Woodstock creator to open The Big Chill Festival 2009

Legendary festival creator, Michael Lang will cut the tape on this year’s action at The Big Chill festival and face questions from chillers at Word in Motion stage.

40 years ago Woodstock first conjured people’s emotions and truly captured the essence of the festival spirit. This year The Big Chill Festival is honoured that the creator of Woodstock, Michael Lang, is coming to the festival as The Big Chill celebrates Woodstock’s 40th birthday this August.

It’s crazy because my dad went to Woodstock; it’s really something that’s been a part of my family. I suppose a legacy, which has been left. My mom say would always say, "I remember hearing The New York State Freeway is closed man”. The essence of the 1960s stuck with me, while I was a teenager, it was something about the 1990s that seemed to reflect the spirit of the 60s. I suppose it’s kind of like now where the 1980s are returning through music, fashion and trends. I was just a young kid in the 1980s, so really I don’t have any nostalgia for it. Am I the only one?

Woodstock is widely regarded as one of the most significant moments in popular music history and was listed one of the “50 moments that changed the history of rock and roll” by Rolling Stone magazine. The brainchild of Michael Lang and Artie Kornfield, with the help of financiers John Roberts and Joel Rosenman, the Woodstock idea was born. It was Lang, who’s laid back approach so typical of the 60s movement, wanted to build it as a way to get people together.

Forty years on, Woodstock is a festival that will never be forgotten. It was 15th
August 1969, when Richie Havens ( I have his autograph from chasing him down at in gig in 1995!) opened up the first ever Woodstock to 500,000 people. Michael will be appearing at the Words In Motion tent on the opening evening, so that Big Chill revellers will be able to meet the man himself in a special Q&A session. There will also be a chance for chillers to watch a 40th anniversary screening of the film, Woodstock: 3 Days of Peace & Music.


Speaking about Woodstock 1969, Michael Lang had this to say: “Eight months before the event, I had a dream. I was on a stage looking out at a sea of people, and I knew that was coming. I didn't have the specifics of it, but I had the end results. I just followed that.”

Big Chill co-founder Katrina Larkin said on the partnership: “Woodstock is seen as the perfect celebration of the 60's peace and love movement. An ideal which the founders of The Big Chill hold dear and which has helped define the ethos of The Big Chill these past 15 years. It is yet to be seen if the skinny dipping that was so prevalent in the Filippini Pond in ‘69 will happen in the Eastnor pond this year. If it does then it is likely that Michael Lang will be the one leading the charge!”

Festival Details

The Big Chill: 6th - 9th August 2009
Eastnor Castle Deer Park, Eastnor, Ledbury, Herefordshire, HR8
Tickets Available From:
Online: Ticketline and National Express
By phone: Ticketline - 0844 888 4411
In person: The Big Chill House & Big Chill Bar
www.bigchill.net/festival

The line-up so far…many of these artists have been featured in Aesthetica Magazine
www.bigchill.net/festival/info/line-up

Aldo Vanucci
Alex Horne
Alice Russell’s ‘Pot of Gold’
Alphabeat (DJ Set)
Amadou & Mariam
Andrew Bird
Annie Nightingale
Apples and Snakes
Art Car Boot Fete at The Big Chill
Barry Castagnola
Basement Jaxx
Bass Clef (Live)
Ben Norris
Benny Page
Boy Crisis
Brian Appleton (AKA Graham Fellows)
Brian Patten
Bristol Hi-Fi, feat. Daddy G, Mr Benn, Queen
Bee & MC Souls Liberation
British Sea Power rescore Winged Migration
and Man of Aran
Calexico
Chinese Man
Chris Cunningham Live
Chrome Hoof
Congo Natty
Craig Campbell
Dan Black
David Byrne
DJ Derek
DJ Sandrinho
DJ Toddla T & MC Serocee
Don Letts Vs Jet Letts
Dub Syndicate
Dylan Moran
Edward II
Emilíana Torrini
Emmy The Great
Erik Truffaz and Sly Johnson
Favela Chic
Fink
Floating Points
Friendly Fires
Futureboogie DJs
Futurecop!Gablé
Gong
grasscut
Greg Wilson
Helios
Henry Krokatsis ‘Helter-Skelter-Lighthouse’
Hexstatic
Horse Meat Disco
Hot Breath Karaoke
Hynotic Brass Ensemble
Ian Stone
In Flagranti
James Yuill
Jazzsteppa (Live)
Jeremy O’Donnell
Joana & The Wolf
John Hegley
Jonny Woo’s Variety Show
Josie Long
J-Star & MC Honey Brown
Kathryn Williams
Kim Hiorthøy
Kode9
Lamb
Lemn Sissay
Lindstrøm (Live)
Ludovico Einaudi presents The White Tree
Magistrates
Marina & The Diamonds
Markus Birdman
Max Romeo
Metro Area
Mitch Benn
Modeste Hugues
Moody Boyz
Mr Benn
Mr Scruff’s Tea Party
Mulatu & The Heliocentrics
Mungo’s Hifi
Music From The Penguin Cafe
Noah and the Whale
Noel Fielding
NoFit State Circus & Caberet
Norman Jay
Open Dex 2009
Orbital
Oren Marshall
Parker AKA P ZillaPerverse Universe
Pete Lawrence
Pharoah Sanders
Pierre Hollins
Queen Bee
Red Rack’em
Richie Phoe
Rob Deering
Robin Ince
Rodriguez
Russell Howard
Scamps Theatre’s Pinocchio
Sean Hughes
Ska Cubano
Slam
Smooth & Turrell
Sneaky
Spiritualized
Stephen Frost
Stephen Grant
Subculture
Summer of Dub
Telepathé
Terry Saunders
The Dennis Bovell Dub Band
The Ex, Getatchew Mekuria and guests
The Gist
The Heatwave
The Invisible
The Juan Maclean
The Leisure Society
The Nextmen feat. MC Wrec
The Roundhouse Big Round Tent
Tim Goldsworthy
Tim Minchin
Tim Sweeney
To Rococo Rot
Tom Middleton’s One More Tune
Tomb Crew
Tongue Fu
Underbelly present
Ursula Rucker
Wildbirds & Peacedrum

