CAMBER SANDS, England -- Normally, the Camber Sands Holiday Centre

plays host to families looking for a cheap vacation. A staff of so-called

"Bluecoats" looks after their entertainment needs.

This weekend the Bluecoats were positioned behind a bunch of bars -- the

small apartment blocks that make up the holiday camp were overrun by a

host of indie-rock bands and 2,700 fans. They were here for the Bowlie

Weekender, a three-day festival organized by twee Scottish pop group

Belle and Sebastian as an alternative to the established UK festival

circuit.

After some initial hiccups, most everything went according to plan. The

weather was great, there were memorable performances -- by the Divine

Comedy, Teenage Fanclub, Mercury Rev, the Flaming Lips, the Jon Spencer

Blues Explosion and a host of relatively obscure Scottish bands such as

V-Twin, the Delgados, Camera Obscura and AC Acoustics -- and most of the

artists stayed for the full three days to mingle with fans, making for

a beautifully laid-back and informal atmosphere.

About 2,700 fans descended on the holiday camp, on England's south coast,

Friday afternoon. The festival began inauspiciously, with opening act

V-Twin cancelling their show while thousands waited outside in a never-ending

queue to pick up keys to their apartments.

"You would expect a shambles from something organized by Belle and Sebastian,"

said John Hirst, 24, who was in that queue; the band is notorious for

shambolic, late-running live appearances.

Perhaps sensing the frustration in the line, several members of Belle

and Sebastian came out to perform what drummer Richard Colburn called

"an impromptu skiffle set" of cover songs, including Rod Stewart's

"Maggie May."

Later in the evening the main hall filled up for Scottish guitar act the

Delgados, who played a set of Sonic Youth-esque songs. Teenage Fanclub

followed with a slightly subdued set, mostly taken from their 1997 album

Songs From Northern Britain, but their good humor warmed the crowd

up and paved the way for hours of drinking and dancing.

Pulp singer Jarvis Cocker DJ'd late into the night. "I danced all night

for Jarvis," said Kylie Nixon, 26, who called the experience "the best

weekend I've ever had in my life!"

With the cream of the Scottish music mafia there for the duration, there

was plenty of room for high jinks, fun and an obscene amount of drinking.

By lunchtime Saturday, Teenage Fanclub singer Norman Blake was relaxing

in the afternoon sun with a can of beer, saying, "Glad we've got the

playing out of the way!"

Teenage Fanclub were one of the stars of a soccer tournament Saturday

afternoon, which was low on skill, but full of enthusiasm. Teenage Fanclub

drummer Paul Quinn became an unexpected referee for the afternoon and a

keenly fought contest was eventually won by Camera Obscura.

Flaming Lips headlined the second stage Saturday night, performing songs

from their forthcoming album, The Soft Bulletin. Stuart David,

who was there to play with Looper and Belle and Sebastian, described the

Flaming Lips' set as "the best gig I have ever seen."

Meanwhile, the Divine Comedy's Neil Hannon was looking happy yet bemused

before his band's headline slot. "This is definitely the strangest place

we've ever done a gig," he said, though he admitted enjoying a stroll

along the beach.

The Divine Comedy were one of the more commercial acts on a bill dominated

by independent acts, and their energetic set, including the singles

"Something for the

Weekend" (RealAudio excerpt) and "National Express," had more

than 2,000 people singing along.

On Sunday evening, after another day of drinking and mayhem, Mercury Rev

played a slick yet well-received show drawing on their entire catalog,

from Yerself Is Steam (1991) to Deserter's Songs (1998).

They've developed into a powerful live act, and during "The Funny Bird"

(RealAudio excerpt) they inspired an outbreak of air guitar.

But the group everybody was there to see was Belle and Sebastian. The

Scottish band played around on Friday and Saturday, but Sunday meant

serious business, including an epic 11-hour soundcheck.

The practice paid off, and the notoriously sloppy band enraptured the

crowd with a set that included the title track from If You're Feeling

Sinister (1997) and a stunning version of the 1997 single "Lazy Line

Painter Jane," on which ex-Thrum singer Monica Queen reprised the

striking vocals she provided on the record.

Belle and Sebastian finished their set with a well-received version of

the Who's "The Kids Are Alright," during which singer Stuart Murdoch and

guitarist Stevie Jackson attempted some Pete Townshend-style leaps and

windmilling before delivering a string of thank-yous to the bands and

organizers who had made the weekend happen.

Belle and Sebastian's performance ended the weekend's live entertainment,

but the drinking and dancing continued into the small hours for the third

day. It was "the most perfect weekend ever," music fan Toni

Hemmings, 29, said.

Event promoter Neil O'Brien said he was delighted with the success of

"the most surreal experience I've ever had," as he clutched a bottle of

Jim Beam on Saturday morning. He said plans are already being made for a

similar event later this year, after the family holiday season. Possible

bands for that festival include Welsh rockers Super Furry Animals and Catatonia.