Confidence Man, Acid Klaus, Fatboy Slim, The Chemical Brothers

Wilderness Competition, Cornbury Park, Oxfordshire, UK, August 3-6, 2023,

Aug 15, 2023
By Ian Weston
Images by Shaun Gordon
Net Unique

Earlier this month, Underneath The Radar visited Wilderness Competition on the Cornbury Property close to Charlbury, Oxfordshire. Described as “Britain’s Poshest Competition”, it’s like a super-sized English village fete crossed with a weekend “larging it” in Ibiza.

A mix of welly wanging, fancy costume cricket, prime bands, and banging beats interspersed with high quality eating.

Wilderness isn’t only a music competition, however extra of a celebration the place everybody can have experiences to recollect.

Though completely satisfied to strive the lake for some wild swimming we eschewed the recent tubs, yoga, banqueting, and themed fancy costume to see some prime bands.

Our stroll into the location, on Thursday, coincided with some correct foot stomping shanties coming from The Atrium stage and the Outdated Time Sailors. A cross between The Levellers and The Fishermen’s Pals, they sang and danced from “Seven Drunken Nights” to a attention-grabbing “Yellow Submarine”. A stroll to the woods introduced us to The Jumpyard and Thrill Collins, a three-piece band of guitar, double bass and Cajon field drum delighting a dancing crowd with seamless mashups of Craig David, Shanks and Bigfoot, and So Stable Crew’s R&B classics adopted by a really topical “Barbie Woman”.

Let’s go occasion? OK!! So it was off to see Andy Cato, of Groove Armada fame, and his son Spooky Money-Money, 15 years previous and already dropping some strong beats. “You’ve Received The Love” proper there on stage.

A visit to The Smudge stage for Beans on Toast with rousing people anthems like “Battle On Medicine” and dangerous tales about stickers, then Milton Jones’ stand-up comedy in a packed Discussion board completed our first time without work properly.

Friday began with a stunning swim within the lake previous the competition goers stress-free within the scorching tubs and a flotilla of paddleboards the place aware yoga was happening. The music doesn’t begin too early giving everybody an opportunity to participate within the many actions on provide.

Jo Whiley is first up on the primary stage, showing behind the highest of a large video display to play nineties anthems to an appreciative crowd. We determined to discover extra of the location and have been drawn into The Clubhouse the place Lori Campbell was singing her wistful people tinged songs to an viewers containing her god-daughter who was eager to affix her on stage.

On the other aspect of the Enjoying Fields from The Clubhouse we discovered The Home Of Chic the place the Queerdos Cabaret was in full swing.

Rhys’Items and a bunch of gorgeous queens lip syncing and dressed like Jessica Rabbit, becoming in properly with Friday’s costume up theme. Bunny ears have been all over the place.

Confidence Man have been born for this competition, Janet and Sugar strutting the stage athletically, delivering their fabulous disco anthems and joined by an viewers dressed as penguins, flamingos, and swans. They cavorted in a cloud of smoke- stuffed bubbles kicking off with “Toy Boy” by way of bangers like “C.O.O.L. Social gathering” ending with the huge crowd getting down (actually) to “Boyfriend” and a euphoric “Vacation”. It was stunning to study that some had by no means heard of them however not everybody was there for the music.

Fortunately numerous them have been there for The Chemical Brothers. They introduced the total present to Wilderness. Confetti cannons, large balloons, laser eyed robots, and the huge immersive sound we’ve come to like. As all the time, the visuals dominate the stage dwarfing Ed Simons who bounced out from behind the keyboards to whip up an already excited crowd. “Swoon”, “Hey Boy Hey Woman”, “The Golden Path”, “Block Rockin’ Beats”, and “Provoke” present the depth and number of Tom Rowlands and Ed Simons’ tunes.

After a fast pitstop for scrumptious poutine (who would have thought fries, cheese curds and gravy may style so good) we discovered Los Bitchos taking part in their Cumbia tinged guitar instrumentals. Chris Tofu’s Jumpyard stage was the place to be for late night time revelry and conveniently en path to The Valley the place DJs Honey Dijon and TSHA stored everybody dancing till daybreak.

Heavy rain dampened spirits on Saturday morning, however a large cheer went up from the campsite because the solar poked its head by way of the clouds.

Bookending GoGo Penguin’s nu-jazz, Franc Moody’s digital impressed funk, Batala Portsmouth’s Brazilian samba drumming, and Arlo Parks’ lovely coronary heart wrenching soul ballads have been two highlights of the weekend for us.

The Zombies have been fashioned in 1961 whereas founder members Rod Argent and Colin Blunstone have been nonetheless in school. Now, sixty two years later, they nonetheless retain their enthusiasm for his or her super again catalogue of songs and infuse them with vitality.

Typically cited as a favorite album by stars like Paul Weller we have been handled to a few tracks from Odessey and Oracle as a medley, “Care of Cell 44”, “This Will Be Our Yr” and “Time Of The Season” combined in with new tracks “You May Be My Love” and “Merry-Go-Spherical” from the most recent album Totally different Recreation.

An exquisite bonus was the addition of Argent’s “Maintain Your Head Up” – an absolute anthem from 1972 – and ending off with “She’s Not There”. Their set was one among complete pleasure and given a rapturous spherical of applause by an appreciative viewers.

Then the rain returned.

On the different finish of the day, we danced within the mud in our soggy boots to Acid Klaus, Adrian Flanagan’s newest and best band. With Cat Rin and Philly Piper sharing vocals and Dimitri Why Don’t You on drums the banging beats didn’t let up for a minute. Kicking off with “Social gathering Sized Away Day”, “Crashing Automobiles In Ibiza” and “You’re A Freak” this was the place to be. “Blow Your Audio system” and “Nightclub Marilyn” adopted and have been the explanation Underneath The Radar missed Christine and the Queens and the great drone present lighting up the sky with a stag, peacock and phoenix. To be honest it was price it!

Sunday was dry and sunny all day. The location held up nicely and paths have been quickly away from mud which meant that it was high quality for “The Grand Irrational” steeplechase to go forward full with the normal streakers.

Flyte on the Wilderness stage appeared to us to have listened to loads of CSN and that’s no unhealthy factor. Ballin’ Jacks supplied a uncooked soul sound at The Jumpyard whereas Uche Yara had shades of Lianne La Havas in her mellow tunes.

The construct up of crowds in the primary area signalled the triumphant entrance of the Sugababes and didn’t we simply find it irresistible !! Everybody singing alongside to “Freak Like Me”, “Gap In The Head”, and “Push The Button”. Mutya, Keisha, and Siobhan began this journey after they have been eleven and it’s obtained many extra years to go.

It was Fatboy Slim’s pleasure to crown off the weekend together with his acquainted model. A tribute to deceased stars as his video again drop was accompanied by “Reward You”, “Heard It By means of The Grapevine” and “Low Rider” after all given his particular therapy and combined to perfection.

It was time to go house. If you’d like a competition that’s a lot greater than music then Wilderness is the one for you.