What’s been your ultimate festival high?
That moment when everything is PERFECT: all the right people are in all the right places dancing to all the right music. A moment when chaos becomes clarity. Unity, discovery of brand new beats and that awesome sense of knowing you couldn’t possibly be in a better place anywhere in the world right now.
We’ve all had them. Go to the right events and you’ll experience that, several times over, at every festival.
But what about the DJs? They see more festivals in one summer than some of us will see in a lifetime. How do they pinpoint their own personal festival highs?
This is what we’ve asked Rinse broadcaster, Food Music co-founder and all round house music badman Shadow Child. In two weeks time he’ll be making his debut at London’s biggest dance music festival South West Four. Although he’s performed there are Dave Spoon back in the day, this will be the first time he dons his Shadow Child guise in Clapham Common… And he’s amped for the occasion.
“Madness in the middle of London on a summer’s weekend,” he grins. “I’m well up for it mate.”
We are too. Shadow Child appears on the sold-out Sunday alongside some incredible names: Wilkinson, Andy C, Netsky, Friction, Deadmau5, Eric Prydz, Pete Tong, Eats Everything, Marcus Intalex, Skream, Special Request, Just Blaze and LOADS more.
With a line-up like that festival highs are guaranteed. As we continue to get hyped, here are Shadow Child’s three all-time festival highs to get us in the mood…
Creamfields UK Silent Disco 2013
“I’m no rock-n-roller, so I don’t have too many stories about ending up under a bush or climbing up speaker stacks with another DJ whilst ‘partying too hard’, but I’ve been fortunate to have some amazing times doing what I do. Creamfields silent disco set last summer was definitely one of the most amazing DJ experiences I’ve had… Riva Starr asked me to do it and I cautiously said yes but was blown away by it when I played. A big-top arena full to the brim with ravers in headphones and no soundsystem was bizarre but incredible. I’ve seen smaller ones with different music but the buzz in the place was proper spine-tingling. I’d love to do it again someday, but I don’t think it could ever beat that.
DGTL Festival Amsterdam 2014
Amazing again, and although my arena was pretty much empty when I arrived it filled just before I went on and I played to I think my favourite Dutch crowd yet. Midland was after me too and I have the recordings from our sets actually. The artist backstage area was quality too; vintage sofas and Persian rugs…. Not that unusual at a festival these days. But the way they’d done it was great with old vinyl stacked up everywhere too. Great food as well. And I’m sure there was an eco vibe about it too, with recycling happening on site.
Summadayze Melbourne 2008
Back in the Spoon days, I played the sunset set after two days of no sleep to an amazing crowd. I rarely go to Australia…. It’s no secret I’m not a fan of long-haul travel, but I’d love to experience something like that again. Even if it meant going back to that exact spot. It was also when the music at that time had truly peaked and was still credible. I can remember some of the tunes from that era. Great memories!
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