Rewind North Festival, Capesthorne Hall, Cheshire, UK - 5th - 7th August 2016
07/08/2016
Rewind North Festival coverage for Gig Junkies. Festival review and photography by Ken Harrison
There’s an old saying “it's Grim up North”, well it ain’t necessarily so. Last weekend the Rewind Tour bus landed at Capesthorne Hall in Cheshire for the second of three festivals under the “Rewind” banner. This is the third Rewind North at Capesthorne Hall, and over the sunny, summer weekend of 6-7th August, 80’s music fans were treated to a myriad of acts to celebrate all things 80’s.
Saturday is a glorious day, and the crowd are dressed up and ready to party. Many festival weekenders have arrived on the Friday night and for them the party is in full swing. There are so many colourful costumes and fancy dress outfits on show, you name an 80's TV show, movie or pop star and it's probably here. It's great fun picking them out of the crowd. How some are coping in big headdresses, and masks in the blistering heat, I have no idea.
The regular Master of Ceremonies, the inimitable “Good Doctor” from Dr & The Medics is in fine form, having a great time entertaining the crowds between acts, and DJ Rusty Egan is keeping the party moving with great DJ sets, including a Bowie and Prince dedicated set on Saturday evening, which the crowd love.
Rusty Egan
Over at the press tent, an endless stream of artists visit through the day (and on Sunday) for the usual round of interviews and photocalls, followed by meet and greets with fans from the adjacent VIP area, eagerly awaiting for selfie pictures and autographs with their faves.
Each act does a short set on stage (some only for two or three songs) focusing on the hits to keep the momentum going, and occasionally, the odd new song. These shows are certainly well designed to carry the crowd along, and the days zip along very quickly. Saturday disappeared in a flash, just like my patience with solving the Rubik's Cube.
Here are Saturday’s acts starting with From the Jam, with Bruce Foxton and co. belting out some classic Jam hits;
From The Jam
Lloyd Cole And The Leopards
Slim Jim Phantom (from The Stray Cats)
UB40
Dr & The Medics
Hazell Dean
Snap
Midge Ure
Annabella’s Bow Wow Wow
Go West
Marc Almond playing his final rewind festivals this year, giving an energetic performance of Soft Cell and his solo work;
Adam Ant, the return of the dandy highwayman playing a wild set of classic hits from Kings of The Wild Frontier and some earlier hits too;
Sunday gives us a cloudier start, and brief respite from the heat (and a little time for the revellers who may have overdone it on the night before), but Dr (of Dr & The Medics) soon whips the crowd into shape. Over the day the Doctor announces a wedding proposal for one of the security staff (who accepts) and lots of audience engagement, with people who are ill, but have managed to get to the festival for a fillip. The audience clearly love the Doctor, and sing “Spirit In The Sky” to him, which gets him all emotional.
Sunday’s acts kick off with The Christians
Paul Carrack playing Ace, Squeeze, Mike & The Mechanics and solo hits
Earth Wind and Fire Experience taking the crowd to “Boogie Wonderland”
British Electric Foundation, headed up by Heaven 17’s Martyn Ware (plus the Rewind All Star Band) and a selection of guest artists deliver a set of great tracks.
Thomas Dolby
Mari Wilson
The Lotus Eaters
Peter Hook
Shingai Shoniwa (Noisettes)
Glenn Gregory
The set culminating in an emotional tribute by all of the guest artists returning to stage to sing “Wonderful Life” in tribute to Black’s Colin Vearncombe, who died earlier this year following a car accident.
Next up its Rainbow’s Joe Lynn Turner
Hazel O’Connor
Jason Donovan
Nik Kershaw
Rick Astley
The final act being Tom Bailey (Thompson Twins) playing classic pop hits and some of his new material.
You might wonder how long these 80’s festivals can keep running, given that many of the artists involved are now nearing (or even in) their sixties. Judging by the strength of the line up (which is probably the best yet) the amazing performances seen over the weekend, and the ever increasing size of the crowd who come to Rewind North, there’s no sign of it stopping, or even slowing down anytime soon.
