Bulldog Bash 2010: Rated!

OFF THE WIRE
United Kingdom | by John Bownas | 16 August 2010
John Bownas found Bulldog Bash 2010 to be one of the most interesting, safest and most welcoming music festivals on the UK calendar, it's a shame about the weather.
Overall - 7.5/10

You want to give it more, you really do. But the weather. Oh, the weather.

Bulldog Bash is primarily a biker gathering. It’s a call to arms for those leather-clad riders of Harleys and Hondas who wear their sewn-on patches with pride.

In fact there are those who say – quite loudly most of the time – that the Bulldog Bash is one of the best events of its kind in the world. And when the sun shines and the chrome gleams and the engines roar and the girl's t-shirts are only wet for show, then the bash is a fundamentally fantastic weekend.

But when the skies open and the mud dulls the custom paint-jobs and the race-track is silent but for the insistent hiss of rain on tarmac then it’s a different story. And this year it rained with a vengeance for much of Friday and nearly all of Saturday.

Okay, the site has certainly been improved from previous years, and the drainage meant that much of the ground between the tents and stalls hadn’t became impassable. But it was still a terrible shame not to be able to see and hear the incredible drag strip show that the Bash is so famous for.

You have to feel for Big Chris, Bilbo and the other organisers who put so much effort into making Bulldog Bash not only one of the most interesting but also the safest and most welcoming music festivals on the UK calendar. The law of averages says that 2011 should - if there really is a big guy with a long white beard riding a fat hog somewhere in the sky – be a dry and sparkly affair to remember.

Getting there - 10/10

There is really only one proper way to get to the Bulldog Bash, and that is on a big, fat, throbbing lump of road-gristle. There are other options, but even if you don’t ride then try to find a spare pillion place and do the thing right.

And one of the biggest gripes from previous events seems to have been addressed. The increased police presence that the bash has been seeing in recent years was eased considerably for 2010, and although the roadside police pull-ins were still there, they seemed largely for show, with hardly any activity and no horror stories of random searches.

The site - 8/10

There is enough tarmac and tented space to mean that even when the rain hits hard there are still places to stand where you won’t sink and you don’t have to swim.

The outdoor stage had a covered bar to one side meaning that even if the arena looked empty there was still a respectable crowd of dry drinkers listening to most of the bands. And the main stage tent is a vast space that will hold almost the entire festival crowd at one go – even with the large numbers of tables and chairs provided for your drinking comfort.

Outside the perennial favourite is the outdoor bar arrangements. You pick a spot and the big open sided truck will come to you and serve you with whatever (slightly) chilled beverage you choose.

Drink not quite cold enough? Well, you could always discuss that with the management...

Atmosphere - 10/10

Once you get past the tough image of the biker fraternity you find some of the warmest and most charming people you are ever likely to meet. Okay, there are rough edges, and perhaps the niceties of post-modern political-correctness have skipped a generation or two, but if you can put up with a bit of well-meaning banter then you’re on solid ground.

And in terms of safety, this festival is second to none. When you spend your time playing with high-octane, two-wheeled, big-boys toys, then you develop a healthy respect for life. And so the chances of becoming a victim of anything other than a lager-fuelled hangover are pretty slim at Bulldog Bash.

You won’t see much in the way of the usual rent-a-mob security. But why should you? Bikers are a tough bunch and they look after each other and they look after their guests too. Join them at this festival and they will make sure you are safe and secure.

Music - 6/10

This is so subjective that you wonder what to say. Bulldog Bash is just so far from the trendy clubs of Camden and Hoxton. In fact it is about as far away musically speaking as it is possible to get. There is not a winkle-picker to be seen on the two main music stages.

Instead the bands fall into three main categories: hard rock, hairy blues and classic covers. The impression is of a series of rough pub gigs blown up to gargantuan proportions. Don’t expect flag-waving mosh-pits... think more along the lines of serious drinking sessions with the bands acting as buffers between rounds.

Uppers

Breed 77
Festival favourites and back for their fifth year, Breed 77’s flavour of flamenco rock strikes a chord with even the hoariest old biker.

The Council
A well-balanced three-piece rock and blues outfit with style and proper tunes. Think about Led Zep and Cream and you are already almost there.

Dodgems
Not a band, but the joyful memory of watching muddy bikers knock seven bells out of each other on the dodgem car rink is a pleasure to be savoured for years.

Big-un breakfast
£5 gets you two sausages, two thick rashers of proper bacon, black pudding, two eggs, beans, tomatoes, bread and tea or coffee. Need I say more? Set up for the day.

Random events

Feet up, tequila in hand, gazing at the heavens in the forlorn hope of catching a glimpse of the elusive meteor storms...oh well, there's another one along in about 120 years!