in the process. Beachdown 2008 concluded with a riotous set from gypsy punks Gogol Bordello and though I had to leave after the first three songs, I had already made up my mind that I’d be returning to this magical piece of the South Downs for Beachdown 2009.