Rob Da Bank started as a music journalist, reviewing the biggest bands, superclubs and DJs all over the UK. He’s had his own show on BBC Radio 1 and is the co-founder of Bestival & Camp Bestival. He’s a massive fan of travel – whether touring Europe in a yellow camper van called Stella, taking his four kids on sabbatical to Bali or DJing at some of the best parties all over the world. With his own very successful podcast too – The A to Z of Festivals – it’s Rob Da Bank.

On this episode we cover:

The 1970s dream in a Bedford campervan to the South of France

Visiting the Berlin Wall as it was being knocked down

His dad still having the same campervan (pre 1976!)

Avoiding the campsite warden for a free night

Camping with a bell tent

His 1970s yellow hippy van called Stella

Josie da Bank festivalling a week after a CSection with child number 4

Lisa working for Brighton’s Essential Festival and Harvey Goldsmith

The 1999 Eclipse festivals and a cloudy sky

Moving to London’s New Cross in the early 90s

New Cross being trendy (kinda)

Being an 18 year old middle class white kid dropped into gritty South London

Being mugged numerous times by the friendly local drug dealer who wanted to go to Wimpy

Loving Brixton, Old Street, Shoreditch, Camberwell

Josie opening a bar in Shoreditch

Being mad for Madchester, Ian Brown, Shaun Ryder and big jeans

The trance scene, drum ‘n’ bass and chill out scenes of the time

Spiral Tribe raves, Gumbo raves in Oxfordshire, Glastonbury and driving around in a Citroën 2CV

Glastonbury’s Emily Eavis on Rob’s festival podcast

Vaulting over a fence at Glastonbury to escape security on horses

Apologising to Emily and Michael Eavis about the above

Sunday Best with Fatboy Slim and Basement Jaxx

Teaming up with BBC Radio 1

Travelling across the UK as Clubs Editor at Music Magazine

Gatecrasher, Cream, God’s Kitchen and insane superclubs

Paul Oakenfold, Sasha, Seb Fontaine and the superstar DJs

The North being a bit of a mystery to the South and vice versa

Saturday night in Newcastle with everyone dressed to the nines

Being sent to interview Basment Jaxx in New York or Todd Terry in Miami or Armand Van Helman in Ibiza

The summer in Ibiza that sent him off the rails

Paradise turning into hell

Matt Haig’s Reasons to Stay Alive and how Matt got f*cked up by Ibiza

Learning how being far away from home can get out of hand

Mental health issues with DJs in the dance industry – Avicii

Not letting the hedonism carrying on too long

Doing six years work experience unpaid on the magazine

Starting Bestival and being able to call up some well known names

Lisa popping round to Norman Cook’s house to interview him

Travelling with Josie and their four boys

A three month sabbatical round Bali and Indonesia

Not dragging six month old babies to Cambodia

Camping on the Isle of Wight

Combining a DJ gig with holidays – the Maldives, India, Rajasthan, Goa and Josie planning a trip from the Himalayas to Kerala by train

India’s comparative lack of health and safety – rickshaws, cows, bikes

Soho House now in Mumbai!

Zoe Ball heavily pregnant backstage in the dance area at Glastonbury

Invented Camp Bestival for their family lifestyle

How parents love Camp Bestival

Lisa’s love of On Blackheath festival

The most amazing Daft Punk pool parties in Miami

Accidentally breaking someone’s leg by pushing them in the pool

Drinking unidentified green liquid in Santiago de Cuba

Fearing for his safety in Sao Paolo, Brazil

Getting married on a beach in Scotland

An incredible wildwest spaghetti western hotel in Puglia in Italy Borgo Egnazia

The Rayavadee Resort in Railay Beach, Krabi, Thailand

The ‘fertility cave’ full of with massive penises

(see Lisa’s video of this amazing place include the penis cave…)

Lisa being attacked by monkeys

The incredible feeling of getting married on the beach in Scotland, driving there in a campervan and listening to… well, what will Rob choose for the music question…?