2manydjs top Kanye's performance on Saturday at The Big Chill
The Big Chill 2011 review
Monday 15th August 2011
Saturday got of to a very sombre start, with Dionne Bromfield taking to the stage less than a week after having to attend her mentor and godmother Amy Winehouse's funeral, she dedicates the performance to her and there isn't a dry eye in the house when she finishes her set with an emotional 'Love Is A Losing Game'.
Crystal Fighters were next on the list of recommended acts I had been given by some friendly neighbours in the campsite that morning, they brought a heavy Spanish Basque mix to the table with there 5 piece ensemble, using lots of native Basque instruments which made for a real spectacle, fusing together folk and funk seamlessly together with electro and wondering into almost dub step territory, yet another album to purchase on returning home.
I deviated towards the big chill radio stage, where Craig Charles was doing a live broadcast for BBC radio 6 so I indulged myself in a little soul funk bubble for half an hour, before checking out The Bullitts festival debut, this project fronted by Jeymes Samuel, performed with some very high profile guests, Lucy Liu narrated and Jeymes was joined on vocals by Jay Electronica and Idris Elba (The Wire).
They performed debut album 'They Die By Dawn & Other Short Stories'. They really got into the performance and ended up performing there last track from the crowd, after taking a leap off the stage and over the barriers into the crowd, the crowd lapped this up and give them a huge ovation, this seemed to be a crowd strong of hip hop enthusiasts on day tickets for Kanye West that evening, so they were preaching to the converted already.
Their set is followed by an appearance by Janelle Monae, who proves why she is being touted as one of the next mega stars in waiting, she shows this reputation has been earned the hard way, she brings soul funk and enthusiasm by the bucket load, all topped off with her trademark tuxedo, she left no foot untapped in the field and possibly the country, it felt like a privilege to see this young lady on her way up, as I think she has the potential to climb all the way to the top.
I decide to break up the music by taking in a little cabaret performance and find Lee Nelson's Well Good Party Live, well, I am not sure good is how I would describe it, but it kept a few of the tracksuit wearing posse busy for an hour or so!
When I returned Tom Middleton was ripping up the Deer Park Stage with one of his Legendary Big Chill sessions, this is the 16th year he has played in a row, and on this form, I can easily see why he gets the gig every year, time for some food, what a treat I happen to stumble upon an old favourite la grand bouffe, some tartiflette washed down with some hot n spicy, from the burrow hill bus, and I was ready to roll, I took in 20 minutes of Katy b, who was thoroughly entertaining, with a great lyrical performance set to her unique pop-dub step, throwing out all her hits for the crowd to salivate over.
Jessie J hobbled out onto her throne from where she performed, still suffering from her broken ankle which had forced her to pull out of many festivals this summer, she interacted with the crowd like a seasoned professional, inviting a young girl called Abi to sing along back to her from her friends shoulders. She also brough two punters up from the crowd to be serenaded on stage, Jessie seemed to really enjoy this chance to get back on stage warming up the crowd for the imminent arrival of Kanye, when I say imminent I mean 35-40 minutes late, when he finally surfaced it was with a grand entrance.
The stage was flooded by 30 ballet dancers, sprinting round the stage as if being chased for there lives, when the music started Kanye West was nowhere to be seen, but the vocals were coming through, the track 'Can We Get Much Higher' couldn't have been translated better, as when he was finally spotted, it came to light that Kanye was in fact on top of the sound tower, which brought a huge roar, he then climbed down the inner stair case and ran through the crowd back to the stage, and the performance continued. With a sublime set list covering from the recent 'Monster' all the way back to 'Through The Wire', only tainted by a 10 minute rambling attack on the press coverage of himself, trying to convince everyone he is not the megalomaniac the press make out, this 10 minute rant seemed to take the gusto out of the crowd and seemed to show negatively on his performance with people shouting, "you were forty f$@*ing minutes late, don't waste another ten!" after this dip he turned the style back on and resumed a monster of a set.
I went to go and see Example followed by Calvin Harris after Kanye had finished but there was no chance of getting within 100 metres of the already packed stage, surrounded by a lot of disappointed punters, from what I could see, and there Example was going down a storm with the crowd all bouncing in unison along to their favourite crowd pleasers, I decided a change was needed.
Kanye performance was to be totally unceremoniously blown right off the stage upon 2manydjs arrival, they brought their 'A Game' to The Big Chill and didn't disappoint, With a Bass heavy mash up set, cut short by half an hour due to West's antics, they ran riot with amazing backing visuals animated from the albums they were mashing tracks off. They had the Deer Park crowd in rapture! Headline material any day of the week for me.
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