Beachdown Festival 2008

Dazed always tries to be the last one to leave the party and consequently we found ourselves squeezing the last drops of festival juice out of Brighton’s’ ‘Beachdown’ over the bank holiday weekend. Styling itself as one of the new breed of ‘boutique’ festivals that try to be low on big bucks sponsorship and the kind of homogenised, corporate blandness that is killing the soul of the bigger festival players, ‘Beachdown’ has ambitions to be high on quality and delivers where it counts. Good, eclectic local food and booze merchants take priority with an ethical, environmental policy that has just the right profile without seeming sanctimonious and getting in the way of the necessary hedonism.

Despite the predictably fickle weather, the South Downs, with the shoreline beyond them, provided the perfect backdrop for a knees up. Mud was at a minimum (something to do with the chalk in the soil) and any bands on the main stage during early evening had the advantage of the sun setting behind them into the sea on a balmy clear night. With a bit of imagination and the right dose of pear cider we could have just about been at one of those glamorous ‘Med’ festivals that aren’t ruined by bucketfuls of traditional English summer rain.

As for the music, there was a nice balance of retro / contemporary acts from bona fide legends like Roy Ayers, De La Soul and Horace Andy to current indie stars like The Maccabees and the Young Knives. Its not all so high profile - local bands are given there own showcase and there is some genuinely eccentric cabaret on offer and things can get really ‘out there’ with some late night DJ showcases that embrace proven icons (Don Letts) and real weirdness (Disco Shed).  

No genre was left alone; post punk electro rock? Try A- Human, or soft-core lounge disco? There’s Hercules and Love Affair. On Saturday night, Lightspeed Champion upped the quirky factor with some space folk (of course) and Roisin Murphy sprinkled the end of the night with some diva glamour dust.

Although it is brand new and there were the inevitable first time nerves, Beachdown already looks set to walk it in the ‘end of the festival season’ competition. Lets face it, any place where you have the choice of spending an evening with Keith Chegwin or dub stepping to Jah Wobble is clearly doing something right.