Here we go…the reason that my bank balance is horribly low and looks set to remain that way for some time to come…
What: Festival Internacional de Benicassim
Where: Benicassim, between Valencia and Barcelona on the Costa Azahar
When: 17th – 21st July
Price: €170 for 4 days, with 9 days of camping (14th – 22nd), there are also 3 day and 1 day tickets available. If you’re an ebaying sort (I personally can’t cope with it), then you can find 4 day tickets for under £100!
A lot of Brits are unhappy with the line-up of the Spanish festival this year. It was always going to be difficult in 2008 considering the weekend also plays host to both Summercase in Barcelona/Madrid and Latitude back over here. Not only does that draw potential festival-goers elsewhere but it also results in a battle for the bands.
Over the past few years Benicassim has gradually built a bigger British fanbase and with the Arctic Monkeys and Muse both appearing last year you could almost be forgiven for thinking it was becoming Reading-by-the-sea, as many were beginning to.
This year the line-up boasts some fairly fantastic names, with Leonard Cohen taking the spot occupied by Muse last year. For a while there were negotiations as to whether he would be able to perform, supposedly to do with getting from Benicassim to his next performance in Nice, which many have taken as Cohen wanting more money than initially offered. This speculation has resulted in further anger at the apparently lacklustre line-up as more of the budget would have been spent on Cohen, leaving less to be spent on other bands.
The other theory is that the organisers want to decrease the British audience because sadly we don’t have the best of reputations. (Well deserved really considering the amounts of people threatening to chuck stuff at Mika…) I don’t understand that by the way. There’s never going to be a festival where you like everything, just don’t watch Mika if you don’t like him. Sure, he’s an odd choice in the line-up but there are other things to do while he plays and what’s throwing things at him going to show apart from the fact that you’re a complete moron? *Sigh* I’ll be the first to admit that I have a short temper but things like that make me really angry.
That aside, I’m looking forward to seeing Leonard Cohen, Morrissey, Justice, Death Cab for Cutie, The Brian Jonestown Massacre, Babyshambles, Spiritualized, Hot Chip, Metronomy, The Rumble Strips, Vincent Vincent & the Villains, Sigur Rós and Lightspeed Champion (SO happy that Dev’s playing!). On top of that there’s a good 5 or so bands that I’ve listened to before and might watch and that’s before I even listen to the acts I haven’t heard of and all the bands that I’ll end up randomly seeing.
Link to Benicassim line-up poster
If you want a big diverse festival mixed in with your summer holiday (hurrah for no rain and mud!!) then Benicassim is brilliant. You get access to the campsite for 9 days so it really is like a holiday, the town is on the beach and there’s a waterpark close to the festival site. But please don’t come if you’re going to be a twat and throw things at Mika and Leonard Cohen. Or anybody else for that matter. Some of us bruise easily.
WMA Leonard Cohen – Alexandra Leaving | Website / MySpace
MP3 The Smiths – Asleep | Website / MySpace
- Okay, so that was a cheeky bit of cheating but I prefer The Smiths to Morrissey’s solo work, sorry.
MP3 The Brian Jonestown Massacre – You Look Great When I’m High | Website / MySpace
MP3 Babyshambles – La Belle et la Bête | Website / MySpace
MP3 Spiritualized – Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating in Space | Website / MySpace
