6:00pm Thursday 29th July 2010
By Tim Hughes
Tim Hughes grabs his glow-sticks in readiness for the 10th anniversary of the planet’s greatest dance music extravaganza.
Take 150 of the biggest names in dance music, throw in 50,000 party-goers, and let them loose on an old airfield for a whole weekend.
The result is GlobalGathering. It’s the UK’s biggest al fresco disco – and this summer it is celebrating its 10th birthday.
The two-day festival takes place tomorrow and Saturday up the road at Long Marston Airfield, this side of Stratford Upon Avon.
And for anyone with even a passing interest in dance, this is the event of the summer.
Always a popular date for Oxfordshire dance fans, this year’s looks like being a vintage party, with a line-up reading like a Who’s Who of dance.
Headline sets come from two of the biggest names in the land – Faithless and Dizzee Rascal, inset, both fresh from Glastonbury – where between them they provided possibly the highlights of the festival.
Support comes from superstar DJs Paul Oakenfold, Sander Kleinenberg, Chase & Status, 2 Many Js, Armin Van Buren, Carl Cox, Eric Prydz and Sasha.
Joining them are Italian next big things Bloody Beetroots, Death Crew 77, Sidney Samson, Scratch Perverts, Chuckie, Jaguar Skills and Pete Jordan.
A live stage meanwhile will present the likes of Chew Lips, Dirty Vegas and Ou Est Le Swimming Pool and Drums of Death.
Over its 10 years, the event has grown from a one-night rave into a full-on festival weekend. And while other dance events have fallen by the wayside (including the lamented Homelands and Gatecrasher bashes, and this year’s casualty Glade), Global has powered ahead, buoyed up by a stellar line-up of live bands and DJs.
And not only is it going strong, Global really is going international – with sister festivals in Poland, Belarus, Ukraine, Russia and South Korea.
“I’m really looking forward to GlobalGathering this year,” headliner Dizzee told The Guide.
“I’m gonna make sure that it’s a big one – 10 years and still getting bigger and better!"
Rave veteran Carl Cox agreed. “It’s great to be heading back to Global once again,” he said. “The crowd is always amazing and this year I know it will be no different. I’ll be coming this year with some friends, so it’ll be exciting to bring the crowd a selection of my peers who always rock the dance floor wherever they play.”
For Chase & Status, however, the buzz is all about playing live. “In the past we’ve bought our DJ sets to GlobalGathering but this year we’ll be raising the bar and performing 100 per cent live,” says Chase. “For those who have been at our DJ sets and seen it go wild, our live show will blow you away.”
One of the most sought after DJs at this year’s bash will be Irish talent John O’Callaghan, who heads to the festival after epic sets at GlobalGathering shows in Russia and Ukraine.
“I’ll be playing energectic uplifting trance,” says James, 28, who has been on the decks for 10 years and likens his brand of trance to that of Germany’s Paul Van Dyk and Dutch deck-miester Ferry Corsten.
“GlobalGathering at Long Marston is an institution in the UK, but I’ve never played it before – so I’m pleased about being brought over. The best thing about DJing is playing in front of so many people and travelling all over the planet. It’s one of the best jobs in the world – if not the best.
“I love the whole experience,” he goes on, adding: “If I wasn’t doing this, I’d be an aspiring chef – standing over a cooker, sweating even more than I do now!”
Organiser James Algate said: “In what is set to be an unforgettable and defining year in the event’s history, the incredible line-ups for each stage are set to be unforgettable, and will please long-time GlobalGathering aficionados and newcomers alike.
“More than 50,000 dance music fans will pour through our gates to experience the biggest GlobalGathering yet.
“Over 150 of the most exciting DJs in the world will take to 16 stages to keep the crowds dancing through the two-day festival.”
GlobalGathering starts tomorrow and runs through to Sunday morning. Tickets, costing £120 (£180 VIP for you classy souls) are available now on globalgathering.com
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