The Big Chill (music festival): Difference between revisions
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==History== |
==History== |
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Founded in 1994 by [[Pete Lawrence]] and Katrina Larkin<ref>[http://www.guardian.co.uk/travel/2009/may/02/big-chill-herefordshire-festivals-travel After the festival party] [[The Guardian]] Saturday 2 May 2009</ref>. The |
Founded in 1994 by [[Pete Lawrence]] and Katrina Larkin<ref>[http://www.guardian.co.uk/travel/2009/may/02/big-chill-herefordshire-festivals-travel After the festival party] [[The Guardian]] Saturday 2 May 2009</ref>. The Big Chill began as a series of ambient parties at the Union Chapel in [[Islington]], but developed into an outdoor festival in 1995 with an event in the [[Black Mountains, Wales|Black Mountains]] of [[Wales]].<ref>[http://www.bbc.co.uk/herefordandworcester/content/articles/2006/07/27/big_chill_history_feature.shtml BBC Hereford and Worcester, A short history of the Big Chill]</ref> In the early days the most prominent [[DJ]]s were [[Matt Black]] of [[Coldcut]], [[Tom Middleton]] of [[Global Communication]] and [[Mixmaster Morris]] also known as the [[Irresistible Force (production identity)|Irresistible Force]]. |
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After a false start that bankrupted the fledgling festival{{fact|date=June 2009}}, in 1998 a new home for the event (now known as "The Enchanted Garden") was found at [[Larmer Tree Gardens]] in [[England]] where it was held for 5 years. During this time it slowly developed its hallmarks, such as high quality visuals, an excellent range of food stalls, highly unusual line-ups and a Body & Soul field with many healers, masseurs and alternative therapists. In 2001 a second summer festival was also held at [[Lulworth Castle]] in Dorset. In 2002 the festival went bankrupt again and the brand was bought by the Cantaloupe Group. PK Events Limited went into liquidation and a new company Chillfest Limited was created with Katrina Larkin and Pete Lawrence with 25% each and Nigel Foster and Chris Greenwood owning the remaining shares. In 2007 Nigel Foster bought out Pete Lawrence and some of Katrina Larkin's shares and became the majority shareholder. In 2009 after poor ticket sales Chillfest Limited also went into liquidation and the festival brand was bought by Festival Republic. |
After a false start that bankrupted the fledgling festival{{fact|date=June 2009}}, in 1998 a new home for the event (now known as "The Enchanted Garden") was found at [[Larmer Tree Gardens]] in [[England]] where it was held for 5 years. During this time it slowly developed its hallmarks, such as high quality visuals, an excellent range of food stalls, highly unusual line-ups and a Body & Soul field with many healers, masseurs and alternative therapists. In 2001 a second summer festival was also held at [[Lulworth Castle]] in Dorset. In 2002 the festival went bankrupt again and the brand was bought by the Cantaloupe Group. PK Events Limited went into liquidation and a new company Chillfest Limited was created with Katrina Larkin and Pete Lawrence with 25% each and Nigel Foster and Chris Greenwood owning the remaining shares. In 2007 Nigel Foster bought out Pete Lawrence and some of Katrina Larkin's shares and became the majority shareholder. In 2009 after poor ticket sales Chillfest Limited also went into liquidation and the festival brand was bought by Festival Republic. |
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Revision as of 12:28, 10 August 2010
| The Big Chill | |
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| Genre | Indie, Dance music, World music, Trance, Reggae, Folk music, Dub music, Ambient, Chillout |
| Dates | Early August |
| Location(s) | Ledbury, Herefordshire, England |
| Years active | 1994–present |
| Founded by | Pete Lawrence and Katrina Larkin |
The Big Chill is an annual festival of alternative, dance and chill-out music and comedy, held in the grounds of Eastnor Castle during early August.
History
Founded in 1994 by Pete Lawrence and Katrina Larkin[1]. The Big Chill began as a series of ambient parties at the Union Chapel in Islington, but developed into an outdoor festival in 1995 with an event in the Black Mountains of Wales.[2] In the early days the most prominent DJs were Matt Black of Coldcut, Tom Middleton of Global Communication and Mixmaster Morris also known as the Irresistible Force.
After a false start that bankrupted the fledgling festival[citation needed], in 1998 a new home for the event (now known as "The Enchanted Garden") was found at Larmer Tree Gardens in England where it was held for 5 years. During this time it slowly developed its hallmarks, such as high quality visuals, an excellent range of food stalls, highly unusual line-ups and a Body & Soul field with many healers, masseurs and alternative therapists. In 2001 a second summer festival was also held at Lulworth Castle in Dorset. In 2002 the festival went bankrupt again and the brand was bought by the Cantaloupe Group. PK Events Limited went into liquidation and a new company Chillfest Limited was created with Katrina Larkin and Pete Lawrence with 25% each and Nigel Foster and Chris Greenwood owning the remaining shares. In 2007 Nigel Foster bought out Pete Lawrence and some of Katrina Larkin's shares and became the majority shareholder. In 2009 after poor ticket sales Chillfest Limited also went into liquidation and the festival brand was bought by Festival Republic.
The festival has continued to grow in popularity with attendance and ticket sales generally increasing each year. In 2002 the last festival took place at the Larmer Tree Gardens, and then the event moved to its current home at Eastnor Castle where it now takes place each summer at the beginning of August. Attendance at the first "Enchanted Garden" was only a couple of thousand people, rising to around 6-7000 people towards the end of its time at Larmer Tree Gardens. In 2003 this had increased to 17,500. Additional space at the Eastnor site has permitted the festival to grow further to 27,000 (2004) and 30,000 (2005) people. In 2006 the event was licensed for 35,000 peoplel[citation needed]. The festival has moved on from the vibes of its small beginnings and has a plethora of corporate sponsors and professionals involved in the production.
Throughout its history, the Big Chill has showcased a variety of music, uptempo as well as ambient. Nowadays DJs like Norman Jay, Mr Scruff and Gilles Peterson are regular performers, and more dance music is heard, but the festival also provides a diverse range of music from folk and jazz to African and dub, as well as art, films, poetry, cabaret and gourmet food.
Festival Site
The festival is situated in the grounds of Eastnor Castle near Ledbury in Herefordshire. The grounds are normally used as a reserve for deer. The organisers encourage a "Leave No Trace" policy to dissuade people from littering the site. Camping is divided into Red, Blue, Green and Purple areas, as well as Family Camping, Quiet Camping and Accessible Camping.
Sale to Festival Republic
In September 2009, Chillfest Limited - the company responsible for running the festival since 2003 - was placed into voluntary liquidation by its owners. The rights to the festival brand were purchased by Festival Republic[3]. Vantis Plc - the company appointed as liquidators - released a statement blaming poor ticket sales for the 2009 festival as the reason for liquidation[4].
Other sites
The Big Chill also operates a handful of extras:
- Big Chill House - pub/club/restaurant on Pentonville Road, London
- Big Chill Bar - a bar off Brick Lane, London
- Big Chill Bar (Bristol) - bar on Small Street
- Big Chill record label