THE BIG CHILL
Somerset House

THE use of video jockey’s is not a new thing: I remember going to raves in the early 1990s and watching freaky cartoons entertain the troops as we waved our hands in the air and wiggled our backsides to the beat of the drums.
But standing amongst a crowd looking upwards in the middle of Saturday night, I realised the world of providing graphics alongside dance music is an entertainment genre all of its own.
The video shows at the Big Chill were superb.
One loop that stands out contained freaked-out can-can dancers, whose moves were linked to the bass lines, had the crowd enthralled. Put to the music of north London’s nouveau drum and bass stars Hexstatic, it was superb.
With 30,000 smiling people in the grounds of Eastnor Castle, Herefordshire, you would think it would feel crowded. This was not the case. The careful design makes the most of the valley that hosts the event and features four beautiful lakes, which nature has designed to make it perfect for a festival. But the highlight was the music. During the day on Saturday, I found myself a comfortable spot by the main stage and listened to a set featuring people from the reggae label Trojan records.
This kept me amused for the afternoon – and then I wandered up to a cocktail bar to get some light refreshment and watch the sun go down.
What did I find? A full on Acid House party, which made me feel like I was not only 18 again but a cross between Fred Astaire and Keith from the Prodigy – a strange experience but one I’d like to repeat.
Other acts included London Elektricity, The Mad Professor, Norman Jay (pictured) Nitin Sawhney, St Eteinne, The Fatback Band and north London’s secret vocal sensation Eva Abraham – check her out.
Camping? Take your pick of your own fave spot. The rolling parkland has mature oaks dotted about which the early birds pitched up under, and no where – as with so many other festivals, such as Glastonbury – did you feeling hemmed in.
Other festivals expect you to put up with sub-standard accommodation – grotty fields, no showers to speak of, horrible loos and unbelievable mess. But the Big Chill treats you with dignity – and gets respect in return. I saw no one dropping litter – these festival lovers were clearing up after each other.
The Big Chill was simply the best summer festival this outdoor dance lover has experienced in a very, very long time.

DAN CARRIER

Head south for something grimy

PREVIEW
South Kilburn Festival

GRIME and bashment beats galore and some nice food too – it can only be the South Kilburn Festival.
You might normally expect the likes of More Fire Crew’s Lethal B and singer Shola Ama to be doing live PAs in niche nightclubs. But they are heading to South Kilburn for a change of scene and an outside show.
Street performers and magicians, plus lots of home made grub, conjure up the festival feel.
All made possible by Bigga Fish and cash from the New Deal for Communities fund.
• SOUTH KILBURN FESTIVAL is at SOUTH KILBURN PARK on Friday August 12. (Kilburn Park Tube) £Free.

Demo of the week – The Boy Least Likely To

The Boy Least Likely To, one of the best fringe bands to be featured on this page this year, have cheered everyone up.
They bring their Belle and Sebastian-style sound to the Dublin Castle on Wednesday night. If they can re-create the magic of their demo, then we should be in for a treat.
Promo tracks Be Gentle With Me and Fur As Soft As Fur are cute, delicate songs which will be gobbled up by plimsoll-wearing 30-somethings who like things mellow mellow. Hugging My Grudge is about as urgent as it gets with its gliding harmonica and “chasing ranbows” lyrics.
Jolly percussion, soft folkish vocals and even a bit of violin. Lovely.

• Is your band next to be crowned Demo Of The Week? Send promos to: Grooves, Camden New Journal, 40 Camden Road, Camden, London, NW1 9DR. Unfortunately, demos can not be returned.

Click HERE for listings

Minghella’s Butterfly sure to take flight

ENGLISH NATIONAL OPERA
ST MARTIN-IN-THE-FIELDS

ENGLISH National Opera (ENO), of course, perform all their operas in English.
So it is understandable that there is concern in the opera fraternity regarding the ENO’s management’s decision to introduce surtitles, apparently to assist tourists, to all its productions in March 2006.
But the autumn season, without the digital assistance of surtitles, is fast approaching and is looking like a pretty fascinating and nicely balanced programme.
The highlight of the season must surely be Anthony Minghella’s (pictured) new production of the Puccini favourite Madam Butterfly.
The Oscar-winning director of The English Patient has taken time from his film directing role to throw himself into project which premieres on November 5.
The cast includes Mary Plazas, Gywn Hughes Jones, Christopher Purves and Joan Rigby.
The ENO have also created a new production of Britten’s Billy Budd, with an all male cast.
And there is a premiere of Gerald Barry’s The Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant, based on Rainer Werner Fassbinder’s play.
And then there are the favourites, including Mozart’s The Magic Flute, Strauss’s Salome, Handel’s Xerxes and Poulenc’s The Carmelites.
The season begins on September 16 with the world premiere of The Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant.
The box office is 020 7632 8310 and the season looks like being quite a success.

Belmont get a Handel on St Martin

PREVIEW - BELMONT ENSEMBLE
ST MARTIN- IN-THE-FIELDS, ST JAMES’S, PICCADILLY

WITH it being August, most of London’s leading music halls, Wigmore, St John’s Smith Square, LSO St Luke’s, are closed for the summer.
But not St Martin-in-the-Fields and St James’s Piccadilly, and this week one of London’s leading early music ensemble, the Belmont Ensemble of London (pictured) conducted by Peter Gilbert-Dyson.
The group, who can often be found at the Wigmore, debuted at St John’s Smith Square in 1991 and won almost instant critical acclaim.
Under the astute leadership of Peter Gilbert-Dyson, who has proved himself to by one of Britain’s leading younger conductors, the group has propelled itself forward into the forefront of the British classical music scene.
What is particularly impressive about the group is that they have managed to continue going for such a long time without receiving any funding from the Arts Council or any other body. Quite a feat relying on box office receipts considering the climate at the moment.
And this week at St Martin’s, in Trafalgar Square, they are presenting a interesting programme featuring Mozart and Handel.
So the concert includes Mozart’s Eine kleine Nachtmusik, Escultate Jubilate and his Wymphony No. 29 in A and Handel’s Water Music Suite, the Gloria in D and the stirring Arrival of the Queen of Sheba Soprano Rebecca Ryan is the soloist is what promises to be a terrific evenings entertainment. – See listings for details.

Click HERE for listings