GOLDIE GETS HIS TEETH INTO UK FESTIVALS

The dance stars claim they are treated as "poor relations" compared to more traditional rock acts...

GOLDIE and JAMES LAVELLE have slammed UK festival organisers for treating dance acts and DJs as “poor relations” compared to more traditional rock acts.

Speaking last night at the London launch of Creamfields England, which takes place at Old Speke Airfield, Liverpool, on August 26, both artists said they had turned down festival offers because of bad experiences in the past.

Goldie, who headlines his own Metalheadz arena at Creamfields, attacked festival organisers for providing second-rate sound systems, which he said was ripping off fans.

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He said: “I’m cutting down on festivals really, but I’m doing Creamfields because they do it right. Tribal Gathering got a bit stupid. They all decided they wanted quantity, not quality.

“I’m not into people that take kids’ money and don’t organise their sound system. It’s not cool. People are fed up with having sound that’s really fucked. At Creamfields we can put our own sound system in there.”

Lavelle added that he was bored of being treated as little more than “a name on a flyer” and the idea of playing rock festivals now left him cold.

He added: “I enjoyed Creamfields last year, but that was the only one. I got to the point where I wasn’t that interested in doing it. You always feel you’re more of a name on a flyer, rather than there being any great value in doing it as an emotional experience.

“When you are DJing at predominately rock or live band-oriented festivals, the DJing experience is not usually the greatest, especially if you are a more alternative DJ, not one of the Carl Cox‘s of the world.”

Lavelle, who appears in the Big Beat Boutique arena alongside Death In Vegas, Moloko, Lo-Fidelity Allstars and Groove Armada, felt the alternative tents at mainstream festivals suffered because they were tacked on to enhance the image of the events, rather than being seen as a key part of them.

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“What tends to happen if you are playing before a band is that the sound system is never right. It is getting better as the years go on, and I hope it’s done better in future, for everyone’s sake,” he said.

Other stars who turned up at the Creamfields launch last night at the trendy AKA bar included Shaznay Lewis from All Saints, Groove Armada, Chicane and DJs Tall Paul, Dave Clarke and Freq Nasty.

It was announced that Creamfields England will have six arenas – Cream, headlined by Paul Oakenfold, Pete Tong and Carl Cox; Golden, with Judge Jules and Tall Paul; Bugged Out, headlined by Basement Jaxx; Cream US House with Eric Morrillo and Danny Rampling, and Metalheadz ,which features Storm and Fabio in addition to host Goldie.

The Radio One Outdoor Stage will be headlined by All Saints, with Artful Dodger and DJ sets including Judge Jules, Seb Fontaine and Dave Pearce. Tickets cost #45.

For tickets, go to the nme.com Ticketshop – click here

Or call the NME 24-Hour Ticketline on 0870 1 663 663. Calls are charged at national standard rate.

Cream are also set to announce international Creamfields events in Israel, Belgium, USA and Argentina. The inaugural event in Dublin takes place on June 24 at Punchestown Racecourse with acts including Chemical Brothers, Basement Jaxx, Moloko, Paul Oakenfold and Darren Emerson.

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