Day 3, Saturday at Festival Internacional de Benicassim XVI
Well its Sunday afternoon here in Benicassim and the final day of the Festival is about to kick off. Its been a crazy XVI edition so far, and tonight the biggest news are the changes in the timetables thanks to the fact that Lily Allen has pulled out for the second year running claiming she is sick. Again. The rumours here are that she is pregnant, but if her twitter is to be believed then she really is genuinely sorry, and so are we.
Dizzee Rascal, Gorillaz and Leftfield head up the Green Stage lineup this evening and the ever-so-lucky and ever-so-lovely Ellie Goulding has nabbed Lily’s slot up there too, which must be nerve wracking to say the least.
Last night we got here a little too late to see the first band of the evening, The Ruskins, a three-piece ska/indie band from West London, but had the privelige to see them jam together in the Pista Jack Daniel’s around 10 o’clock, by chance. Influenced by the likes of Jamie T and Englebert Humperdink (!), I spotted Eamon through the crowd and lined up a little interview for today, which will be fun!
Ash were the first to set up on the Heineken Green Stage last night, and as usual were the perfect group to watch the sun go down to, sat on the tarmac with an icecold beer, yet surprise, surprise! A clash in timings? Yorkshire indie rockers and brothers The Cribs, joined by ex-Smiths drummer Johnny Marr were about to set the Fiberfib.com stage alight so we had to hop up and run! If it weren’t for all the fast food, red bulls and beer I would have lost about 20 kilos already this weekend.
45 minutes later and it was up and over to the Main Stage once more to be taken back in time almost to Madness ska-infused set of 2008. Only it was the Specials, and its 2010, silly! PJ said he found it hard to stop moving but then so did I with tunes like Rat Race to dance to! At the bar later on, a tiny East Londoner with fake eyelashes and a see-through white dress was asking where the nearest hospital was, and I pointed her to the nearest medical tent. “I’m wiv the Specials, innit, and I broke my toe! I’m wiv’ the Specials, yeah, and I slipped, innit!” She told me, several times. Hope they managed to sort it out.
Next up on Fiberfib history was in the making as Spanish-band-who-sing-in-perfect-English The Sunday Drivers played not only the last gig of their tour but also as a group, as they have now split for good. It was an extremely emotional set as they played hit after hit from Smile and Row to the catchy On My Mind and the die-hard fans in the audience chanted “No os separeis! No os separeis!” (Don’t split up) between every song to the point that Gero had to ask them to stop. At the end of the set around 50 friends and family came up on stage with them for a teary and affectionate goodbye, and as I told Gero myself later backstage (Groupie alert!) I was on the verge of tears myself.
At lunch today, PJ and I were discussing the fact that we haven’t yet seen a single fight at Benicassim. I think its because, as usual, the punters are an extraordinarily nice bunch of people. Apparently though, although we didn’t get to see it, there was a bit of barney on-site last night, but between the members themselves of PiL. It seems that John Lydon (Johnny Rotten to you and me) wanted to carry on playing the song Religion, but the band didn’t and made him look a bit stupid. Word is he used swear words and all to describe his mates. Naughty!
Perhaps the biggest name in the lineup last night, The Prodigy, definitely brought out the moves in all of the Fibers, and I’m sorry for the bands who had to play at the same time because the turnout at the other stages was poor, to say the least! Liam Howlett, in traditional double bleached mohawks and with his Tshirt on for about 20 minutes, was full of beans and gave it his all - F* the Institution, F* this and F* that! Yeaah!
The Klaxons, draped in capes and lace and tassels and African prints, played songs from their newest record, but also massive crowd pleasers like Golden Skans and Gravity’s Rainbow. Their psychedelic rock and guitar made us jump all over the palace and after that it was time to go home, but not before grabbing a cone of chips.
I’m off now! Got to catch Two Door Cinema Club on the Fiberfib stage any minute now! Hope you’re having a lovely time my dearies!
Anita D.
