Where on earth do I begin?
Rewind is the spiritual home of the Dance Happy Girls - it was our first ever festival together, it is our annual pilgrimage back to our youth, so this will be an entirely biased view of a festival that we love and that does just about everything right.
Rewind is unique, not for this festival the 'first time away from home-ers', the youngsters, the beautiful people in impossibly short shorts and quirky wellies. Rewind is the home of 40 and 50 somethings, pretending to be 17. It is awash with neon and lace, ra ra skirts and blue eyeshadow. You are far more likely to bump into...and dance with, a BeetleJuice, an Inspector gadget or a Top Gun hero than a hipster or a student. It is a celebration of the absurd, an affectionate nod to the decade that taste forgot, all human life is here and I love every downright daft moment.
Friday night is party night; campers and weekend ticket holders can rock up and dance to live bands, boogie at the roller disco, try out the plethora of food and start the weekend long drink binge. Sadly, this year, Friday night was the weakest aspect of Rewind. The absolutely awesome Junior Guevara who usually hold court in the big top tent were missing in action, the queues at the bar were enormous, and Paul Young's band Los Pacaminos were an uninspired choice for a welcoming act. Most of the festival goers were hoping that he could be goaded into singing some of his 80s hits, whilst the few that were at inaugural Rewind (of which I am one) were hoping on all that is holy that he wouldn't.
The silent disco however was, and is, a diamond event.
For the uninitiated
As much a spectator sport as a participation event, it is all that is kitsch and silly.
Best moment was when my channel played the conga.
I joined the hip swaying, leg kicking, line of neon clad revellers, grabbing shy individuals in my path and pulling them into line, so that they wouldn't miss out. At the end, I released the man in front who turned to me with a grin, pulled off his headphones and said "I was listening to Michael Jackson - What the hell did you have on?"
This wasn't a stella Friday night. I felt that we were being punished for over enthusiastic table dancing in previous years and there were very few places to sit. This is a real pain when you are trying to eat festival food in a box - it took ages to get a drink and the live music didn't have the pizazz that we have come to expect. But these are the niggles of someone who has been every year. There was still fun to be had and loo paper in plentiful supply.
Saturday morning dawned in the most spectacular way and this dance happy girl donned electric blue leg warmers and a Don't you want me T-shirt for a run along the river. I discovered 2 things 1) that 4 hours sleep and imbibing your own body weight in cider does NOT make for a sprightly run.
2) It is absolutely gorgeous along the towpath, heading away from rewind. And I really should visit one day - sober.
The real draw of rewind is the music, and this begins at 2pm on Saturday. People who say that they don't like 80s music are, in my opinion, batshit crazy, in the same way as people who don't like cheese. 80s music was a stir fry of style and genre and there is something for everyone; disco and punk, new romantic, pop, dance, ska, synth, soul and rock. Rewind 2015 just about had it all.
Did I enjoy every act - nope.
At risk of doing my 80s stir fry analogy to death, every dish has its water chestnuts and Black Box, Belinda Carlisle, Soul II Soul and T'pau were mine. But without these we would starve to death or have to pee where we stood.
Saturday highlights for this dance happy girl were..
Slim Jim Phantom
For sheer rockabilly joy and Stray Cat Strut.
Billy Ocean
The wise old man of rewind, so loved and revered by the crowd. Gave it warmth and energy and had the audience in the palm of his hand.
Go West
Began with a squeeze from Richard Dummie and ended with poptastic brilliance. I'd love a new cover now though boys, you do Sex on Fire so well, but I think you're holding out on us.
OMD
These guys are quality! You must KNOW you've got a great set to risk coming on to your best known number, but they did and they did!
I defy you not to dance, and as the dancing on the stage is akin to dad dancing on acid, you can feel assured that you are actually fantastic! You didn't need to know every song to dance like a loon for the entire set. I was at this point on a table making occasional lunges for Evel Knievel to ensure that I didn't dance right off the edge.
I've had Tesla girls as my ear worm for a week 'NO NO NO' and as sharing is caring...
OMD...OMG!!!
Sunday always has a more subdued feel at the beginning. Everyone feeling that afternoon after the night before feeling.
But we were eased into the day by Hue and Cry and their relentless search for Lynda.
This was something of a 'die happy' day for us both. Joy came early for me in the form of The Selecter. I love ska and the Black/ 'Gaps' combination is just joyful. I left the rarified air of the VIP enclosure to get up close and personal and party with the ruuuuuuuude boys
Dance Happy Hint
Number 17
When you meet your ska heroes why not make a hamster face and do jazz hands?
You're welcome (groan)
The Queen of Hearts isn't just a poker song - it's MY poker song. Hearing it live from the mouth of Dave bodes well for my poker game this winter.
