Venue:
Norwegian Pearl, Mediterranean Sea
Date: 08/08/2019
This will either be your idea of heaven or hell. Four days on a cruise ship in the Med., with Belle and Sebastian, Mogwai, Camera Obscura, Teenage Fanclub, Buzzcocks, The Vaselines and a host of others. Spoiler alert: for me, it was the former.
This was essentially a floating festival. The ship had several different venues, with different bands playing concurrently around the ship. The major bands played more than once, giving people the chance to plan to see everyone at least once.
I’m a huge Belle & Sebastian fan and I was well catered for with 3 gigs over the 4 days, with 3 completely different setlists (including a complete performance of Fold Your Hands Child, You Walk Like a Peasant.) Other headliners opted to repeat the same set, on the basis that people would probably see them once.
Other highlights for me were The Vaselines – I’d never seen them before and fell in love. Been singing “Monsterpuss, Monsterpuss miaow!” to myself all day. Saw them twice and would cheerfully have done so again. Moving return of Camera Obscura. French Navy on the main (pool) deck in the sunshine was glorious. Saw Buzzcocks twice. Once a straight set and once with guest vocalists. Both excellent. I wasn’t sure what to expect from Steve Diggle’s vocals, based on Harmony in my Head. However he was uncannily like Pete Shelley. I would have been made to walk the plank for saying so at the time but I was reminded of Phil Collins replacing Peter Gabriel. No doubt other things will occur to me me re the music and I’ll add them in the comments.
The main thing you might want to know is what it was actually like. It was glorious. Lovely sunny weather and fantastic facilities. imagine, if you will, a festival where, instead of mud, tents and the pervasive smell of portaloos, you had your own comfortable room with ensuite facilities, just a short walk from the main stage. With decent (sometimes very decent) available 24 hours a day, with waiter service in some of the restaurants.
There were a lot of other activities too – cinema, meditation sessions, yoga (with Frances from The Vaselines), knot-tying, wine tasting, kids’ club etc.
And the atmosphere was fantastic. Just a really happy, positive vibe. The acts wandered around and mingled with the audience. there was a spontaneous feel. for example, having heard a young lad at the open mic night, B&S invited him onstage during one of their sets to do his (astonishing) rendition of Don’t Stop Me Now. Never heard a cross word said by anyone over the whole 4 days.
The whole thing was just superbly organised. As my mobility is somewhat limited at the moment, I was particularly pleased by the accessible seating, which made life a breeze. That and the lifts.
So what were the downsides? First and foremost, the cost. In a surprise development, cruises aren’t cheap. Plus the drink was very expensive; you’re a captive audience. Carbon footprint probably not brilliant…
The audience:
Very wide range. Everyone from “Afterword age” to babies. Possibly the most mixed I’ve ever seen. People had come from all over the world for this too.
It made me think..
This is what I want all gigs to be like. In the sunshine. With a good seat. A waiter bringing drinks. And then a short walk to a lie down in an air-conditioned room, before going to see the next band.
I should add that both Mogwai and Yo La Tengo took full advantage of being in the middle of the sea, with no neighbours around for miles, by making a helluva racket.
Sounds fab, though apart from the Fannies and Mogwai probably not a line up I would go that trouble to see. Cruises have never appealed to me, but a floating festival with hundreds of like-minded fans could be another thing entirely.
Out of interest, what sort of price was it? I’d expect to pay a hefty wedge to be looked after that well with so much entertainment, and I suppose there were a range of cabin options available.
There’s an article in the Guardian which says prices started from around £1,200 per-person for a basic cabin.
I’m glad you had a good time Lando, and as a fan of Belle & Sebastian I’m only slightly jealous. Not sure I could justify spending that much to see anyone though.
That was the upper range of price, from memory. If you were sharing a cabin with others it was less. Usual cruise tiers apply – inside cabin, cheapest, outside (ie with a porthole) more expensive, balcony, yet more expensive and so on.
Still dear, I agree, even if it includes food and accommodation. Not a million miles from, say, Centre Parcs though.
Mogwai vs Teenage Fanclub was an early time clash, funnily enough. And while both had other slots, the Fannies played different setlists at theirs – as I found to my chagrin…
Prices – yes, hefty, see my reply to Tony J. The budget end was 4 to a cabin (there was a guest-matching service). Cabin for 2 obviously dearer… Helps to think of it as a holiday rather than a gig!
Wow, that sounds fab to me. Pop me in the column marked ‘jealous’.
“In the future, Belle and Sebastian will be playing on cruise ships”
“Haud your wisht, ya bampot!”
Sailed on The Outlaw Country Cruise run by the same people ( Sixthman Cruises ) earlier this year out of Tampa.
Expensive …. Yes, but we had a wonderful 5 day cruise Royally entertained by Lucinda Williams, Steve Earle, Drive by Truckers and many others ( about 30 acts ) giving multiple performances over the 5 days. Many stages and fantastic sound systems.
The biggest problem was finding time to eat anything with one act finishing and another starting elsewhere in the ship a few minutes later. It was a case of grabbing a burger or a slice of pizza and moving on quickly trying not to miss anyone.
We bought a drinks package which helped reduce the prices a little, and we had to make sure that we got our value. No hardship there.
A fab experience and highly recommended. I would ( and will ) go again in a heartbeat.
Yes, eating took some planning. I body-swerved the drinks package because I worked out that I’d need to drink 3 bottles of wine a day to break even. I’m just not up to it these days. Went for the ‘soda package’ instead, to stay hydrated.
Outlaw cruise sounds fab, by the way.
“I’d need to drink three bottles of wine a day to break even”.
Imagine that – a boat full of blind stinking drunk B & S fans.
Shiver me timbers.
I’m not a B&S fan but went along with some mates to the ‘Bowlie Weekender’ which they curated and I guess this event marks the 20 year anniversary of the festival at Pontins that begat All Tomorrows Parties and all those Indie weekenders that aped the Soul Weekenders of old. They put on a mighty fine bill, it was very enjoyable and I managed to avoid seeing B&S as they billed Godspeed You Black Emperor to play downstairs while they were on which was the perfect antidote. Being in a holiday camp surrounded by incredibly pleased with themselves Belle & Sebastian fans was barely tolerable 20 years ago – but I really wouldn’t want to have to swim for lifeboats to escape them – good god.
Trapped on a boat with Bellend Sebastian. My idea of hell…
That’s no way to talk about Lord Coe!
He would probably make better records than the band.
Each to their own. I’ve been trying to think of another band that could inspire me to shell out for this. Somewhat to my surprise, I don’t think there is one.