Camp Bestival - Lulworth Castle, Dorset 30/7-1/8/10 [Part 1]
4/5
By: Tom Hocknell
Camp Bestival is now firmly established in most festival goers’ brains as Bestival’s little cousin; unless you are between 2 and 10, in which case this place is heaven on earth. For while this may not be the exact vibe Belinda Carlisle once warbled about, for adults the site appears to have been crop sprayed with toddlers for the past week. However, if you were a grown-up without children, the buggies soon disappeared in a haze of honey ale, the Cuban Brothers and the occasional surprise on the bandstand or elsewher
FRIDAY
It is hard to know if Mark E Smith’s The Fall actually want to promote new records. He still makes them, the current of which, Your Future, Our Clutter has gained the usual great reviews; as if to insult one of John Peel’s favourite bands is sacrilege. However, they surpass expectations, not through melody or lack of guitar feedback, but rather by simply existing. It is similarly difficult to know if he likes playing live, but he seems to be enjoying himself, with ‘O.F.Y.C. Showcase’ coming across particularly well. As ever his, actually brilliant lyrics are sadly lost in the punk riffs, although there are some lighter, electronic touches, which leave you wanting more; it’s like you recognise the magic, but can’t quite see it.
To follow The Fall would be a god sent task to any singer, but when ‘any’ singer is Marc Almond, an easier job could not be imagined. But who would consider a Marc Almond gig, if they were not already a fan? Thought not. Yet sashaying around his rockabilly-styled guitarist in a black suit and red boa, you are missing one of the country’s great performers. Perhaps the new lease of life following recovery from 2004’s motorbike accident has fed into the songs, or simply that not having sung them recently, each song sparkles with freshness. Hearing a true torch singer is a reminder of the joy in hearing lyrics, which the Fall unfortunately fail to allow. When sung with such intent, Soft Cell’s ‘Torch’, and ‘Bread and Circuses’ (from Almond’s recent album Varietie), take on new deep-felt romance. And ‘Brilliant Creatures’ great couplet of ‘Just standing in the rain/I'll take the romance of the night’ demonstrates his knack for ‘the story’. Almond’s remarkable voice meant other new songs such as ‘Nijinski Heart’ were as well known as the classics before the final chorus. ‘Something’s Gotten Hold Of my Heart’ was sung with the prerequisite hurt, and dedicated to Gene Pitney, while ‘Say hello, Wave Goodbye’ was another boa-punctuated highlight. So reluctant were the crowd to let him go that even ‘Tainted Love’ didn’t grate. He is an unlikely candidate for a sing-a-long, and a beautiful revelation.
George Clinton and Parliament closed the day with some agreeable funk, that was until his introduction of the band provoked a 28 minute guitar solo that for all we know would still going on now, if a torrential downpour had not sent the crowd remaining into all-available cover. While Clinton’s was always a changing collective, it’s a shame seeing vibes rolled out with the misplaced enthusiasm of a covers band; there is only so much funk-fret-love once can take.
Artists in this article: The Fall, Marc Almond, Parliament
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