He followed it with 'I hear you Knocking' and 'I knew the Bride when she used to rock n roll' with chutzpah in every chord. LOVED IT!!! The rather wonderful 'Girl Talk' was missing in action, so I include it here but Dave Edmunds I love you. That is all.
The day couldn't get any better....or could it. HELL YES!
There are several perks to a VIP ticket at rewind; shorter queues for a drink; flushing toilets, a table to dance on and often a few musicians floating around for a quick stealthie. Usually the dance happy girls are above such things and steadfastly ignore the gaggle worshipping at the feet of the famous and almost rans. But I was prepared to make an exception for one of the great loves of my adolescence, little Nik Kershaw.
It was just a massive 80s love in! Midge Ure making grown men cry with Vienna, Nik Kershaw timed to perfection singing 'I won't let the sun go down on me' as the sun began to sink behind the festival and Bananarama, well two of them, making grown men weep with what might have been.
Sunday was brought to a close by the almighty Human League.
I've definitely seen them perform bigger and give more - but that is true of almost all festival sets. It was an 80s-tastic way to end this extraordinary weekend. We'll always be together....
So, what is good about Rewind? You need to ask? The music, the music, the music. It's our music and with few notable exceptions - talking to you Paul Young and Ben Volpeliere-Pierrot it sounds as good as it ever did!
The setting at Temple Meadows is breathtaking and the walk along the towpath into Henley is an absolute delight, unless you attempt it at night without a torch and in ill fitting 80s shoes.
Rewind is the most extraordinary bubble - an hour up the A4 takes you back 30 years. And for one weekend only - everyone is your mate. It's more than a shared experience, it's a shared youth and you will hug and dance and sing and make forever friends. You will share an umbrella and loo paper, swap music induced memories and fall in love with the 80s all over again.
And at rewind we wrestle it back, we bring 30 years of experience to being 17 and it's bloody marvellous!
 |
| Daisy Duke is all grown up. |
Friday night is party night; campers and weekend ticket holders can rock up and dance to live bands, boogie at the roller disco, try out the plethora of food and start the weekend long drink binge. Sadly, this year, Friday night was the weakest aspect of Rewind. The absolutely awesome Junior Guevara who usually hold court in the big top tent were missing in action, the queues at the bar were enormous, and Paul Young's band Los Pacaminos were an uninspired choice for a welcoming act. Most of the festival goers were hoping that he could be goaded into singing some of his 80s hits, whilst the few that were at inaugural Rewind (of which I am one) were hoping on all that is holy that he wouldn't.
The silent disco however was, and is, a diamond event.
For the uninitiated
As much a spectator sport as a participation event, it is all that is kitsch and silly.
Best moment was when my channel played the conga.
I joined the hip swaying, leg kicking, line of neon clad revellers, grabbing shy individuals in my path and pulling them into line, so that they wouldn't miss out. At the end, I released the man in front who turned to me with a grin, pulled off his headphones and said "I was listening to Michael Jackson - What the hell did you have on?"
This wasn't a stella Friday night. I felt that we were being punished for over enthusiastic table dancing in previous years and there were very few places to sit. This is a real pain when you are trying to eat festival food in a box - it took ages to get a drink and the live music didn't have the pizazz that we have come to expect. But these are the niggles of someone who has been every year. There was still fun to be had and loo paper in plentiful supply.
Saturday morning dawned in the most spectacular way and this dance happy girl donned electric blue leg warmers and a Don't you want me T-shirt for a run along the river. I discovered 2 things 1) that 4 hours sleep and imbibing your own body weight in cider does NOT make for a sprightly run.2) It is absolutely gorgeous along the towpath, heading away from rewind. And I really should visit one day - sober.
The real draw of rewind is the music, and this begins at 2pm on Saturday. People who say that they don't like 80s music are, in my opinion, batshit crazy, in the same way as people who don't like cheese. 80s music was a stir fry of style and genre and there is something for everyone; disco and punk, new romantic, pop, dance, ska, synth, soul and rock. Rewind 2015 just about had it all.
Did I enjoy every act - nope.
At risk of doing my 80s stir fry analogy to death, every dish has its water chestnuts and Black Box, Belinda Carlisle, Soul II Soul and T'pau were mine. But without these we would starve to death or have to pee where we stood.
Saturday highlights for this dance happy girl were..
Slim Jim Phantom
For sheer rockabilly joy and Stray Cat Strut.
Billy Ocean
The wise old man of rewind, so loved and revered by the crowd. Gave it warmth and energy and had the audience in the palm of his hand.
Go West
Began with a squeeze from Richard Dummie and ended with poptastic brilliance. I'd love a new cover now though boys, you do Sex on Fire so well, but I think you're holding out on us.
