The Big Chill

I'm working on the radio, so will be there on Wednesday night.

My tip: get there early and camp under a tree. But ghat goes for any festival ;)

I've been to every one for the last eight years or do, but this'll be the first one run by Festival Republic, so I'm not sure what to
expect.

On Tuesday, July 13, 2010, Papa Bendy wrote:

watch out for lightning !!!

Errrrr, I am staying in the posh huts.

(As the 20 year old me looks on in disgust)

Papa Bendy <(Address removed)> said:

Errrrr, I am staying in the posh huts.

I'll be there, I hope, if I can figure out how to get my belongings to Paddington and on the train. (Thurs morning coach is 5.5 hour 'mare via Birmingham with 1.5 hours sitting in the bus station between coaches, so I think I'll be giving that a miss.)

Hard to know as under new management, but I would say:
Have a walk in the woods at night (there are fairy lights to guide you). Check out the art trail at night. More fun.
Keep your eyes peeled for installations scattered about.
Don't miss the bonfire on Sunday eve (you won't).
Spoken word tent (Words in Motion) often interesting.
Body & Soul cafe (??) that does the late night dance music - recommended, but i can't remember if that's the name. In the Enchanted Garden. Excellent place to head on Sunday night. Kirsty knows more. Hopefully, as in past years, there will be something slightly challenging, that you will not see elsewhere. Go for it.

And check out Solid Steel AV Special with DJ Food and DK. Ace. In the Igloo. http://www.bigchill.net/festival/line-up/solid-steels-av-spectacular-dj-food-dk-av-set

Lou

Don't think I'm going.

In general, I concur with Lou. To add: If the weather is good, get yourself by one of the smaller sound systems on Saturday night and have a ball. Don't go to the dance tent. Have nothing to do with DJ Food, especially anything badged as an "AV Special". It will be rubbish.

Lord Borthbury

I'll be there for some of it, I'm out of the country until Friday afternoon and also under pain of death command to attend a good friend's 25th Anniversary gig an hour away on Saturday night, so wasn't going to attend this year but Thom Yorke clinched it.

Good advice from Lou there, but on the practical side I'd add that you won't be able to take any alcohol from the camping areas onto the main site, security will check your bags. Plenty vendors on site of course.

Also be careful if you're 'handling' anything in any of the arenas. I was quite literally pounced upon by security as I went for a dab in the big dance tent. They were creeping up behind people and carrying out their job with some vigour. I got frogmarched out and round the side of the tent where gave me serious glowering looks and a right-good-telling-off before confiscated the bag of mummies and daddies and sending me on my way (back in).

Oh how we laughed.

Agreed on DJ Food.  2010 etc not 1997.

The dance tent is much improved.  They seem to have the sound sorted in there now.  We were down the front for Slam, Octave 1, Harri and Dom, HMD etc and it was great.

Looks like Rizla aren't doing their 'tent/soundsytem' this year.....but over the next couple of weeks the BC will announce who is playing in the various tents and bars....plenty of Housey doings. 

The triple header of 20/20 Vision, Weatherall and Henrik Swarchz is one of the primary reasons I'm going.

That and Easy All Stars ;)

Cheers, what about jazz fags? This restricted to camping areas only?

Nah.  They are hot on you smoking anything inside the tents but that is due to the smoking ban etc.  having a spliff in the sunshine won't get you a smack botty. 

So DJ Food is "rubbish", Borthers? Would you care to elaborate? (I happen to think he's a pretty fun turntable-ist. Have seen him all over, including at Chill, clubs etc., with and without DK. And listening to his stuff since mid-90s.)

I'm going again, was my first time last year. Thoroughly enjoyed it. I dont know if I've missed the 'glory years' or anything but last year was a blinder for me personally.

last time I saw a DJ Food AV spectacular it was lame beats and a porn video. Alright if you like that kind of thing.

Lord Borthbury

Porn video? From the Food/the Ninja Tune stable?

I think the AV Spect is new: they've only just got the DJ/VJ three-mixer thing working.

Sorry, did I mean Hexstatic? It all looks/sounds the same to me.

Lord Borthbury

Ah, that might explain it. I saw Hexstatic recently and found him so so, certainly not as entertaining as the closing set at Big Chill last year. As for DJ Food, I'm with Lou. His sets are amazingly tight and the tunes 24 carat, spanning the decades. Great to watch him work.

this certainly made me titter!

I imagine that would, funk cutter ;-)

But aside from AV (ahem), I do rate DJ Food as an interesting combo of turntablist and tune-lover. His Raiding the 20th Century (with or without added Paul Morley) was at the time highly entertaining. (Madonna meets musique concrete and all that, in a total spirit of fun and love of the music).