The weekend is comprised of music, dancing, classic cars and a large dose of vintage fashion. It is like a more intimate version of Viva Las Vegas, except it is set in Pontins holiday camp (cue uncomfortable fold-out beds!) - so it's less pool party, more chalet party!
As grim as the accommodation is, it's really nice sharing with friends, and cooking together, as well as popping over to other chalets in this rockin' little village of sorts. Aaron and I shared with our Team Brunch buddies who came over from San Francisco for the event!
Musical highlights for me included LA crooners, Lil' Mo & The Dynoflos, who were absolutely brilliant! Styled in matching jackets, with matching movements and gloriously harmonised do-wop sounds - this band made a really big impression on the crowd, who loved them! I have missed them in previous years at Viva, so I was really pleased I got to catch them this time, and they ended up being my favourite band of the weekend.
I also really enjoyed The Bobbettes, who were like an older, female version of The Dynaflos, in as much as they were also dressed in matching outfits, with choreographed dance routines and perfectly balanced vocal harmonies. Make no mistake, these ladies are sassy, and having started out in the 1950s when they were barely into their teens, they have enough experience under their belts to put on a great show and work the audience.
JD McPherson did not disappoint, and given that I have been listening to his album on loop for the past few months, I can testify that his performance sounded just like the record. I especially enjoyed his version of The Bellfuries' 'Your love (All that I'm missing)' and his encore of 'Scratching Circles' to which I had a particularly enjoyable dance with loverboy.
Other top weekender moments for me were: a Saturday afternoon chalet party to celebrate a friend's birthday, lots and lots of laughter with chalet mates, seeing friends dressed to the nines, dancing 'til 5am on Sunday morning...and then waking up a few hours later and scoring a lovely Mexican circle skirt at the Sunday morning boot sale.
On Monday morning a (sleep deprived) group of us went to lunch and had a wander around Rye before making our way back to London. It's a really lovely town, and I'm glad we had an opportunity to take a look around - there's even a castle!
After a weekend of minimal sleep, and loads of dancing, it's safe to say that I was thoroughly knackered! However, that did not deter the non-stop sightseeing with Team Brunch, which continued when we got back to London...but that is another story altogether....