OMD
These guys are quality! You must KNOW you've got a great set to risk coming on to your best known number, but they did and they did!
 |
| Honorary dance happy girls Evel Knieval, Paul & Mark |
I've had Tesla girls as my ear worm for a week 'NO NO NO' and as sharing is caring...
OMD...OMG!!!
 |
| The Dance Happy Girls are papped |
Sunday always has a more subdued feel at the beginning. Everyone feeling that afternoon after the night before feeling.But we were eased into the day by Hue and Cry and their relentless search for Lynda.
This was something of a 'die happy' day for us both. Joy came early for me in the form of The Selecter. I love ska and the Black/ 'Gaps' combination is just joyful. I left the rarified air of the VIP enclosure to get up close and personal and party with the ruuuuuuuude boys
Number 17
When you meet your ska heroes why not make a hamster face and do jazz hands?
You're welcome (groan)
BEF and their synth sound is what stirs Janie's heart and they were on next with a pretty epic line up featuring Robin Scott (M), Thomas Dolby, Eddi Reader (Fairground Attraction), Peter Hook (New Order), Shingai Shoniwa (The Noisettes) and of course Glenn Gregory from Heaven 17 If there is a song that sums up rewind, surely it is....
- Hearing it live from Robin Scott was all that is good about the world. That is all.
-
(M cover)
-
(Plastic Ono Band cover)
-
(Thomas Dolby cover)
-
(Gary Numan cover)
-
(Fairground Attraction cover)
-
(Audrey Hepburn cover)
-
(Joy Division cover)
-
(Iggy Pop cover)
-
(Noisettes cover)
-
(The Beach Boys cover)
-
(David Bowie cover)
-
(Heaven 17 cover)
-
(Lou Reed cover)
-
- The covers were a bit hit and miss, Thomas Dolby with 'cars' HIT Eddi Reader with Moon River MISS, but the biggest issue for me were the mood changes. The up of Pop Muzik to the dirge that is Give Peace a Chance. Temptation to Perfect Day.
- The whole thing didn't quite gel for me but so what! Some of the individual performances were 'die happy' moments and I fell in love with Thomas Dolby all over again with She Blinded me with Science. Janie had to be allowed to babble incoherently for some time after BEF as she came down from her synth high. She loved this set, every last minute.
- But with a quick loo break in the form of T'Pau, Sunday went from strength to strength.
- Dave Edmunds was a wonderful, quirky revelation.
The Queen of Hearts isn't just a poker song - it's MY poker song. Hearing it live from the mouth of Dave bodes well for my poker game this winter.He followed it with 'I hear you Knocking' and 'I knew the Bride when she used to rock n roll' with chutzpah in every chord. LOVED IT!!! The rather wonderful 'Girl Talk' was missing in action, so I include it here but Dave Edmunds I love you. That is all.
The day couldn't get any better....or could it. HELL YES!
There are several perks to a VIP ticket at rewind; shorter queues for a drink; flushing toilets, a table to dance on and often a few musicians floating around for a quick stealthie. Usually the dance happy girls are above such things and steadfastly ignore the gaggle worshipping at the feet of the famous and almost rans. But I was prepared to make an exception for one of the great loves of my adolescence, little Nik Kershaw.
So, on a day when my hair was bigger than Nik himself, I got to meet my man.
I was coherent when I told him how much I'd loved the union chapel gig and then I turned our handshake into an unexpected kiss. Oops!!!
I was coherent when I told him how much I'd loved the union chapel gig and then I turned our handshake into an unexpected kiss. Oops!!!
It was just a massive 80s love in! Midge Ure making grown men cry with Vienna, Nik Kershaw timed to perfection singing 'I won't let the sun go down on me' as the sun began to sink behind the festival and Bananarama, well two of them, making grown men weep with what might have been.
Sunday was brought to a close by the almighty Human League.
I've definitely seen them perform bigger and give more - but that is true of almost all festival sets. It was an 80s-tastic way to end this extraordinary weekend. We'll always be together....
So, what is good about Rewind? You need to ask? The music, the music, the music. It's our music and with few notable exceptions - talking to you Paul Young and Ben Volpeliere-Pierrot it sounds as good as it ever did!
The setting at Temple Meadows is breathtaking and the walk along the towpath into Henley is an absolute delight, unless you attempt it at night without a torch and in ill fitting 80s shoes.
Rewind is the most extraordinary bubble - an hour up the A4 takes you back 30 years. And for one weekend only - everyone is your mate. It's more than a shared experience, it's a shared youth and you will hug and dance and sing and make forever friends. You will share an umbrella and loo paper, swap music induced memories and fall in love with the 80s all over again.
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