Boardmasters

I can’t swim, so an invite to Boardmasters Festival – Cornwall’s annual celebration of all-things sun, sea and surf – had immediate appeal. Obviously. Jokes aside, I bloody love this bit of the world and I’ve only ever heard good things about the festival, so here we are. Just the Saturday for us, though…

So, you understand, the festival is kind of split into two: the music element is a mile or two outside of Newquay town centre, at a place called Watergate Bay, while the surfing element takes place at the world famous Fistral Beach.
Upon arriving, the first thing that strikes me is just how close to the sea the music part of the festival is. Like, when there’s a lull in the sound, I swear you can hear the sea crashing against the rocks. Love it. Speaking of water, me and the Mrs hop on one of the specially laid-on buses and make our way to the beach to catch some of the surfing action.

We’re greeted by scorching weather, music (obviously), street food tents, and lots of dudes and dudettes carrying surfboards. Is that a ‘gnarly’ I hear? And is that a ‘rad’? I believe so. And I’m not taking the piss – it’s genuinely exciting to be around it all. There’s a real ‘holiday’ vibe.

So, beer in hand, we hit the beach and “watch” the action. Now, I might be hard of…seeing, but I cannot make head-nor-tails of what’s going on. Never mind, the beer and the food – from Rick Stein’s beachside chippy – are going down a treat.

Feeling sunned and sated, we get back on the bus to the festival site in Watergate Bay – only a 10-minute ride away, by the way. The first band we catch is Wild Beasts and, until this moment, I can honestly say I’ve not heard more than eight bars of their music. I’m annoyed with myself. They’re bloody incredible. Their luscious and dense sound is made all-the-more palatable by Hayden Thorpe’s elastic vocal range. As for the songs themselves, they’re like a nice big hug.

Next, it’s Jamiroquai. And they’re boring. Honest. At first, it’s fun, but then it gets a little formulaic. I can feel the crowd wishing they were off elsewhere. That’s exactly what we do – swan off to find something more fun.

Thankfully, we stumble across Oh My God! It’s The Church, on one of the festival’s smaller stages. We’re saved. Not by The Lord, might I add, but by a man in a tight and shiny suit, and his band. It’s a downright sordid affair that leaves us feeling elated in the way only a unified experience, like this, can. It sounds ridiculous, but it is a spiritual affair that has you choking on your beer and praising…something.
For me, that’s the best bit about Boardmasters. It’s what it does for your mind. Being by the water, in the sun, catching music that makes you feel good about life – you can’t put a price on that. I’m feeling good. Maybe I’ll try and swim after all…