Island Life Magazine Ltd August/September 2013 | Page 111

ENTERTAINMENT

Norman plans to
cook up a treat
at IW Bestival
By Peter White

The Bestival celebrates its 10th
birthday this year, and it promises to
be a music festival to remember when
thousands of revellers converge on
the Robin Hill Country Park from
September 5 to 8.
Since its inception in 2004, the
Bestival has grown in size and
popularity to become one of the most
popular and well-supported festivals of
the English summer, providing fun and
entertainment for all ages.
Even curator Rob Da Bank and
his wife Josie could surely not have
envisaged how the Bestival would
expand into an event that has picked
up a host of prestigious awards and is
now one of the most eagerly-awaited
festivals of the year.
Norman Cook (pictured), better
known to his many followers as Fatboy
Slim, was one of the main acts at the
2004 Bestival, which also included
Island band, The Bees as well as
Basement Jaxx and Zero 7, but was
attended by barely 7,000 people.
Norman, an iconic DJ, musician,
rapper, and record producer will be
back at this year’s Bestival to join in
the 10th anniversary celebrations. This
time he will be entertaining a crowd of
around 55,000 revellers – and he can
hardly wait!
He took time out from his hectic
summer schedule to talk to Island

Life about his memories of the first
Bestival, and what his audience can
expect this time around. He recalled:
“I think the best way to describe that

first Bestival was happy chaos. All the
times I have been back since it has
seemed far more orderly and organised.
“But in 2004 it was like Rob (da
Bank) and a few of his mates having
a bit of a laugh. It was probably
more to do with Rob’s ‘Sunday Best’

original club, rather than the grown-up
festival it has now become. In those
days there was a bit of anarchy and
irreverence about it all. Nowadays I
think the anarchy has gone out of it
but the irreverence is still there, I am
pleased to say.”
Norman continued: “I never played
at Sunday Best when it was like in
the back room of a pub, but Rob and
I had done some things together at
Glastonbury. With a lot of festivals
people just decide what bands they
want to go and see, but it was decided
the Bestival should be more like a
load of people in a field in a slightly
deranged mood – all being silly
together. The Bestival is right up there
with Glastonbury in as much that you
go for the event rather than just watch
a few rock bands.
“It was incredibly brave of Rob to
pick a weekend that in those days
was like the tail-end of the summer.
Thankfully since Bestival began
we have had a succession of Indian
summers. That first Bestival was great
as far as I am concerned, but there
were lessons learnt. One valuable
lesson I learnt was never to sleep in a
tepee with 20 other people if you want
to get any sleep or keep warm. I tried
it just that once!”
He added: “I admire Rob and Josie
for throwing themselves into the
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