The decade that is the 80’s is simply refusing to go away. Long may it continue, and as the Good Doctor would say, “Hell Yeah!”
Links:
Rewind Festival
Saturday
Saturday is a glorious day, and the crowd are dressed up and ready to party. Many festival weekenders have arrived on the Friday night and for them the party is in full swing. There are so many colourful costumes and fancy dress outfits on show, you name an 80's TV show, movie or pop star and it's probably here. It's great fun picking them out of the crowd. How some are coping in big headdresses, and masks in the blistering heat, I have no idea.
The regular Master of Ceremonies, the inimitable “Good Doctor” from Dr & The Medics is in fine form, having a great time entertaining the crowds between acts, and DJ Rusty Egan is keeping the party moving with great DJ sets, including a Bowie and Prince dedicated set on Saturday evening, which the crowd love.
Rusty Egan
Over at the press tent, an endless stream of artists visit through the day (and on Sunday) for the usual round of interviews and photocalls, followed by meet and greets with fans from the adjacent VIP area, eagerly awaiting for selfie pictures and autographs with their faves.
Each act does a short set on stage (some only for two or three songs) focusing on the hits to keep the momentum going, and occasionally, the odd new song. These shows are certainly well designed to carry the crowd along, and the days zip along very quickly. Saturday disappeared in a flash, just like my patience with solving the Rubik's Cube.
Here are Saturday’s acts starting with From the Jam, with Bruce Foxton and co. belting out some classic Jam hits;
From The Jam
Lloyd Cole And The Leopards
Slim Jim Phantom (from The Stray Cats)
UB40
Dr & The Medics
Hazell Dean
Snap
Midge Ure
Annabella’s Bow Wow Wow
Go West
Marc Almond playing his final rewind festivals this year, giving an energetic performance of Soft Cell and his solo work;
Adam Ant, the return of the dandy highwayman playing a wild set of classic hits from Kings of The Wild Frontier and some earlier hits too;
Sunday
Sunday gives us a cloudier start, and brief respite from the heat (and a little time for the revellers who may have overdone it on the night before), but Dr (of Dr & The Medics) soon whips the crowd into shape. Over the day the Doctor announces a wedding proposal for one of the security staff (who accepts) and lots of audience engagement, with people who are ill, but have managed to get to the festival for a fillip. The audience clearly love the Doctor, and sing “Spirit In The Sky” to him, which gets him all emotional.
Sunday’s acts kick off with The Christians
Paul Carrack playing Ace, Squeeze, Mike & The Mechanics and solo hits
Earth Wind and Fire Experience taking the crowd to “Boogie Wonderland”
British Electric Foundation, headed up by Heaven 17’s Martyn Ware (plus the Rewind All Star Band) and a selection of guest artists deliver a set of great tracks.
Thomas Dolby
Mari Wilson
The Lotus Eaters
Peter Hook
Shingai Shoniwa (Noisettes)
Glenn Gregory
The set culminating in an emotional tribute by all of the guest artists returning to stage to sing “Wonderful Life” in tribute to Black’s Colin Vearncombe, who died earlier this year following a car accident.
Next up its Rainbow’s Joe Lynn Turner
Hazel O’Connor
Jason Donovan
Nik Kershaw
Rick Astley
The final act being Tom Bailey (Thompson Twins) playing classic pop hits and some of his new material.
You might wonder how long these 80’s festivals can keep running, given that many of the artists involved are now nearing (or even in) their sixties. Judging by the strength of the line up (which is probably the best yet) the amazing performances seen over the weekend, and the ever increasing size of the crowd who come to Rewind North, there’s no sign of it stopping, or even slowing down anytime soon.
The decade that is the 80’s is simply refusing to go away. Long may it continue, and as the Good Doctor would say, “Hell Yeah!”
Links:
Rewind Festival
