The Big Chill

Sometimes you forget how much your behaviour is programmed by external factors e.g. advertising / marketing strategies. For most of 2009 I was working in community development on various projects including the Big Blue Fence which I've also blogged about.

The "Big Delivery Project"  was a corporate partnership between the Big Issue and various other organisations ( my company included ) which involved me distributing copies of the Big Issue to selected outlets. During this time I of course read the weekly copies of the Big Issue  and the regular articles on the Big Chill, but when my friend suggested we attend this year I assumed it was my decision ( I've known about the Big Chill since its early days but never been to the festival ), I hadn't registered the tie in between the Big Issue and The Big Chill until the week before last, when I read that it was Big Issue sellers that were to be the selling the official programs at the Big Chill. Despite embarrasssment at my realisation that I'm just another programmed drone I was looking forward to the Big Chill festival 2009.

I hadn't been to a festival since the early nineties. The last time was Glastonbury the year "The Shamen" were at number one with "Ebenezer Goode" despite their  later pop success they played a sublime set of their classics and finished with "Re-evolution" a partnership with Terrance Mckenna whose voice echoed across the Vale of Avalon while a lazer hologram circle above us. 

 As I was looking forward to the Big Chill Festival 2009 I remembered all those years ago when the "Big Chill" was an underground party in London on a sunday afternoon designed for ravers to chill out at. I went a few times and remember "Angels of Disorder" (aerial art) , DJ's "Nelson Dilation and the Pupils of Dilation" , Coldcut (live) , Hexstatic and the Global Communication/Jedi Knights. There were always lots of Acid headz and some ruff jungle but good vibez. Now London has the big Chill House , the Big Chill Bar (In a venue previously known as the Cross bar where I used to attend the hip hop / Electro nights "Scratch"  and "Electrocuted" ) and the Big Chill  record label ! Highlights of this years Big Chill Festival were Orbital (the reunion) Bassment Jaxx ,Tom "The Jedi" Middleton playing one of his legendary "one more tune sets" & the Next Men. My discovery of the festival (and one I only recommend to the extremely broadminded) was Chris Cunnigham the A.V. artist behind Aphex Twins "Window licker" , "Rubber Johnny" and "Flex" videos