The end of May signals the beginning of festival season, yet as much as I would like to get excited about this, deep down I struggle to call myself a true festival person. It’s not that I am particularly adverse to giant crowds and muck, but I am invariably disappointed with festival line-ups. I could be accused of holding rather picky musical expectations, but my resistance has nothing to do with close-mindedness. The thing is, what I really yearn is a sense of personal selection that I find is lacking in most large contemporary festivals. A sense, perhaps, that a festival’s line-up has not just been thrown together with convenience in mind, but that it is a reflection of a deeper ethos or personality. Cue the 2009 edition of Gilles Peterson’s Worldwide Festival this summer…
With little need to introduce either the man or his influence, it will suffice to say that I trust Gilles Peterson to take good care of my ears. In the four years that it has been running, his festival has become the choice summer party for restless listeners who seek something different. With showcases in both France and Singapore this year and the planned additions of Montréal and São Paulo in 2010, the festival is quickly growing into a global phenomenon that does justice to its name. The European – and still the original – version takes place in Sète, an idyllic port town in the south of France, from the 2nd to the 5th of July. It is organised by the boys at FRESHLY CUT EVENTS in Montpellier, and it promises to be as eclectic, exciting, and engaging as Peterson’s own musical selections. If what you want is a touch of intimacy, quality musical selections, and a healthy dose of sun in a beautiful setting, you know this festival is as tailor-made as it gets.
Need convincing? Take a peek at the line-up:
Laurent Garnier live, Gilles Peterson, Diplo, Todd Terje, Theo Parrish, Carl Craig, Jimi Tenor live, LeFtO, Mocky live, Sébastien Schuller live, Soil & “Pimp” Sessions live, Principles Of Geometry, DJ Suv, Stereotyp’s KU BO Project, Fuzati, the bPm, Sundae, Son Of Kick, Jazzamar, Elan Mehler live, Dorian Concept live, Martyn, Aline & Da Vince, Garfld, James Stewart, Boozig aka Velcon, Michael Rutten, Trus’me, Earl Zinger, DJ Oil, Shuya Okino, Jazzanova, Fulgeance live, dOP live…
I, for one, am counting down the minutes to the beach parties and the live sessions, all backed by the sun setting on the Mediterranean. Is it time to find an absurd justification to cross the pond? I know I have already found mine. The only real question is how much longer it is going to take you to find yours. Come. It’ll be Worldwide.
More news soon…
Worldwide festival 2008 “the aftermath” from Morzy on Vimeo.
Words: John M. Gómez
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