Live Report: Boardmasters Festival 2017

Thrills by the shore...

Boardmasters, the festival that hosts over double the population of its hometown took place at Watergate Bay a couple of weekends ago (August 9-13th). Cornwall’s very own surf and music festival continues to grow year by year, in attendance, popularity and the artists that are seen playing over the five-day event. The weekend saw headliners Two Door Cinema Club, Jamiroquai and alt-J joined by an abundance of other household names.

Friday saw the likes of Slaves, Giggs and Frank Turner perform show-stopping sets, amping festival-goers for the days to come. A few moments walk away from the main stage, found one of, if not, the most picturesque stage you will ever come across… seriously. The Point presented by Relentless, located near the edge of the cliffs, gave stunning views of the English Channel – a sunset not to be missed. On Friday evening, Sonny Fodera offered a warm and soulful set as the sun slowly disappeared from the sky – despite the drizzle, the oh-so-predictable English weather didn’t dampen the mood one bit. Patrick Topping teased crowds with an extended version of Paul Johnson’s ‘Get Down’ and kept spirits high closing the arena on its first night.

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The following day had perked up – the sun was out and so was the glitter; Loyle Carner’s set later in the afternoon set the tone for the rest of the day. Hailing it as one of the best shows he’s ever performed, his set with long-time friend, Rebel Kleff had the crowd bopping with his every step; he even spotted a familiar face from his ADHD Cooking School and got him on stage whilst performing the ever-popular ‘No CDs’ from his latest album, ‘Yesterday’s Gone’.

Headliner, Jamiroquai played to fans, old and new. Whether your parents were a fan of Jamiroquai and you were subject to their infamous funk and acid jazz style playing in the back of a Renault growing up, or you’re evidently older than I am, their set was full of smiles, joy and nostalgia. Jay Kay’s energy matched with his consistently outrageous choice in hats had festival-goers moving as flamboyant as he was on stage.

Each night, The Point was the place to be for the sunfall slot – T. William’s mix of tribal beats and house bangers had feet tapping and hands clapping, overlooking the beautiful Cornish coast. Pete Tong closed the stage on Saturday night with an energy-filled set featuring new favourite, the Catz ‘n’ Dogz rework of Malina Shaw’s ‘Woman Of The Ghetto’.

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The Main Stage on Sunday saw indie rockers alt-J thrill crowds with their visually stunning headline set, whilst Ziggy Marley brought a taste of Jamaica to Cornwall. His reggae set saw him pay tribute to his father by performing well-loved reggae hits such as ‘Could You Be Loved’ – the funky rhythm, matched with the harmonised vocals was a suitable wrap-up of the countless, amazing performances throughout the weekend.

Another UK artist that impressed on the Sunday, was Stormzy. Fast becoming one of the biggest names in British music, the South London native performed a set that was filled with energy from start to finish, performing hits such as ‘Shut Up’ and ‘Big For Your Boots’, from his debut album ‘Gang Signs & Prayer’.

A perfect end to an amazing event, packed full of weekend-defining musical performances, exhilarating surfing and much more, Boardmasters 2017 was one to remember.

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Words: Oscar Berkhout

Relentless Energy partners with the best UK events and festivals bringing house, techno and grime to stages and activations across the country as well as hosting at their London studio.

www.boardmasters.co.uk
www.relentlessenergy.com

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