Antje Papenburg’s Big Chill Review
August 26th, 2008 by sparky
A few weeks ago I was dancing in a field…
I am nostalgically flicking through the photos that me and my friends took at The Big Chill 2008 at Eastnor Castle. The real world somehow doesn’t seem to be good enough any more in comparison to the carefree, happy and sunny days I spent in that infamous Deer Park.
This year I turned 27 and I had never been to a music festival. So I worked my way up.
First All Tomorrow’s Parties (Butlins somehow does not manage to create a real festival feel, but there is “The Water World” to make up for that), Lounge on the Farm in Kent (small but lovely and the first camping experience) and then The Big Chill, a festival my friends have been raving about for years.
I am glad to say that no matter how old you are, it is never too late to pop your festival cherry. Don’t be scared about not knowing much of the line up – The Big Chill is not just for music buffs. There is a great variety of tasty food, massages, comedy, poetry, sunshine, tarot cards, hula hooping, fire works and so much more.
As a festival virgin, I learned a couple of things that will certainly enrich my experience next year – and hopefully yours too.
Come early!
The festival officially only starts on Friday, but come on Thursday afternoon and find a good spot to pitch up your tent. Otherwise you may be end camping on a steep hill and miles away from the toilets.
Book a coach ticket!
It may be a bit difficult on the way back to find a position comfortable to catch up on much needed sleep, but it’s the most practical to get to and from the festival. I certainly would not have been able to drive for a few hours on Monday morning. Extra tip: keep some food for the journey back and take your pillow on board.
Bring a torch!
Believe me, trying to take your contact lenses out in a dark tent at four in the morning can go horribly wrong.
Camp near the showers!
Don’t go in the morning though, the queues are rather long. In the afternoon, however, you rarely have to wait at all and the water is nice and hot.
Don’t worry too much about your appearance and cleanliness, nobody cares!
On the first night, it was raining and everyone was dancing in the open air, absolutely soaked. So get wet or role around in the mud if you like – everybody is having too much of a good time to care what you look like. A minimum of hygiene is guaranteed by bringing wet wipes, and I also would recommend wellies if you want to prevent trench foot.
Saying that, I was told it never rains at The Big Chill, so this year must have been an exception and next year flip flops will be sufficient (touch wood!).
Go with the flow!
If you are coming with a large group of friends just forget about staying together all the time, it’s not going to happen. Unless you want to constantly wait for people and trying to figure out whose mobile battery has not died yet, whilst in the meantime missing out on all the good acts. Just go where you want to go, meet new people and if in doubt, pick a fixed spot where you and your friends can meet if anyone is lost or feeling in need of company. I say fixed, because a friend and I went to the bar one evening to get a couple of drinks and decided on a point to find the rest of the group again within the large crowd in front of the Central stage. Someone standing close to our group had the bright idea to bring a large stick with a red fish on top, so that his friends could spot him easily. Fantastic, we thought, lets remember the big red fish and we will find our way back. Coming back from the bar, we had no trouble following the fish whilst wrangling our way through the crowd. Strangely, we couldn’t find anyone, until we realised the guy with the fishing was moving towards us. We had really wanted to prove the girl wrong who had laughed at us earlier, when we said to our friends: ‘Stay where you are!’ ‘That’s is the most used sentence I have heard this festival’, she exclaimed, ‘forget about it, you will not see each other again tonight.’ In the end, we managed to zig zag through the crowd and find the others, who were looking out for us. After all, we were the one’s with everyone’s drinks…
Don’t worry about missing anything!
You can’t be everywhere at the same time and a rest in the tent in the afternoon is much recommended if you want to keep dancing till the early hours. You can always tune into Big Chill radio in your camp whilst having a little lie down.
Chill – literally!
Visit the enchanted garden every once in a while. Not only can you find the tastiest and healthiest food there, it is also nice to have a place to relax away from the masses. Next year I am planning to treat myself to a nice massage as well, there is lots on offer.
Talking about relaxing, bring a blanket so you can sit down – or double your raincoat as one.
Also a great place to meditate, if being with your friends 24/7 is getting on your nerves a bit: the lake. Doubles up as a romantic place for a secret snog.
Not advisable is to jump into the lake for a midnight swim, as I have seen some people do, unless you want to combine your first festival experience with your first experience of surviving hypothermia.
Move your body!
Dance – obviously – and walk – a lot, especially as getting back to camp involved climbing a steep hill -, but for a more fun variant of exercise try hula hooping or poi pois. You can buy them at the festival and they are a great help when trying to recreate the festival feel in your back garden or local park.
Next year I will be a little more prepared and clued up, but nonetheless I managed to enjoy this year’s Big Chill immensely. If I would have to take a pick, my top three moments would be:
1.The first night. Although it was raining, it was well worth it to leave the camp site and go down to the festival grounds. The view of the tents, colourfully lit up trees and the lake takes your breath away.
2. Sunday night. The bonfire and fireworks (which looked like golden rain falling from the sky) followed by a mix of dub-step, grime and house at the Cocktail Tent. I am known to enjoy a boogie every once in a while, but that night, for the first time in my life, I felt music take over my body completely, and I was compelled to dance for hours. All little worries of life dissipated and nothing else mattered but the rhythm and the beat.
3.Signing the Big Chill sign and looking down at the festival for the last time, consoling ourselves with the fact that next we will all be back.
So take the festival plunge, de-virginize yourself and create your own unforgettable memories at the Big Chill. See you there next year!
Review by Antje Papenburg.
