Beach Break Live 2010

By Tom Jones: Staffordshire University students joined thousands of sun kissed revellers to marvel at a host of premier acts; as annual student festival Beach Break Live hit South Wales.

Vampire Weekend, Calvin Harris, and Chase & Status headlined the three nights of music to an emphatic crowd, with appearances from Example, Beardyman, and Ellie Goulding also pleasing the paying mass.

Day one saw memorable main stage performances by Dan Le Sac vs Scroobius Pip, The Futureheads and Staffordshire University’s Summer Ball headliner – Plan B.

The sonic proceedings climaxed with New York indie giants Vampire Weekend. The anthemic quartet ploughed through a rousing set which included hits A-Punk and Cousins, before the crowd urged an encore which boasted debut album opener Mansard Roof.

Louise from Stafford said: “Vampire Weekend, I had no idea they were that good. I wasn’t too sure about them before but that performance has turned me.”

Chris from London said: “The whole day’s been pretty mental. Futureheads really got the crowd going, Plan B was good to see, but Vampire Weekend were amazing.”

The Pembrey County Park site which offered surfing, tobogganing, and snowboarding activities to name a few, was the perfect setting in a week.

May revellers rolled up their jeans for make-shift shorts, as the audience battled with the intense heat. One red skinned attendee shouted “I thought I was coming to Wales, not Spain!”

Beach Break Live 2009

Day two was a case of much of the same, excessive sun and crowd pleasing tunes. Beardyman provided an inspired demonstration of his beat-boxing talent, before night fell on headliner Calvin Harris, sending the crowd in deliria.

The electropop Scot infected the crowd with his body moving beats, in a set which delivered Ready For The Weekend and I’m Not Alone for the smiling crowd.
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Lyn from Swansea said: “Oh my god Calvin Harris is amazing. My legs are black from the dust off the ground, which just shows how good he was.”

Beach Break Live, which marked only its fourth appearance this year ensured the crowd got their money’s worth, with open mic stages, a novelty assault course, and beach side tunes providing an eclectic mix of festival fun.

The final day of music was one not to be missed, as the student horde threw on their costumes and UV paint for the final day’s fancy dress.

New Young Pony Club were one of the first acts to grace the main stage, and those in the crowd received a colourful surprise, when crayon dressed mavericks entered the audience and hurled dry paint into the air.

The band’s leading dance-punk singer Tahita Bulmer said to the crowd: “that looked like something out of a music video.”

Beach Break Live skateboarders

Chase & Status capped off the week’s music on the main stage with a dazzling set which included top ten single End Credits, before Radio 1’s music maestro Annie Mac entertained the hardcore on the Goblin Forest stage.

As the festival drew to a close, I grabbed a slurry word with a few of the festival’s crowd, and caught their view of the student only event.

Laura from Wrexham said: “It’s such a beautiful setting. Also it’s pretty unique for you to be able to just chill out on the beach in the day and then listen to music on the night, it’s really wonderful.”

So, with my skin now a golden brown (don’t worry, I had to suffer for it) and my ears well and truly buzzing, I can relax after a week of summer opening splendour.

Beach Break 2011? I’ve got my ticket.

StaffsLive will be featuring interviews from Beach Break Live 2010 with Ellie Goudling and Dan Le Sac vs Scroobius Pip soon.