View from above

Wangled our way onto the VIP balcony. Nice view over the main arena... Dizzee R due on soon. Yey!!

Bloody beetroots at GG

BIG TUNES (bad photo)

Hello from GG!

Helen and Katie (err me)

Drums of death

Dancing in the sunshine at the live stage to Drums of Death. Spotted these people dressed each as a different colour. AWESOME.

Festival fashion

I was set a challenge by Facebook to give Perpetual Festival stickers to the Global Gatherers with the best outfits. By best - presumably one means "weirdest" - as this place is teaming with neon furry boots, neon ass-less chaps, neon fishnet tights, neon face paint.. detecting a theme?... and I have been snapping them all on camera, to upload monday. I think you're gonna be inspired. My eyes have certainly been opened.
Mind you ... I can't really talk. I'm wearing denim shorts and legwarmers.. I look like a small boy auditioning for a school production of Fame.

Oh hell yeah

Free festival massage from the gorgeous Ibiza Angels. Feel a bit floaty light now. Very welcome after a night sleeping on the floor. Thank you ladies x

Faking it

Gosh! Doesn't my hair look clean! Well... Umm.. I have to tell you something... It's not - its filthy. I've slept in a tent with my hoodie on (and up) and my hair looks like a big knotted greasy hat. Or does it....?
No! Thanks to the power of dry shampoo my mop's been transformed from hair-don't to hairdo! Hooray! Just a few little sprays at the roots and a quick comb through (with my fingers) and I'm ready for the ball! And by ball I mean bacon sandwich.. And by ready I mean I'll probably just go lie back down for a bit. Cheers Batiste x

God's gift to festivals

Hand sanitizer is the best thing EVER. Yes, it's bad that as a nation we only really got to grips with the notion of being more hygienic once we were threatened with swine flu, but hooray - the disease brought us this!!
Widely used in hospitals the world over (I hope) and perfect for commuter-cleanliness - it is actually the festival community that has most (?!) benefited from the water-less antibacterial washing possibility.
As a festival goer, it is advisable to carry a little bottle with you for those moments where an exploding burger makes it's way onto your hands/arms... But more importantly, the infamous (see previous blog) field toilet experience is exponentially improved with the use of in-cubicle sanitizer dispensers. Hats-off to you Global Gathering! We may not have found any free drinking water or taps to wash at... But at least I won't be covered in someone else's yuck.

K for Katie :)

Sleepy but happy at GG

Global day one

Global day one is well underway! We have watched a few great acts.. Eaten some tasty food.. And discovered a giant glowing heart on the wall :)

We watched some Faithless on the main stage, some Tinie Tempah in Global tent and checked out the DJs in the VIP area too!

Right now we are having a cup of tea (crazy times!) before heading over for some Chase & Status and 2manyDJs.

Big beats and massive tunes!

Woop woooo!

Chew lips

Really enjoying Chew Lips right now on the live stage at Global G.
I also happen to be chewing my lip as I have found an ulcer above my tooth.
Coincidence? I think not! FATE

Hello from Global Gathering!

Hello friends! This week I am at Global Gathering in England... Just got here and it's raining! Booo! Haha. It's all good. The tunes are already starting and me and my pal Helen are having some refreshment :)
X

Laura J Martin at Soundwave

Catching some chatter with the lovely Laura J Martin about her performance at the Soundwave Festival..

Milly Blue answers your questions...

You put your questions to the stars on Facebook - and I got amazing Soundwave performer, ukulele-player and singer Milly Blue to answer them!

Homecut at the Soundwave Festival

Check out this video interview with Homecut at the Soundwave Festival in Croatia..

Video blog... on a water slide... just cos :)

Soundwave Festival - the video report!

Check out this rambling video report from the Soundwave Festival in Croatia 2010!

Soundwave Festival - All The photos

Check out all the fun, sunny, colourful and strange photos from the Soundwave Festival 2010 in Croatia - by clicking here!

To swim or not to swim...

Umm.... Swim!

