Beachdown

[bristolseagull]

Anybody been? what do you think??

I've really enjoyed it, thought a better headliner would have drawn more music fans.

Kissy sell out = good, but played to a tiny crowd
Infadels = see above
Mr Scruff = good stuff- but a bit overcrowded
Transformer = excellent brighton act, check them out
Fun loving criminals = superb


food is really good too.....

 

[dougdeep]

Beachdown - North Stand Chat

 

[Mr deez]

Yeah i had a great time! Good first effort, the site could do with condensing though- all a bit spread out and sparse. Also, 2 o clock finish is just way too early there days.. Oh, and it's bloody freezing!. Disco shed saved the festival for me though- brilliant stuff!

 

[bristolseagull]

Nope, it's a shit one, jose gonzalez @ 4pm

agreed that it needs to be condensed, they needed some bigger bands too......

 

[Publius Ovidius]

On Friday night there was a hell of a racket which sounded as though it was coming from there.

If its a noisy again, they can go and have it somewhere else.

 

[NMH]

On Friday night there was a hell of a racket which sounded as though it was coming from there.

If its a noisy again, they can go and have it somewhere else.

Don't be an old guffer, it's bad enough that we have no summer, without having to do without a local happening like Beachdown.

 

[Publius Ovidius]

Don't be an old guffer, it's bad enough that we have no summer, without having to do without a local happening like Beachdown.

sorry...which steward am I addressing? The old grey one or the old grey one?

I bet you ddont live anywhere near this and were kept awake by the fecking noise.

Perhaps they ought to turn the fecking music down after a reasonable hour...we are not all hippies!

 

[Buzzer]

Just got back. Mr Scruff was excellent as was De La Soul. Shame they were on at the same time as Reverend and the Makers though.

Yesterday, the Beat really rocked the crowd. Junior Rankin was supreme but a shame to see Blockhead as a drug ravaged mess. And then the Fun Loving Crims absolutely stole the show. A special mention for A Certain Ratio who showed that they always were a top band.

Today the highlights were Jah Wobble - although his show was very short, Horace Andy (first time I've seen him not wearing combats) and then Roy Ayers. Jose Gonzales was okay but nothing special.

The Beach Tent was a lot of fun but the place could have done with some more lights, more sign-posting and the stewards not moving the exits every five minutes.

And Dave - the place was thankfully pretty free of hippies and was a lot of fun. Get involved rather than moaning about it. You might actually have enjoyed it.

 

[Publius Ovidius]

And Dave - the place was thankfully pretty free of hippies and was a lot of fun. Get involved rather than moaning about it. You might actually have enjoyed it.

I would prefer a good nights sleep at my age!!! 50 in a few weeks time

 

[Bluejuice]

I thought it was a good first attempt. People are right about the lack of top bands though.

I saw De La Soul on the 2nd Stage which was utterly ridiculous seeing as how most of the festival appeared to want to see them and the crowd was impossibly intense in a space that wasn't big enough to contain them. Whilst the main stage in the valley could accommodate more than the entire festival. Why stick your headliner on the 2nd stage?

Other than that I'd have to agree that the site ws a bit too spread out and that everything finishing at 2am did leave a lot of people staggering about not knowing what to do most of the night, which was a shame.

The Beat were really good but it's a shame the Fun Lovin' Criminals were turned down when they came on, culdn't hear them enough to enjoy them.

Still, the highlight for me was the Finger Lickin' vs Against the Grain showcase in the dance tent on Friday. Krafty Kuts, A-Skillz and Soul of Man all took the roof off and they'd really gone to town on making that tent feel like a really decent club. Certainly didn't scrimp on the sound system or lighting.

Good value, getting 4 days out of it but the site was practically empty on the Monday which was a shame. Mind you considering the weather got a bit minging and the line-up was weak (Jose Gonzalez - say no more) it's hardly surprising. I ended up bailing at about 4pm.

Security needs beefing up too. Plenty of fence jumpers making a mockery of my paying full whack for my ticket.

Overall though: nice try and I hope next year they take on board all the feedback to improve it.

 

[D'Angelo Saxon]

Yeah, De La Soul were dope. They should possibly have been on the main one, but I didn't really care as Stage 2 was the one I played on earlier in the day and it meant I didn't have to trek across the vast expanse between stages. Plus I had the VIP pass to let me watch everything from the pit anyway...

 

[NMH]

I would prefer a good nights sleep at my age!!! 50 in a few weeks time

Sorry for you then junior.
It was walking distance for me though, climbing the escarpment in the afternoons, stumbling carefully in complete darkness after the shows ended (chalk's a bit slippery when wet, I found out)

Sad I missed Jah Wobble and Jose Gonzalez.
Gogol Bordello were certainly a crowd-pleaser.....but I doubt any of that crowd would care for buying that music, surely? Cossack songs yelled in English? Not for me, thanks but nyet.
Roy Ayers was somewhat sedative - jazz vibes player. Okay, tasteful but too 'easy lissnin' for my taste.
Alabama 3 - swamp country blues, fookin' northerner with an American hillbilly accent singing about guns and crime. Good enough for a few tunes, but then it sounded all the same really.
Nouvelle Vague were a French band with a flavour of South America, doing 'contemporary covers' of songs by The Pistols, Clash and Joy Division.... with acoustic instruments. Pleasant enough, but then it's just a cover band really.
Herel Deduke the local Brighton lads - enthusiastic and with good songs.
Great reggae to end up things in the beach bar, then back down the hillside for a beer at the local.

