HIDEOUT 2012 - raved so hard, we lost a toenail.

Hideout Festival may have been over a month ago, but summer let me forget to write an all important post dedicated to the most amazing week. 4 of us set off around Europe, leading to only one place - Zrce Beach, Isle of Pag, Croatia. Starting our voyage in Venice, Chelsea and I ambled around the small, cobbled streets of the romantic Italian city. Having visited twice now, I am yet to understand the hype that surrounds the place. The canals, bridges and buildings are beautiful, of course, but I couldn’t help but despise the huge amount of tourists, and how every shop and restaurant has given in to them. What else can you expect, I suppose. Heading up to the gorgeous coastal town of Trieste in Northern Italy, we spent a night in a youth hostel, preparing ourselves for the 5 sleepless nights on the campsite. After a coach and catamaran ride, we were on the Isle of Pag.

   

The atmosphere of the whole week was indescribable. The previous doubts we had about people ripping our tent, kidnapping us or stealing our things, were soon forgotten. Instead, everyone was buzzing and bloody crazy. The set up of the venues on the beach was amazing, with stages, balconies, pools, podiums - we were living the dream. Even spending £25 on the Shy FX boat party was so worth it. No matter how tired, ill and hungover we were it was insane. Jack Beats & Chibuku supported the main man and we partied hard in the middle of the Adriatic. Pool parties during the day, picking up again by 10pm that night - the whole week was full on bass, couldn’t get enough. Personal favourite: SBTRKT. I went to a gig of his in Nottingham way back in February, but it was nothing on his performance at Hideout. Mixing in his own records with complementing drum & bass/dubstep, it was the best hour and a half of the festival. With his usual crazy tribal mask covering his face, the venue ‘Kalypso’ was the perfect backdrop. Think palm trees, thatched bars, wooden ascending podiums and stone paving… SBTRKT and his Crash Bandicoot mask looked like something out of a jungle.

    

Other highlights: Andy C - that man can mix, and knows exactly what the crowd wants. Chase & Status - as good as always. Redlight pool party (+ MC Asbo) - the MC was hilarious, and Redlight took it to a whole other level. Doorly, Sub Focus, Annie Mac… and the rest of the weekend is a blur.

I would encourage absolutely anyone who’s into drum & bass/dubstep/house to pay the mere £100 ticket price and hike your way on over to the island - it was oh so worth it. Just one thing though… Do not camp.It was horrific. 4 people squashed in a tent in 36-40 degrees just isn’t fun. Instead, we could come back to the campsite at 6/7am and resort to sleeping under the only shaded part of the campsite, along with 50 other sleep-deprived campers. I awoke one morning to the welcoming sight of a thick, long trail of huge ants, and a boy taking a photo of us claiming we “look like we’re in a refugee camp" - cheers Hideout. But if you can endure the heat and the locals who pitched up their own dodgy bar on the site, function on 2 hours sleep a night, and still appreciate the gorge beach on your ‘tentstep’ then camping won’t be a problem.. Just watch out for the scorpion.

Until next time, Hideout Festival 2012 was sick.