AWESOME! See you there!

Image credits: Woodstock ’69 ©Henry Diltz
2md image © Big Chill Festival

Even more exciting news from Aesthetica finalists

I’m so pleased to say that Paul Harris, yet another of our Aesthetica finalists, is opening his first solo exhibition at Barista’s Café, Sandyford, Ireland on 22 July. The exhibition, CubaOne photographs, is the culmination of Paul’s visit to Cuba during the last weeks of Castro’s presidency. The images are evocative of Cuba’s past as a great revolutionary nation, and stunningly capture the laid back nature of Cuba’s run-down streets, alongside epic countryside and intimate glimpses into the work and play of its inhabitants.

Paul’s photography is striking in its ability to entice the viewer without giving away too much, retaining a mysterious relevance to the viewer while remaining inherently place specific. In this manner the works fit into National Geographic’s tradition so it comes as no surprise to learn that Paul was shortlisted for the top 30 audience award in the prestigious National Geographic International Photographic Competition.

We’re so excited to have discovered Paul’s fantastic work, and wish him the best of success for the exhibition. CubaOne Photographs will run from 22 July, full details can be found on Paul’s website at www.paulharris.ie

Have a great weekend!

Pauline

Wimbledon fatigue? Take in a show…

Do you wish Andy Murray all the best, but find the ‘Murray Mound’ hysteria all a bit much? Maybe you should check out some other sickeningly young and talented rising stars.

The season for Wimbledon and Pimms, now is also the time of year graduate degree shows are endemic. Across the country, arts graduates from photography to fashion are now exhibiting their work to the public. For students, the graduate degree shows are the years’ highlight, a chance to display the culmination of 3 or 4 years hard work and commitment. For the exhibition attendee, the shows present an exciting opportunity to sneak-preview the future of British design.

Last week I was inspired at the opening night of the Leeds College of Art and Design; personal favourites were the graphic design projects. The innovative use of different materials used by the designers to engage with philosophies and convey visual solutions was stunning. Font and type-face have never been so stirring! As Peter Saville highlights: “The actual visual material, which was a big step for people, would not have been so openly received had it not been n the context of pop affiliation,” it’s bringing the specifics of design to all.

I’m hoping to make it to Nottingham for another show later this month. Fine and decorative arts, fashion design, knitwear and textiles, fashion marketing and communication, photography, graphics, multimedia and product design are just some of the disciplines you can take in at Work the Way the World Works, brought from the graduates of Nottingham Trent’s school of Art and Design. More than 100 students from 15 countries are exhibiting, in a show which truly reflects culture, creativity and diversity from across the globe.

Carol Jones, Academic Team Leader for Masters Programmes, explains the thinking behind the theme,”Work the Way the World Works, reminds us to keep our focus on a world which, whilst experiencing a global economic downturn, is also rich in multi-level opportunities in many different contexts.” Graduate projects include an investigation into the buying behaviour of design-conscious Chinese males, strategies for the improvement of fashion e-retail websites in Taiwan and research into the relationship between the Bombay film industry and the Indian fashion market.

I’m particularly intrigued to see one student’s product design project, where intricate symbols and meanings from traditional Chinese furniture design are incorporated into a table created using Western design practices.
This East-meets-West merging of ideology and design is a hot topic in the Aesthetica office at the moment. China’s current economic boom has translated into an extremely powerful contemporary art market. Within the space of a generation, the changes in this country’s culture have been immense to say the least. The seemingly ever-rising popularity and importance of Chinese art is discussed with artist Chen Ke in our current issue.
Work the Way the World Works is open from July 11-18. If you fancy a break from all the tennis coverage, or – more likely – the last British hope is knocked out, a visit to a graduate show comes highly recommended!

[Image credit. 1. Ken Wong, Interim. 2. Valeria Artistidou, Motion Graphic Design]