Disclosure smash Bestival 2013

This has really been the year for Disclosure; they haven’t looked back since the release of Latch (feat Sam Smith) in 2012. Bringing house music and garage to the forefront of popular music – and all at such a young ages (the brother were only born in 1991 and 1994) – it seems that they have been at every festival, drawing huge crowds at each one. Bestival was no exception. There was hardly any space in the Big Top tent even before they were scheduled to come on (and this was even when their stage time clashed with the hugely successful old-timer Fat Boy Slim).

Only brave fans could stand the heat and heavy overcrowding for this much-loved act – others were limited to dancing around the periphery, so powerful is the pull of the band. They were given a much longer set than most acts and covered all their classics from Settle. The crowd went wild for Boiling, the sexy-sounding What’s in Your Head, You and Me (featuring Eliza Dolittle) and Flow. 

Although in the past they have been criticised for becoming too mainstream, and there have even been rumours of pretend mixing on stage, this did not seem to be the case at Bestival. There were live instruments onstage (bass guitar and electronic drum kit) and live vocals were performed by the brothers themselves. 

Surprise twists to their set came when they brought on Friendly Fires’ lead singer, Ed Macfarlane, who shimmied across the stage to perform Defeated No More. With his Mick Jagger-style dancing and thrusting, it was a great performance from two of the festival’s all time favourite acts. But there were more surprises in store when London Grammar joined the stage to perform Help Me Lose My Mind. In addition, Disclosure remixed various other artists’ songs, the most famous being Jessie Ware’s Runnin’, which also left the crowd in fits of ecstasy.   

A complement to how successful they have become was on the final night (Sunday) when their song F for You was played over the grand finale – the fireworks display for the entire festival to witness. It truly was a sight to behold. 

Verdict: ★★★★★

Anne Higgins
Photo: Aida Cordero Dominguez

For further information about Disclosure and future events visit here. For further information about Bestival and next year’s dates visit here.

Watch the video for Latch here: