Eight hours of motorway driving, counting endless sheep, and mind-numbing attempts at pronouncing the road signs passed by and finally James Drakeford and friends arrive at what could have been mistaken as ‘the arse end of nowhere’…

We had arrived at Pembrey County Park for the fifth instalment of Beach Break Live. The British equivalent of America’s Spring Break. 20,000 students raving it up at the Dragon’s Den endorsed festival which marks the end of the exam period and the start of summer; four glorious days of music, sun and sand in the South of Wales.

Instantly the flaws of this comment came to fruition. It doesn’t take a weatherman to tell you that South Wales is notoriously wet so come Thursday night, it was time to set the tent up in the pouring rain and gloomy darkness. But, like all good festival crowds this did not deter the short-shorts, the beaming smiles, and the late night partying.

As Friday rolled by, the weather remained consistent with its reputation. Regular festival goers were telling me that they felt under-prepared – only packing ‘shorts and summer stuff’ after being led astray by the word ‘beach’. The sports events on the beach remained deserted and the main stage had opened quietly. Not looking promising.

Then comes rising star Maverick Sabre. He did well to wake things up playing hotly tipped single ‘Look What I’ve Done’, and even put his own spin on Oasis anthem ‘Wonderwall’. Speaking to Fused Magazine after his set, he said:

“I played Isle of White festival last week and there were about 8,000 people in the tent and it went crazy. I thought it was going to be really tough for anyone to match that. Then today, I played to a quarter of that, and it went off the hook. They really got into it from the start.”

Ed Sheeran got the crowd singing with his acoustic prowess, and Professor Green followed to get the crowd dancing. All of this was warming up nicely for arguably the biggest act on the bill, Tinie Tempah, who was the first main stage headliner of the festival. If anything was going to dispel the rainy-blues the antidote was always going to be the Brit award winners energetic and charismatic set.

With everyone now well and truly in the party mood it was time to head over to Merlin’s Forest for Zane Lowe’s late night DJ set. It was a very hit and miss set that frustrated the crowd by teasing crowd pleasers only to cut them in favour of songs that didn’t quite gel (to the extent that the crowd continued to sing to the song before long after it was cut). But even still, the day was a success.

Saturday had sunglasses and suntan written all over it (albeit with the odd attempt of rain just to remind you that you’re still in Wales). The masses flocked to the stages nice and early to enjoy Will And The People putting on a fantastic set with highlights including catchy tune ‘Mr Sketchy’, and Pixies cover ‘Where is my Mind?’.

Beardyman created a huge frenzy when he took to the main stage. The crowd began throwing colourful chalk in the air and before long the pit area looked like one massive tie-dye. Thousands of students roared with excitement with the exception of one or two who had greying hair and wearing thick raincoats as they shook their heads with bemusement as they ‘just didn’t get it’.

The set was void of the beatboxing that was used as a platform for the former UK Beatboxing Champion’s career. Beardyman claimed afterwards that:

“Beatboxing is a load of rubbish, its novelty.” He added: “I didn’t do any today, and I’m sure there will be a couple of purists who will be a little pissed off. But you can’t listen to purists if you have a dream and I have a dream to move forward.” Either way, the move seemed to pay off because the crowd couldn’t get enough of it.

With Ms Dynamite’s flight being delayed; We Are Scientists, Example, and White Lies rounded off the strong line-up on the main stage, before dance acts Nero, Shy FX, and Sub Focus joined Ms Dynamite in Merlin’s Forest to keep the crowd buzzin’ well into the early hours of the morning. It makes you wonder how they can afford to get so much on for just £100 a ticket.

Before you know it, it was already Sunday. We learnt that festival favourite Newton Faulkner enjoys chilling backstage playing guitar hero in the Jagermeister tent, having skipping competitions, and just jamming acoustically for us all to enjoy. A great laugh which was almost as good fun as his solid set on the main stage which included his own acoustic rendition of ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’. Who could’ve guessed that one man and a guitar could grip people’s attention so avidly?

The main stage then went out with a bang as Katy B warmed up the punters before dub-step super band Magnetic Man blew them away. The perfect combination given that the two acts have collaborated so frequently.

And then the big finale, if you’re going to start the festival strong, the key is to end the festival in an equally memorably fashion. Cue Mark Ronson. Following DJ Yoda in Merlin’s Forest, Ronson ensured that everyone would be returning to the real world the following day craving more.

It’s a shame that the weather was so hit and miss because this unique blend of holiday/festival could never reach its true potential. Then again, strolling down to the acres of beach to watch the sunrise in the morning after a heavy night was the perfect way to cap off a remarkable festival. Overall; a fantastic value for money, and I’m definitely looking forward to 2012.

Words: James Drakeford

Fat Boy Slim headlines as Boardmasters highest-profile act to date, in celebration of 30 years of surfing at the event. Applauding the area’s heritage in all its glory, Fistral Beach will host world-class surfing, skateboarding and BMX, with a new professional longboarding feature. The Watergate Bay site hosts a whopping nine stages, featuring the likes of Klaxons, The King Blues, Eliza Doolittle and Zane Lowe, providing a range of tastes to suit all different audiences.

There will also be Skate and BMX competitions as well as the Beach Sessions, all taking place on the home of British surfing. The beach front is transformed into an entertainment hub with activities including surf, BMX, skate and bikini comps, retail stalls, intimate gigs and nearly a mile of sun soaked sandy beach.  The only ticketed event at Fistral beach are the Beach Sessions, the rest is free for you to enjoy.

Most of the music will be happening on the cliffs of Watergate Bay. The backdrop setting of an endless blue sea creates a one of a kind atmosphere around the site. With 9 live music stages, festival campsite, fairground, catering, exhibitors , VIP bars and the View stage- this is the place to be!

