Sunday, July 06, 2008

Confiscation, disordered eating and wellies.

This is my birthday present from James and Kim -- we went to the Mighty Boosh Festival.

1. It turns out that we can't take our bottle of cider into the festival, so we drink as much of it as we can in the security tent. Among the other confiscated items, there is a sad bottle of Benylin for chesty coughs on the table. Later, we spot a goth carrying a black leather coffin handbag. I wonder that was what the Benylin was for. I'm so sorry.

1b. The flat Kent countryside makes the sky look enormous, and we lie on our rug looking up at the clouds shifting. 'The sky's a lava lamp,' comments Kim.

2. A gentleman of size wearing a T-shirt reading 'I beat anorexia'. Later, in the queue for food, an annoying girl is bleating about not wanting anything to eat. Her two male friends say: 'We are not avoiding food today.' and 'You are having a dish to yourself and that's the end.' She continues bleating. They blow a loud whistle at her.

3. Kim's wellies -- they are turquoise and decorated with tattoo designs. She tops off the ensemble with a pink halter dress decorated with black flowers.

4. Peaches has a bottle of Champagne on her DJ booth. She occasionally swigs from it, then raises her arms high to show off her gold wings.

5. All over the festival are fans in costume -- tentacled Tony Harrisons; Hitchers of all sizes; lots of Vinces and Howards; even a Bollo in a gorilla suit who gamely stands at the front of the main stage for the whole show.

6. A new moon comes up behind us -- just a fingernail. Then Noel Fielding's Moon appears in the cavern of the stage, projected on to an enormous round screen. We all cheer, and you can feel the Boosh love washing up against the stage.

Book treasure, worn and speaker.

1. Finding treasure in the Oxfam bookshop. I only popped in to look for a card. 2. Bettany doesn't wear makeup out and about, but noneth...