Festival preview: The Big Chill

by Jon Fletcher

New Noise's festival previews continue with Herefordshire's The Big Chill

"Don’t expect an army of screaming kids though – while there are opportunities galore to slow down and drop out, there’s still plenty of folk trying to turn hedonism into an art form"

 The Big Chill
 When: Friday 1st August – Sunday 3rd August
 Where: Eastnor Castle Deer Park, Herefordshire
 Official site: www.bigchill.net
 Past New Noise coverage
 No previous coverage
  Click here for line up details.

Once one of only a few ‘boutique’ festivals, The Big Chill has evolved to become one of the mainstays of the British summer circuit. Despite growing to a capacity of 35,000 – a far cry from the 700 who attended its first outdoor incarnation in 1995 – the festival’s blend of laid-back dance and the odd golden oldie (Leonard Cohen is on the bill this year) remains a fairly unique proposition. Sandwiched between dance festivals with scores of big name DJs and the more conventional events that major on guitar bands, The Big Chill’s gently-does-it billing is a major draw.

The festival’s reputation as an older, slightly middle class event (as evidenced by the number of newish Minis in the car park) won’t be altered by this year’s inclusion of the Sunrise Festival in a neighbouring field. That event – one of the most eco-friendly in the UK - was rained off earlier this year (the relationship with the environment doesn’t seem to be a reciprocal one) and the Big Chill organisers have extended a charitable helping hand.

Don’t expect an army of screaming kids though – while there are opportunities galore to slow down and drop out, there’s still plenty of folk trying to turn hedonism into an art form. The festival has also picked a more reliable time of year than many and last year’s was one of the few events to be graced with sunshine.

Highlights on this year’s calendar include festival boomerang Mr Scruff, Plaid and the still rather bizarre prospect of a set from The Mighty Boosh. Line-up aside though, it's still the festival’s unique atmosphere (a rarity, despite its competitors’ claims to the contrary) that will be bringing the regulars pouring back.

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