Big Chill festival takes the holistic approach
Jon Perks meets the organisers behind the country’s coolest music festival, The Big Chill.
Katrina Larkin doesn’t just help plan The Big Chill – she lives it.
Not content with booking the myriad visual and musical artists, Katrina insists on experiencing the four-day festival as much as anyone else – even if that means getting naked for artist Spencer Tunick or having a tattoo at the Sailor Jerry’s rum bar.
“You’ve got to live the life,” she says. “Kelly – who works with me – and I were saying ‘last year there were pictures of us as zombies (for a scene in Noel Fielding’s low budget zombie flick), so do we get the tattoos this year?’
“We try and do everything and be a part of the festival as much as possible because it’s important to experience it from the view of people attending; we’re weighing up whether to get tattoos on Sunday night... after we’ve been to the Spencer Tunick piece... after we’ve made our hats... taken part in a film and video piece... you need a big tick box list to take round.”
Co-founded by Katrina and Pete Lawrence in 1994, The Big Chill has been delighting its fans for more than 15 years with its blend of left of centre music, visual arts, ‘leave no trace’ green anti-litter policy – and arguably the best setting of any UK summer festival, the picturesque Deer Park at Eastnor Castle, in Herefordshire.
The festival fell into financial difficulties in recent years, however – hence the arrival of new owners Festival Republic and its managing director Melvin Benn, the man behind the likes of Latitude and the Reading and Leeds festivals.
“I was approached by the previous owners of the festival to ask whether I was interested in buying the festival, as they didn’t feel they were achieving what they wanted to with it,” says Melvin.
“I think it’s one of the great festivals; I’ve been to The Big Chill a number of times, I’m very familiar with it; last year when I went to see the festival I went with a view to buying it.
He adds: “I always felt that The Big Chill needed a bit more care and attention than it had previously had and that’s what I want to bring to it.
“The line-up lacked cohesion in the past, and really that’s one of the things I’ve tried to bring forward, a more cohesive programme, and I think I’ve got that now.”
Katrina admits: “I’ve worked with various production partners in the past, but never one who has so much experience of festivals.
“As the festival had grown and grown that was what was needed; I’m very good at the frills and the vision of how I wanted it to be, but these were the partners who were able to come in with ownership and handle the nuts and bolts.”
As well as adding a few more mainstream names on the bill (Lily Allen, The Magic Numbers etc), Festival Republic’s input has included tweaking the site itself.