All in all, a decent event and a taster for bigger things to come maybe. Expanded ticket numbers for next year, apparently, which might bring bigger names to the stages.

 

[NMH]

I thought it was a good first attempt. People are right about the lack of top bands though.

I saw De La Soul on the 2nd Stage which was utterly ridiculous seeing as how most of the festival appeared to want to see them and the crowd was impossibly intense in a space that wasn't big enough to contain them. Whilst the main stage in the valley could accommodate more than the entire festival. Why stick your headliner on the 2nd stage?

Other than that I'd have to agree that the site ws a bit too spread out and that everything finishing at 2am did leave a lot of people staggering about not knowing what to do most of the night, which was a shame.

The Beat were really good but it's a shame the Fun Lovin' Criminals were turned down when they came on, culdn't hear them enough to enjoy them.

Still, the highlight for me was the Finger Lickin' vs Against the Grain showcase in the dance tent on Friday. Krafty Kuts, A-Skillz and Soul of Man all took the roof off and they'd really gone to town on making that tent feel like a really decent club. Certainly didn't scrimp on the sound system or lighting.

Good value, getting 4 days out of it but the site was practically empty on the Monday which was a shame. Mind you considering the weather got a bit minging and the line-up was weak (Jose Gonzalez - say no more) it's hardly surprising. I ended up bailing at about 4pm.

Security needs beefing up too. Plenty of fence jumpers making a mockery of my paying full whack for my ticket.

Overall though: nice try and I hope next year they take on board all the feedback to improve it.

The stages were spread just enough to keep them from interfering with each other - at least that's how it worked out anyway.
The security was very lax, I heard they were only allowed 10,000 ticket sales, after which they actually wanted more people in just to spend on food and concession stands. Nobody really needed to jump any fences - they could just wander through the gate effortlessly, I reckon.

They needed toilets down near the main stage - I saw loads pissing against those fences down there, and several were girls. It smelled like it too, anywhere near the stage on day 4.
Fun Loving Crims were loud and clear to my ears, another lot I wouldn't think of listening to at home, but didn't mind them live.

Reverend and The Makers were the highlight with many I spoke with after the whole thing ended last night, and I'd have to agree with that.

 

[Bluejuice]

I agree the stages were spaced out enough to keep from interfering with each other but everything else was still quite an effort to reach.

When all ended on the Saturday night I noticed in the programme that the Beach Bar was supposedly open until 4am as opposed to 2 like everything else so we trekked up there all the way from the dance tent only to discover this was not the case at all and there was no access allowed, which meant a long arduous trek back again. Not ideal, but I suppose that's all to do with the site itself forcing the organisers into using the space in the best way possible.

As for the main stage toilets, you're definitely right on that one. It was a bit grim seeing so many piss all over the fencing so close to the crowd, and I dread to think what it was like at the bottom of the hill where the stage was. In fact I thought at first there weren't enough toilets overall but I soon realised most of the time people were queueing up it was entirely unnecessary as several cubicleswere free, just noboy had bothered to check.

Out of interest does anyone know what happened with the Orbing? I was quite looking forward to having a go but didn't see anyone take it up and can only assume they cancelled it for some reason.

Also, did anyone locate the "hidden bar" advertised in the programme?

 

[Row Z Creased Shirt]

I thought it was pretty good. A few things wrong around the edges in particular the lack of toilets although the ones they did have were pretty smart for a festival. Content wise it was pretty good, I mostly checked out the Brighton bands that were there as the mainstream acts didn't interest me that much, although Alabama 3 closed the monday night with a storming set every bit as good as the one at Beautiful Days last week. Saw lots of my favourite locals, Drookit Dogs, My Federation, Gloria Cycles, The Hat and Kovak to name a few, and also discovered the excellent Transformer, Floors and Walls and A Scandal in Bohemia.

Next year, more toilets, a few more things going on around the site, and at least one proper late night venue open after 2am and it will be an excellent event. Not a bad for a first attempt, and I'll definitely be there next year.

 

[Bluejuice]

Generally have to agree Row Z. I also saw My Federation not for the first time and Transformer are probably my favourite Brighton band that I've not got any connection with. Really good tunes, really good performers.

Did anyone see Figital? Our little collection of tents were right behind the Brighton stage and we heard them giving it all that whilst we were packing up our site, all of us remorseful that we were behind the stage instead of in front of it. They sounded well good

 

[fragglegull]

i had a great time, hope it all gets go ahead for next year.
nice one!!

 

[steward 433]

i had a great time, hope it all gets go ahead for next year.
nice one!!

The Arsegas have already done a piece about it becoming an annual event!!