Festival Internacional de Benicassim

After the NME oh-so-lovingly described Benicassim as a car-park plagued with technical problems, you'd be forgiven for writing off this fiesta, but wiser people will tell you that el FIB is secretly one of the best festivals around.

Firstly, there’s no mud. Sure, by the end of the weekend you'll be covered in beer, sweat and urine, but no mud is still a blessing. There's also sun, meaning you can get a tan, frolic in the sea and wear a bikini at 2am...although you do run the risk of being accosted by loco Spaniards.

What's more, Beni is still relatively undiscovered. Unlike at Reading with it's 80,000 strong crowds, the tents are roughly the same size as the Brixton Academy, so you never feel like there are too many people around and there's little risk of losing your tent - unless you've had a bit too much Heineken!

As for the main ingredient of a festival, Benicassim certainly doesn’t lack quality bands. This year’s festival darlings Kings Of Leon were the surprise hit, leaving the Spaniards spellbound. Headliners included Arctic Monkeys and the ever-impressive Muse, who blew everyone away, playing their most loved hits. Klaxons and CSS created chaotic raving, Amy Winehouse stunned everyone by turning up, and we all fell in love with Rufus Wainwright.

When the bands finish around 3am, you can enjoy a paella and party until the sun rises in the dance tent. Benicassim is the best of both worlds, a holiday and a festival in one - an incredible, unmissable experience.

Glasswerk.co.uk Presents...@ Turnmills, 15 August 2007

Short and sweet review today.

Tanker: Overly loud, indecipherable lyrics, female lead singer looking a bit skanky. Not worth much attention really.

The Girls: Despite containing no actual girls, this band boast the hottest pair of shoes (pointy, zebra skin) and visor (pink, glittery) I've seen in a long time. Their also overly loud and annoyingly long set had a glimmer of potential, but not enough to entice me away from
the comfort of the sofas.

God Love You For A Liar:
The main attraction. The band formerly known as Plasik really seem to be growing into their new incarnation, and becoming even more spellbinding on stage. New song, This Is Not A Sermon, may be the best I've heard yet, adding to their already impressive repertoire. I may have been saying this for years now, but after tonight's performance I'm even more certain that this is a band who truly deserve to go far - now we just have to hope that the management present last night agree with me.