Rewind Festival South

Rewind Festival South festival-goers felt blessed by the sunshine and an equally hot line-up of 80s legends.

The 15th Rewind Festival in Henley-on-Thames was headlined by pop royalty - Billy Ocean on the Saturday and The Jacksons on the Sunday, bringing the festival to an epic close.

Rewind organisers did the audience proud with their choice of headliners, both having such a huge back catalogue of classic hits that was the perfect recipe for a late-night party.

Soul and pop sensation Billy Ocean brought the Caribbean vibe to Rewind, helped by his own Caribbean Queen Heather Small who unexpectedly joined him on stage to perform the song.

Fans were treated to a set full of classics including Red Light Spells Danger, Get Outta My Dreams, When The Going Gets Tough and the emotionally-charged Suddenly. Such an epic set of much-loved songs. As usual, Billy went to the hearts of those in the crowd and is always a treat for the Rewind crowd.

Legendary band The Jacksons graced the Henley stage for the first time this year, and what a performance it was.

Showcasing their classic choreographed dance moves, Marlon, Jackie and Tito, along with Tito’s son and 3T member Taryll, rocked the audience all night.

An explosive stage intro saw a backdrop of footage and photos going all the way to the beginning of the Jackson Five’s musical journey. Hits performed on the night included I Want You Back, Can You Feel It? ABC, I’ll Be There and Blame It On The Boogie. It was a real privilege for fans to witness a global brand and band performing up on the Rewind stage.

Saturday saw a pop-heavy line-up of acts, with a sprinkling of ska,courtesy of Bad Manners who brought their Special Brew of hits, and soul, courtesy of Gabrielle whose incredible voice on songs like Out of Reach and Rise never fails to impress.

A stand-out performance came from 80s legend Kim Wilde who always looks like she’s having a great time on stage. It’s a real family affair with Kim performing alongside family members, her brother Ricky and niece Scarlett. Her voice sounded as good as ever as she sang hits including You Came, Kids in America and Cambodia.

We were pleased to see Tiffany back on the Henley stage, as she sang I Think We’re Alone Now, and I Saw Her Standing There. She’s got great character and genuinely seemed pleased to be performing at Henley again.

Glamorous 80s pin-up Clare Grogan of Altered Images brought her upbeat and captivating presence onto the stage, as always, with the crowd loving Happy Birthday, Don’t Talk To Me About Love and I Could Be Happy.

The former M People singer Heather Small brought her amazingly powerful voice to Rewind, performing hits such as Proud and Moving On Up.

Male heartthrobs were aplenty this year, with Jason Donovan and BoyzLife attracting more than a few adoring fans to the front of the crowd, screaming and cheering as the guys performed their sets.

Luckily for Rewinders this year, Katrina’s Walking on Sunshine was performed to a backdrop of glorious sun, which actually lasted all weekend!

Sunday’s line-up kicked off with a laid-back jazz funk vibe brought to the audience by Shakatak with hits such as Night Birds and Down On The Street, bringing with them a real dose of nostalgia.

A stand-out performance was from the enigmatic lead singer of Fine Young Cannibals, Roland Gift, whose voice is still as powerful as it ever was back in the 80s. Classics performed included She Drives Me Crazy, Suspicious Minds, Johnny Come Home and Good Thing.

Another highlight of an epic day were the sets by Earth, Wind and Fire Experience and Peter Hook and the Light – such great tunes to dance to, and the crowd did just that.

Earth, Wind and Fire Experience brought the disco balls alive with songs such as September, Let’s Groove and Can You Feel The Force, getting everyone up on their feet.

The crowd were also transported back to their clubbing days, thanks to post-punk band Peter Hook and the Light, who played a mix of Joy Division and New Order tracks to the delight of fans. Songs included Blue Monday, Love will Tear Us Apart and True Faith.

For once, Nik Kershaw didn’t perform as the sun went down, but had the penultimate slot of the night. He always blows us away with his guitar-fuelled performance of popular hits such as I Won’t Let The Sun Go Down, The Riddle and Wouldn’t It Be Good.

Back on the live circuit after 30 years, and clearly loving every minute was Linx frontman David Grant who really got the audience on side as he performed You’re Lying, Could It Be I’m Falling in Love and Intuition.

Scottish brothers Pat and Greg Kane of Hue and Cry gave the audience a blast of the 80s with their hits including Labour of Love and Looking For Linda, while Men Without Hats got everyone to do The Safety Dance, led by Canadian lead singer Ivan.

Bringing a reggae vibe was Aswad, whose music really suited the sunshine vibe and sunny mood. Top tunes included Don’t Turn Around and Shine.

Often Rewind audience members dress up as their favourite act and so when Living In A Box came on stage, it wasn’t surprising to see a few people dressed up as cardboard boxes. The band, who were pleased to spot the fans in costume, played hits including Living In A Box and Room In Your Heart.

Highlights from the Pink Flamingo Stage and Riverside Stage included the brilliant Rockney band Gertcha, a Chas and Dave tribute band, who got the audience revved up and conga-ing - a great start to the Rewind weekend.

Other class acts on the Friday night included Riverside Stage headliners Edwin Starr Band who were just amazing on stage. What a selection of hits and what a performance of classic tracks including War and Eye to Eye Contact.

The Edwin Starr band was preceded by the JS collective, long-time favourites with the Rewind crowd, who performed a variety of top tunes to dance to.

Special mention must also go the David Bowie tribute Aladdinsane in the Pink Flamingo Tent, and Erasured, the class Erasure tribute on the Riverside Stage.

Comperes over the weekend were the ever-youthful Jenny Powell of Greatest Hits Radio, and Mr Rewind himself – Clive Jackson of Doctor and the Medics – who even treated fans to a rendition of Spirit in the Sky which he dedicated to dear-departed Rewinders.

There was a real sense of gratitude amongst acts and fans for the joy that Rewind brings and music in general.

As Marlon Jackson of The Jacksons said: “I thank the Lord for blessing us with these musical gifts to spread love across this globe. That’s the true meaning of the blessing that he bestowed upon the Jackson family - to spread love, harmony and peace and unite the world together as one though our music.”

Photo credit: Jo Miles