Au revoir croatia

Its our final day here in Croatia and we leave in just a few hours. That leaves one final dose of sea and sunshine and relaxation (see my view right now) before the voyage home begins. Its been a rather wonderful 9th week of fun. The winners Amelie and Raphael are brilliant - and we stayed up last night laughing and chatting in the hotel bar - definitely going to stay in contact. The festival itself was great - ranging from moving soulful music to dirty fun hiphop and mad midnight raving. Weather has been gorgeous and we've also made loads of new friends. And eaten far too much. And slept far too little. And added to the freckle collection. Super. Au revoir Croatia - its been a blast.

Roll on WEEK 10 at GLOBAL GATHERING!

Bi-linguality

Today I was teaching the French mad English phrases - and asked people on Twitter to contribute too. So now they know "pot calling the kettle black", "catch 22", "technicolour yawn" and "having a bubble".

In return I have learnt:

"ce ne pas a un vieux singe qu'on apprend a faire la grimace"
(you would not teach an old monkey how to pull a silly face)

"metre la viende dans le torchon"
(put the meat in the teatowel - which means 'go to bed')

Donc.. Je dois metre la viende dans le torchon et bailler un peux parce ce qu'il est tard.

Bon nuit

X

*****
Katie P
Twitter.com/KatieParsons

Going in!

Gonna go snorkelling! Will take a little video :)

Afternoon heat

Salut. It's so so hot here! We have finished with the boat party and decided to head back to the hotel to grab some supplies and head to the sea (again) for a swim. Look at lovely Raphael's sun protection. Very holy!

On a boat on a boat (again) :)

1 of your 5 a day

Freckle blog

Bonjour. So - using this photo taken by Sam Soares for Tilllate in Spain as an appropriate illustration - I'd like to talk about freckles.
I am a freckly person - and as such don't really tan at all. As the weeks of festivals go by, I'm getting covered tip to toe in little brown blobs. I like them! I think they're happy little childish things and make me feel a bit younger (while simultaneously proving I'm probably getting very sundamaged).

FYI - I do put on factor 30 every day! Twice!

Anyways.. I wanna talk about freckles because I was chatting to "the french" (as Amelie and Raphael have become affectionately referred to) yesterday, and they were teaching me their language, as has become a tradition each mealtime. However - when asking them what the French for "freckles".. They looked confused. They didn't know what I was referring to at all. I pointed to my face.. They replied "sun burn?".. Errr no, but cheers. I pointed to my arm... "birth mark?"... Err, wrong again. Pointed at my leg. "beauty spot?" nope.
I then showed them this photo from Spain. "oh, like.. Umm.. tache de rousseur!". I guess so.. What does that mean? "oh, it's like a ginger stain."
?? Eh?
"yeah.. It means stain on the body of red people."
Super.
So there you have it. Seems in France, I'd be tarnished as a stained individual. Good to know. And now you know too :)

The cinematic orchestra

Moving, emotional and incredible sounds from The Cinematic Orchestra.

Ahhhhhhh

Had enough of my horizon photos yet? Tough! They'll keep coming cos I don't think I'll ever tire of the beauty of this place. Every second the view changes and we're treated to even more incredible sights and sounds. Every snap looks like a postcard that you just wanna dive into and lap up (but shouldn't cos its very salty). Ahhh happy days... Happy nights. :)

Amazing brass band in the sea!

Laura j Martin

Here is Laura J Martin (slightly behind a tree). Like Kate Bush meets Jazz flute and mini mandarin playing, all looped and harmonised live. Amazing stuff.

Hey ladies! (with veggie burgers)

Mmmmm :)

Andreya triana at Soundwave

Lunchtime views

Sunday in Croatia

Morning campers! Here is a photo of myself and Amelie. It may look like we are off to karate training - but actually we have decided to visit the hotel spa. It was kinda windy this morning so staying indoors sounded like fun. We went to a steam room and a sauna and generally behaved massively unlike festival rockers. Mind you... It's really hot again now so we are back outside for some lunch before music this afternoon!