Warning: Fangirling Ahead! Jake Bugg at the O2 Brixton Academy

For me, there's nothing I love more than listening to the haunting indie folk creations of  singer/songwriter Jake Bugg. At the tender age of 17, he was scouted to play a set at Glastonbury where he was given a contract at Mercury Records. Two years later and with the release of his second album next month, Bugg is going from strength to strength. After seeing him at Benicassim in July and iTunes Festival in September I managed to get some tickets for his autumn tour. 

From nick-intl.mtvnimages.com

Last Wednesday I headed over to the cosmopolitan district of Brixton, where I went to queue up for the gig that took place at the O2 Academy. Unlike the festival goers and casual music listeners I had encountered at the previous two gigs, there were only a handful of girls as enthusiastic as I was to queue. Our blatant fangirling paid off however when as we sat queuing, Bugg walked past us and casually waved. Much giggling ensued before we all managed to get up and run after him to say hi and tell him how excited we were to see him play. He was nice enough to pose for a couple of pictures too, what a gem. 

                                      From pbs.twimg.com

As venues go, the O2 in Brixton is great due to its small size and sloped floor which means the stage is visible from almost anywhere in the venue. I was pleasantly surprised with the hugely talented warm-up acts that began with Italian-English singer Jack Savoretti followed by Tennessee basedHoneyHoney who provided some much needed Country fun. 

From www.standard.co.uk

For those of us desperate for new music, Bugg didn't disappoint, beginning his set with There's a Beast and We all Feed it, the first track on upcoming album Shang ri La, one that screams intelligence with the line "When my sister suffers/When my mother cries/All I wanna do is look in someone's eyes…here's a beast eating every kind of beauty and we all feed it." 

Kingpin, Pine Trees, new single Slumville Sunrise and the delicious What Doesn't Kill You were also performed, giving us an idea of how magical the new album will be!  

His fine tuned, focussed and authentic performance would not have been complete without Lightning Bolt, Two Fingers, Country Song, Broken and one of my favourites, Seen it All and he definitely created an electric atmosphere. For someone only 19 years of age, his songs contain a huge capacity of life experience and as live acts go, he is by far my favourite. Although some tend to criticise his so-called lack of showmanship, his humble and unassuming air only adds to his charm. 

 His music is a lovely break from the ego-centric, sexist chart music manufactured superficially, written and churned out by a team of people.

I can't wait to see him in February! 

Bittersweet Beni: The Highs and Lows of Festival de Benicàssim 2013

For a first time festival-goer, I approached the idea of Benicàssim with equal amounts of trepidation and sheer excitement. Friends who had attended similar events in the past were quick to tell me to stock up on baby wipes and prepare for the slum-like conditions of the camp site, something which would be the least of my worries while in the Spanish town. 

       From sphotos-h.ak.fbcdn.net

The locality of Benicàssim is situated in the province of Castellon and consists of little more than a small beach resort and a few beach-side bars selling Spanglish nibbles and cold beer on tap.  I had booked up eight days of camping, with four days of festival attendance so on arrival at the beginning of the week, we set up our tents in the sweltering heat. Our group of ten soon got familiar with the area and began to settle into a daily routine of hunting for patches of shade, constantly wishing the sun was lower in the sky, and rejoicing every time a cloud gave us a little bit of relief from the blistering heat. 

         From sphotos-a.ak.fbcdn.net

(above: look, there's me surrounded my rubbish, not giving a dam. Festival life for ya)

My holiday hit rock bottom half way through the week when I was pick-pocketed on the beach, leaving me phone-less, penniless and completely deflated. 

Aside from those things, the music, which luckily commenced in the cool and dusky Spanish evenings WAS AMAZING. I was lucky enough to see acts such as Arctic Monkeys, The Killers, AlunaGeorge, Rudimental, Jake Bugg, Dizzee Rascal,Miles Kane and Knife Party to name a few.

          From sphotos-c.ak.fbcdn.net

(above: Best moment of the festival: JAKE BUGG)

For those of you who hope to attend the festival in the future, I do not want to dis-hearten you in this post so here are a few highlights of my trip, and tips to consider when going! 

Highlights

• The Music
  For one festival, Benicàssim offered a true eclectic mix of music, all of which I enjoyed immensely. The highlights for me were Jake Bugg and Rudimental, and I stand by my adoration for live music- there really is nothing better than sitting on someone's shoulders screaming the words to your favourite songs. 
   
• The cheap alcohol
  For the duration of my trip, I found that beer on tap was a lot nicer and colder to drink than water, so I drank A LOT. Vodka was four euros a bottle- crazy!
   
• The memories
  The few negatives I had while at the festival will soon fade from my outlook of the whole experience and I have some amazing (and hugely positive) memories of my trip.

                  From www.thisisfakediy.co.uk​

• The showers
  With temperatures hitting 40 degrees during my week of madness, I loved the showers, having up to 3 a day. Ice cold and never a queue, they were definitely a winner. 
• The days before the festival
  Although the days were excruciatingly hot, the evenings were extremely fun. They provided a chance for us to meet our neighbours in campfest and I definitely saw some things I will never forget. 
• Being away from technology 
  I do love my iPhone, but it was so refreshing to forget about the internet and social networking sites, instead just chat or play cards. I need more of that in my life!
• Barcelona
  I stayed in the beautiful city of Barcelona for a night before heading to the festival. Totally recommend it as a city break. 
• By the end, you don't care.
  Dirty, dusty, sunburnt or sweating, no-one really cares about their appearance by the end of the festival. 

               From www.efestivals.co.uk​

Tips

For those of you thinking about attending the festival next year, here are a few things to remember. 

• Use the lockers provided
  I was initially skeptical about the lockers, but highly recommend them, for obvious reasons.
• Do not take a valuable phone
  I am so thankful I didn't bring my iPhone. You don't need it and old phones have a longer battery. 
• Bring an old camera or a disposable
  Although disposables can be unreliable, they avoid a lot of heartbreak if your nice one is lost, stolen or broken. 
• Make sure your bag doesn't look desirable
  Thieves will definitely target new looking bags, so avoid expensive or shiny new handbags.
• Make shade for yourself
  This is pretty much essential in Beni as they tell you you are under canopies, but you aren't. Bring groundhsheets to fasten onto the frames provided, as they charge you 60 euros for the one on camp. 
• Travel light
  Another obvious one, but a rucksack is your best friend as suitcases get dusty on the dry mud and gravel. 
• Stay in the city/hostel 
  On your way to/from the festival, treat yourself to a night in a hostel, it will give you a chance to rest and relax. 
• Bring a pen and paper
  You will no doubt meet a huge volume of cool people on your trip, so rely on pen and paper to write down names and numbers!