Elbow deliver one of the most memorable sets in Bestival history. Picture by Robin Crossley.
PICTURE GALLERY
ELBOW provided the spectacular musical finale to this year’s Bestival main stage while Rob da Bank ensured things really ended with a bang in the Fire Field.
Winners of the 2008 Mercury music prize, the Manchester band delivered one of the most memorable sets in Bestival history.
Backed by a string quartet clad as Princess Leias, the band hit all the right notes with performances of tracks including Grounds For Divorce, Leaders Of The Free World and Starlings.
Shortly after their encore, backed by a crowd of thousands for One Day Like This, attention shifted to Bestival’s latest feature — the Fire Field.
Featuring the Mad Max-style Afterburner stage, it turned the former site of the main stage into a Thunderdome of flames, smoke and fireworks.
The show culminated with Rob apparently being exploded into space, before a towering blaze was lit to a Hendrix soundtrack and accompanied by a suitably stellar firework display. Thankfully he was back behind the decks later for his traditional end of Bestival set.
The Cuban Brothers ensured anyone flagging on the final day was given a shot of Latin fever to keep them going.
Fleet Foxes lived up to the expectations their self-titled Appellation-tinged, harmony-filled debut album has created – paying tribute to local stars The Bees along the way.
As the sun started to go down, Doves enjoyed a rousing reception from the crowd thanks to tracks including Black And White Towns and Kingdom Of Rust.
Earlier in the day Shanklin Freakshow kicked off the main stage line-up, providing and intriguing contrast to the English National Ballet, who shared the bill.
Reporter: ross.findon@iwcp.co.uk
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Bestival 2009.
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