LIVERPUDLIAN SUPERCLUB Cream and outdoor festivals seemed like strange bedfellows. The media stereotypes that represent both camps the silky shirted, disco-dolly brigade and the cider-drenched crusty crew couldn t be culturally, socially and politically further apart, and the thought of designer labels and superclub tans on cold, wet mud evoked an image of lambs frolicking carelessly to the slaughter.
Despite these initial fears, it soon became clear that the Cream festival would go ahead and become a broad-minded all-encompassing dance music event. With Run DMC, Finley Quaye, Primal Scream, Lionrock, Monkey Mafia, Slam, Laurent Garnier and Green Velvet all performing, the live element seems sorted out, and the DJ line-up, which includes Carl Cox, Sasha, Oakenfold, Dave Clarke, Daft Punk, Roni Size, Fatboy Slim and Tony De Vit reads like a who s who of clubland legends.
James Barton claims that the line-up has to be good enough to get me to go along , but later admits that it s the best I ve ever seen anywhere, and that s not me blowing my own horn, because Darren (the other half of the Cream promotion team) selected it.
With the Tenth Summer of Love just around the corner, Digital Beat fired the Creamfield queries at Barton, officially the busiest man and fastest talker in the world.
How did you come up with the idea for Creamfields?
Like most things we do, it happened in a roundabout kind of way. The mean Fiddler approached us last year, and asked us to do it. We d been asked to do a tent at previous rock festivals, but we thought we re bigger than that, and it seemed like rock promoters were hi-jacking dance music and ghettoising it just to sell tickets. We are working with the Mean Fiddler on the basis of absolute creative control.
You claim that, at Creamfields, club culture is the uniting force. Do you think the line-up is representative of 1998 style clubbing?
Cream is an organised business, but we still see what we do as pure entertainment. Some festivals are a bit noodly and self-indulgent and we want to get away from that. The main reason we started Cream in the first place was because, by 1992 dance music had fragmented and gone into small, elitist clubs. Dance music should be about togetherness, so that, at Creamfields a Roni Size fan will check out Oakenfold for half an hour and enjoy it. Bugged Out, Big Beat Boutique, Full Cycle and Trade are all examples of clubs who we d like to work with more regularly but can t, so they ve got individual tents at Creamfields.
Speed garage and happy hardcore are at least as popular as the styles Creamfields represents. Why didn t you give them any space?
It had a lot to do with space we already have nine tents and money. Cream has never really represented the UK garage scene, and we wouldn t like to jump on the bandwagon now. Anyway, the event is aimed at a more stylish and commercial crowd. Creamfields is supposed to be welcoming and comfortable, and that s the image we want to create. The idea of lounging around on a beautiful Saturday afternoon in the English countryside listening to the finest DJs in the world is a slightly rebellious, appealing one.
Poor sanitary conditions and shoddy catering are always a big problem at these events. Will Creamfields be any different?
We ve spent just over #1 million on the event, but we could have spent up to three times that amount. We want to set the same standards as we have in our own club right across the board and providing these facilities properly will be no exception.
Have you suffered the same legal hassles that events like Tribal Gathering experienced in the past?
We ve been fortunate in that the Mean Fiddler have shielded us from any problems, and the local MPs have given the event their support and blessing. Luckily there have been no major problems so far.
This summer will be a decade since the first Summer of Love. Have you looked to the past for inspiration?
In planning the event, a lot of our conversations touched on the subject. Creamfields does draw on our experiences from the old days. Hopefully it will be as exciting as the nights we spent driving around the M25, twatted, looking for raves!
Finally, the fields around Winchester are renowned for corn circles, an apparent sign of aliens. Are you worried the event will be overrun by extra-terrestrials?
Ha ha! It s funny you mention that, because the logo for the event is the normal Cream logo pushed into a cornfield. It was made two years ago on the off-chance we ever promoted a festival-type event. Remember, though, on the night, if you see lights in the sky, they re nothing to do with us! n
Creamfields takes place Saturday May 2nd-Sunday May 3rd, 1998 at The Bowl, Matterley Estate, North Winchester, Hampshire. Tickets are #37.50 (stg). For further info ring Cream on 0044151 7097023 or Mean Fiddler on 0044181 9630940