- Title: UK: "CREAMFIELDS" STARTS THE FESTIVAL SEASON IN BRITAIN
- Date: 2nd May 1998
- Summary: SINGH FROM CORNERSHOP SAYING, (SOUNDBITE ENGLISH) THIS IS OUR FIRST FESTIVAL AND THEN WE GO TO AMERICA AND PLAY A FEW FESTIVALS AND GIGS THEN COME BACK TO EUROPE...WE'RE VERY HAPPY. THE ORIGINAL ("BRIMFUL OF ASHA") GOT JOHN PEEL'S (RADIO DJ'S) BEST OF NUMBER 1 AND THE ORIGINAL IN AMERICA MADE IT KICK OFF AS A SINGLE IN THE FIRST PLACE BUT WE THINK THE REMIX IS REALLY GOOD SO WE DIG IT."
- Embargoed: 17th May 1998 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: MATTERLEY ESTATE, NEAR WINCHESTER, HAMPSHIRE, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM
- Country: United Kingdom
- Topics: Entertainment
- Reuters ID: LVADKH0HYYXO1M4RV63C2YNAV5KR
- Story Text: Summer may not be here yet but that hasn't stopped the first of Britain's summer music festivals from getting under way.
"Creamfields", on the Matterley Estate near Winchester in rural England, kicked off the festival season on Saturday (May 2).
A new festival, on a new site, Creamfields also offered new festival weather -- for Britain.
The clouds melted away and the sun came out to attract a 40,000 strong crowd.
Creamfields was born out of a dispute between two promoters over ownership of the UK's long-running Tribal Gathering Dance Festival.
The Mean Fiddler organisation, the largest owner of music venues in the UK, went into partnership with leading Liverpool house music club Cream to create "Creamfields".
As the sun dropped, crowds packed into nine tents to hear music alternating between top DJ's and bands with a rhythmic flavour.
For 17 hours, Creamfields provided a window on contemporary dance music.
The banging rhythm of techno, trance, big beat, drum 'n bass and hip hop echoed across the fields of the southern county of Hampshire.
Primal Scream attracted some of the largest crowds.
The band's breakthrough album "Screamadelica" in 1991 earned them a reputtion for coming closer than most to bridging the gap between rock and dance.
Another popular performer was 1998 Brit Award winner Finley Quaye.
The 23-year-old musician played a roots reggae set to an appreciative audience.
Other performers included Brooklyn's rap grandaddies Run DMC, who played their first set in Britain for 10 years.
DJ Roni Size, himself a former Brit Award winner, also performed, as did new British sensations Cornershop.
It was Cornershop's first performance at a festival but it won't be their last.The band plan to travel to the United States to play festivals there, before coming back home for a European onslaught.
Over the weekend, more than 100 of the world's leading DJ's and dance acts performed. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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