Gig Review - 80's Rewind Festival 2009

Last weekend I attended my very first festival. I could not bring myself to actually camp out, so I am now broke! Sadly I missed Toyah who opened the festival on the Saturday afternoon. I was gutted! After a boozy afternoon accompanied by the songs of Dr and the Medics, Kid Creole and the Coconuts, and Billy Ocean, it was time for the headliners.

Bananarama kicked off the evenings festivities with Cruel Summer, which, like the whole of their set went down well with the 20,000+ crowd that had turned out in the glorious British countryside, on perhaps one of the best weekends we've had this year. The girls belted out Venus, Love In The First Degree and Really Saying Something to rapturous applause. What they lacked in vocal prowess, they made up for with spirit and good humour. Sadly they didn't have time to do their new single Love Comes (out next week fans!!!)



Belinda Carlisle was on next, and she was not happy with the sound and had a few diva moments before launching into one of the strongest sets of the day. Leave A Light On, Live Your Life Be Free (one of my favourites!), Circle In The Sand, and of course Heaven Is A Place On Earth. It was great to hear these fantastic songs played live, I've seen her with the Go Go's, but not on her own before, so this was a big treat for me, and Belinda didn't disappoint.



Rick Astley hit the stage shortly after and performed his SAW hits Together Forever, Whenever You Need Somebody, When I Fall In Love, Never Gonna Give You Up and a great version of Cry For Help which was easily the highlight. He seems to have developed quite a sense of humour about his status as an 80's icon too.

The lovely Kim Wilde was the star attraction for the Saturday, topping the bill, and what a stunning job she did! She rocked out, covering her hits You Came, Kids in America, You Keep Me Hanging On, If I Can't Have You and a cover of Depeche Mode's Enjoy the Silence, as well as her own hit Four Letter Word which she sang beautifully!



Day two is a bit hazey, but I do remember thinking Heaven 17 were pretty fab, Go West and T'Pau were also on. By the evening I'd pulled round a bit. ABC were the first of the big acts on the stage. They were pretty good, but I'll admit I wanted them to hurry up and clear the stage to make way for Sister Sledge.

Yes, Sister Sledge! Now some of my readers my know that there are a couple of versions of Sister Sledge floating around, but this lineup includes Kathy Sledge! Yes, Kathy! Kathy was the lead vocalist on all of their hits, and she was in fine voice as she knocked out He's The Greatest Dancer, Chic's Everybody Dance, Lost In Music, and We Are Family! I have no idea who the other girls up there were but half of them weren't even born when the Sledge's were doing their thing! Fakes! the lot of them. But who cares, they were great. Kathy's outfit was rather daring too.



Gloria Gaynor headlined the final night of the festival, and oh my, what a finale! From the anthemic I Am What I Am to her original take on The Police's Every Breath You Take, and of course the classic, I Will Survive!



The whole event was extremely well done, even the toilets weren't that bad! I had a fab time and I cannot wait for next year! They even had fireworks!