27 June 2008 (gig)
02 July 2008
Travelling down the weather looked bad, where was the sun? Why was it hiding? As the road slipped away under the fierce growl of a 2 litre engine the thought that this festival could be hit by the Glastonbury weekend jinx was hard to displace. Another thought jostled for place. What was wakeboarding like in rain? What was wakeboarding like?!
We arrived at Blenheim having already missed the day’s wakeboarding. The clouds had blanket coverage of the sky, they were dark and menacing, only they knew whether their vast grey underbellies held a watery cascade. It was decided that a pitched tent was of great importance. As soon as it was done the music arena beckoned.
It was clear from the outset that this place hadn’t sold out and there was a worry that the crowds at the bands would be sparse. This worry was eradicated as soon as the awesome Groove Armada hit the South Stage. Like the Audio Bullies who came before them, Groove Armada played had brought their full band. Hit after hit came and went in an orgy of flashing lights and absorbing musical delights. Set closer Superstylin sent the crowd even more ballistic. If only they had played Madder, they would have been band of the weekend.
After Groove Armada a brew was bought and a walk was walked to the XfM tent where Pendulum were gearing up for their chance to wow the masses. They played the old and the new with equal panache, satisfying all parties with their truly astonishing ability to recreate and project the power held within their music.
Saturday heralded sunnier climes; sadly it was not enough to warrant leaving the tent until deep into the afternoon. Again too late for the wakeboarding we relocated to the arena.
The night before had obviously taken its toll as the arena was sparse and quiet. Not until the Happy Mondays did things really pick up. The crowd went hysterical as soon as Shawn Ryder’s band of merry men hit the stage. The band were their typical nonchalant selves with Bez the only one supplying any real focal point as he danced and dived around the stage like a baboon with a fly up its backside.
Mark Ronson proved once again how apt he is at destroying the soul and rhythm of classic songs with his set of truly boring and tedious covers that of course everyone else found scintillating. You wonder how he ever went multi platinum and then you see his crowds, suckling on every word and every note like it was dripping with pure liquid talent. Chance would be a fine thing.
Sunday arrived. The air was cool. The tent was bearable. Wakeboarding looked like the order of the day. Finally. The verdict? Wakeboarding rocks! No idea what they were doing but it looked good and the crowd loved it. Who won? No idea was busy when the winner was crowned. So to the music, and what a night. Supergrass set the South Stage alight with their stonking array of truly memorable songs. Their take on brit rock for more dynamic and varied than their counterparts. Supergrass have always bridged that gap between Oasis cocky swagger and Blur’s willingness to push boundaries. The threesome finished Wakestock in a truly awe inspiring fashion.
So what of Wakestock? Even if you’re not a wakeboarding fiend this festival is a fresh alternative to its larger counterparts. The festival is set in a truly stunning location. The landscaped surroundings and beautiful house plus a festival seem like a recipe for disaster but this weekend proved otherwise. The line-up was strong and varied and attracted the kind of crowd who party hard without behaving like total imbeciles. Next year choose something altogether different. Choose Wakestock.
