It was clear on arrival that the festival was very well organised and there were a lot of ‘Visi-Vested’ staff who were keen to help and really friendly. There was a large parking area, which was quickly full, so they opened some over flow parking just opposite the site. We didn’t actually camp until Saturday so ended up in the family camping area which was close to the music area and the toilets were within reach. As toilets go, they weren’t actually that bad and were cleaned out regularly (quite important for us girls who can’t just go behind a bush!) As it was based on a farm, the organisers were very ‘eco friendly’ and insisted on recycling as far as possible, and as we entered the site we were each given a bag, so everywhere was kept clean and tidy.

It was a very family friendly festival and they divided the garden into two sections, ‘The Cabbage Patch’ and ‘The School of Rock’. The younger children could entertain themselves with face painting, Diablo throwing and loads more activities, while the older children had the opportunity for music training and a chance to compete in ‘Battle of the Bands’.

As always, food and drink is a big priority for festival-goers and there was certainly a wide variety on offer to suit all, from ‘Al’s Hog Roast’ which used over 15 whole hogs throughout the weekend, that’s quite a lot of pig! to the ‘Haji Bahji’ serving authentic Indian dishes. There were a few bars scattered around selling beer, pimms, cider and also offering cash back which was really useful for those who quickly ran out of cash!

The site was well arranged with different areas to cater for all. There were a few different marquees; Hoe Down, Sheep Dig and Farm Folk, an open-mic stage- Folley Stage and the Cow Shed. The Hoe Down tent was most definitely aimed at those wanting to have a good old dance! Friday night’s line up consisted of Toddla T ft. MC Serosee; Cadence Weapon & the hugely popular Brighton based DJ Format.

Toddla T, born and bred in Sheffield brought crackling electric bass lines to the Hoe Down tent on Friday evening with the heavy vocals of MC Serosee. Their set started with mainly commercial hip hop over Northern bassline beats. The crowd wanted more and Toddla T and MC Serosee dually delivered, breaking into a mix of drum and bass and old school jungle which had the packed tent on their feet.
Cadence Weapon AKA Rollie Pemberton then took over the mic, offering the crowd something a little bit different. It was obvious from the start that he isn’t one to conform to the mainstream music we’re all so used to hearing. He reminded us a bit of a Canadian Dizzee Rascal with his blunt rhymes teamed with synth-heavy beats. This twenty two year old rapper/producer/DJ is definitely going to be big this year.
Last but definitely not least for the Hoe Down tent Friday night was DJ Format. He absolutely lived up to expectations for us pumping out funk fuelled hip hop packed with infectious beats, we only wished he played for longer!

Friday evening also threw in a nice surprise for the music fans sitting around the Folley Stage. On our arrival at the festival we decided to venture straight over to see what was on. Surrounding Dev from Lightspeed Champion was a group of fans who he was more than happy to chat with, he started taking requests from the eager audience of cover songs for him to sing. The audience were more than happy to help and shouted out a variety of songs. He played a medley consisting of the legendry Oasis - Wonderwall, Bloc Party – Helicopter & the Vines – Get Free which impressed the ever-growing audience. Dev then went onto do his main performance in the Cow Shed which entertained the crowd even more. Lightspeed Champion are working hard to promote themselves this year and it is paying off, they are undoubtedly one to watch out for.

Lounge On The Farm Media (Gallery | LOTF Tambourine Man Video)

I didn’t want to say it as I enjoyed this festival thoroughly; however Zoo thousand and eight seemed to be problematic from the start. The whole organisation caused massive problems regarding getting into the arena and setting up and the arena staff appeared to have no idea when it came to directing the crowd. This became an issue for our group as well as many others which delayed the festivities!

As some of you readers will know, there were rumours of cancellations from Dizzie Rascal, Wiley, Pendulum, & Roni Size and as we found out, some were more than just rumours. Dizzie Rascal and Wiley apparently cancelled over money disagreements however, Leathal Bizzle stepped up to the plate and smashed the main stage. Along with Dizzie, Roni Size also cancelled, but this was quickly forgotten when Haduken took their place. After seeing them on the main stage getting the hostile crowd back on their feet, I can see why they are highly rated in UK music scene right now.

On arrival on the stage it was obvious to see that Haduken were disappointed, when the lead singer shouted ‘You should just pay your fucking bands.’ This was an obvious dig at the event organisers clearly related to the Dizzie Rascal incident.  Despite the comment, Haduken went on to calm the crowd and their Donkey Kong like banana throwing shenanigans  that had started on the main stage and to me, it appears they were one of the best performers of the weekend. They had major beats and uplifting basslines. Their set was topped with a classic cover of “Breathe” by The Prodigy which made the crowd forget about the days trouble, and for me was definitely up there with one of the best songs of the event.

At one point on Saturday afternoon, I was pretty sure not one staff member had a clue that was on what stage and what time they were on. This was partly due to the closure of the Tap’n’Tin  tent, which was deemed un-fit by Health and Safety.   I spoke to a few of the promoters for the bands who informed me that some of the staff had just abandoned the arenas and stopped working due to the hostility from the gig goers. We were based in the VIP camping area, in which we were promised better toilets and SHOWERS! Not so much. The showers were shut all weekend and there were four toilets which after Friday night were mostly blocked and were not repaired.

Although the above doesn’t bear well for the virgin Zoo Thousand event organisers, all in all it was a great weekend. The bands that did make it to the event, most definitely made up for the ‘drama queen no shows’ who I expect have lost a few fans this weekend, especially Wiley who may not be wearing Rolex’s for much longer!

Transportation – 6/10
Event Organisation  - 5/10
Camping – 6/10
Music  - 8/10

Music Reviews

Gallows – Frank Carter started the Gallows performance rushing onto the stage abusing Mark Ronson for his time spent sound checking. The whole show was packed full of energy, the track ‘Abandon Ship’ had the crowd on fire,  however Carter was quick to put them out with a fire extinguisher covering them from the stage.  They weren’t dampened for long as the fire started up again when they finished the set with ‘Orchestra of wolves’ which had the smouldering crowd burning faster than a Molotov cocktail.

Ash – Ash are a house hold name all over the country and have been around the block more than once. There were rumours that Ash were not showing but when Tim Wheeler was spotted on the side of the stage the chants “We Want Ash” echoed around the arena. The Northern Ireland formed band didn’t disappoint and rocked the crowd with some great classics like ‘Girl from mars’, ‘oh yeah’, ‘kung fu’ and more impressively for me the classic ‘Shining Light’ which had the crowd jumping higher than I had seen over the whole weekend.

To finish their set they tried a new track, in my opinion a bit of track reorganisation would have topped off their performance as it was always going to be hard to follow such a well known track like the infamous ‘Shining Light.’ Overall the set was impressive and kept the crowd on their feet.

All in all the festival could have been organised better but its their first time and that has to be taken into consideration. For a full review check the site later this month for our first magazine (online) which will feature an in depth interview with Fundamental Skillz who performed amazingly in the VIP tent on Saturday night at zoo8. The Magazine will also feature a bigger and more in-depth review of zoo8 with pictures, videos and reviews with the artists.

I don’t think judgement can be fully made on the organisers without seeing zoo9 which i hope will go ahead despite the issues, check back for news on the magazine and the new site launch.