Relentless Energy drink Boardmasters in association with Vans
10th-14th August
Fistral Beach and Watergate Bay, Newquay, Cornwall
Tickets: Day prices range from £36, weekend prices range from £65

LINE UP

Friday 12th August acts:
Ali Love
Andy C
Back Beat Soundsystem
Bangers
Benjamin Francis Leftwich
Benji Boko
Benny MC
Bombay Bicycle Club
Brother and Bones
Catalyst & Treazon
Charlie Simpson
Cloud Control
Crazy P
Crazy Arm
Crisis
Devinyl & Leroy
DJ Yoda
Eliza Doolittle
Francesqa
Gentleman’s Dub Club
John Smith
Johnny G
Kids In Glass Houses DJ Set
Klaxons
Krafty Kuts
Liam Bailey
Mr. Nice & Maxxi P
Re-Defeat & Grudge
RSB
Pippa Marias
Premise & Palm
Rich Thomas
The Skints
Tom Law
Tom & The Tides
Twin Atlantic
Siqnote & Digityl
Solo Collective DJs
Stanton Warriors
Straight Lines
Stringer Bessant
Submental
Urban Knights
Winter Mountain Band
Yaaks

Saturday 13th August acts:
Art Brut
Ashley T & Greg Ziziglue
Ben Howard
Beth Rowley
Bleeding Knees Club
Breakage
Charlie G
Crowns
CJ Beatz
Deluxx
Dub The Earth
Fatboy Slim
Freerange DJs
Freestylers
Gay For Johnny Depp
I Am Harlequin
Jaguar Skills
James Owen Fender
The King Blues
King Charles
Leatherhead
Lori Campbell
Lower Than Atlantis
Maverick Sabre
Max Raptor
Me vs. Hero
Qemists
Scratch Perverts
Solo Collective DJs
Spokes
Snatch The Wax
Stereo MCs
Sub Focus Live
Tim Nice & Steve Lid
Tom Cary
Tom Costelloe & Tommie Quick
Tom Starr
The Violet May
Trevor Moss & Hannah Lou
The Violet May
Will Bailey
Willy Mason
Wolfgang
Zane Lowe

COMPETITION

We have a pair of tickets to Boardmasters.

How to enter: QUESTION – In the festival section of our sister publication Area Culture Guide we mention that THE CURE will be headlining a Saturday Night at one of the festivals. Just tell us which festival….

Send your answer along with: Your name, date of birth, address and telephone number to competitions [@] fusedmagazine.com.
Please put ‘BOARDMASTERS’ in the Subject Box.

Deadline for entries is 20th June, 2011.

Get ready for a summer of epic proportions as Gatecrasher’s indie/alternative off-shoot Supersonic Vague unveils The Stereo Apocalypso, an indoor festival at Gatecrasher Birmingham, marking a blistering start to the summer season.

This May 30th Bank Holiday event will showcase an eclectic and riotous range of genre-smashing musical pioneers including ZANE LOWE/ KLAXONS/AUDIO BULLYS/ KISSY SELL-OUT/ALEX METRIC/ PLUMP DJS/ DAVE SPOON/D.RAMIREZ/CASSETTE JAM AND MANY MORE.

We have 3 pairs of tickets to give away.

To get your hands on a pair just tell us what radio station does Zane Lowe host his show?

Send your answer to competitions@fusedmagazine.com before 12.pm May 28th to be in with a chance of winning!

http://supersonicvague.com/

Lux Interior, Patti Smith, Joey Ramone

1973: a time of limbo and confusion in America. The social upheaval of the 1960’s had fizzled away, President Nixon had been impeached, the Vietnam War ended. The young were disillusioned, frustrated, unsettled, they wanted more.

1973, and Hilly Kristal opens a club in New York City with the catchy name of CBGB OMFUG… or ‘Country Bluegrass Blues and Other Music For Uplifting Gormanizers’, providing performance turf for aspiring folk rock musicians. But in December of that year, “three scruffy dudes” looking for a gig approached him. The band was called Television.

Television, The Ramones, and Blondie were all propelled into the limelight by CBGB in the same year. Their sound was raw and original; it wasn’t technically brilliant, it was almost unbearable. People weren’t looking for perfection; they wanted rock to go back to its essence. They labelled it ‘Street Rock’ at first, and then Punk.

CBGB’s success soon snowballed. Patti Smith played to an audience of Andy Warhol, Allen Ginsberg and Allen Lanier (from Blue Oyster Cult)… amazing. Talking Heads were next. Following a heavily promoted festival gig in 1974, every rock band around the world wanted to play, as a stepping stone to rock stardom, or even just to be part of history.

When these bands came to a little island to the north of Europe, they had no idea of the reception they would receive. Americans were bored, they wanted a change; the British needed it. It was a grim era: millions were on the dole; people were living under grey clouds, getting by, tense and uncertain. Young people wanted to be heard, “Listen to us!” they demanded. Music was their outlet. The Ramones were worshipped; the Sex Pistols became the definition of hostile youths in Britain. Vivienne Westwood had everyone wearing tartan trousers and gimp masks. Punk was rocking.

CBGB closed two years ago, but its legendary status hasn’t left us, and neither has its influence on today’s rock sound.

In celebration, Kristal’s daughter is opening a photography exhibition at Proud Galleries in Camden Town, London. The pictures depict an era, and make us want to throw on a leather jacket and board the next plane to the Big Apple!

And if visual stimulation isn’t enough for you, musical mastermind Zane Lowe will be there on the 24th June taking us back to the time that was, the heyday of rock, for one night only boys and girls.

The exhibition runs from the 4th June to the 9th August, 2009.

Words: Amelia Phillips