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and best dance tent in the word.
t's an annual tradition to be taken aback by the quality of acts and DJs appearing at the Slam Tent at T in the Park. and this year's line-up trumps them all. It just isn‘t like other festival dance stages. The level of dedication behind it means that it's a coherent party under canvas. more akin to an actual
club than some cobbled together programme of
uninterested DJs. Slam and their Glasgow label Soma take full ownership of their big blue tent. They only book DJs and live acts with something to offer other than bouncy tunes and brain-dread crowd pleasers. and the stage seldom drops far below its 15.000 capacity over the two days. The stage is being graced by some of the most interesting. diverse and popular acts in the world of electronic music. on a bill that includes Basement Jaxx. Chemical Brothers. Carl
Craig. Felix Da Housecat. (iroove Armada and Jeff
Mills.
Dave Clarke. Soma‘s managing director. explains why the festival stage is one of the most important operations in the label‘s calendar: ‘The Slam tent is important for Soma because we always showcase a couple of big new things on the label. lt's representative of Scotland as a whole because it‘s not just a token dance tent. like at certain other festivals. There's a real cohesion. At other festivals. you‘ll get the DJs playing through the same sound systems that the bands use. but we do it right and build the tent from the sound up.‘
Having helped build the tents popularity (along with Slam and numerous significant others) over the last eight years. (‘larke is justifiably proud of a stage that has brought Scottish festival goers such rare treats as Daft Punk. Laurent (iarnier (live) and ()rbital. ‘Having Daft Punk in the tent was a real
Johnny Regan looks at the line-up for this year’s SLAM TENT, surely the biggest
‘TURN UP IN GOOD TIME IF THERE'S SOMEONE IN PARTICULAR THAT YOU JUST HAVE TO SEE'
coup. and I don't think people had any idea of how reclusive they were going to be in the years after their appearance. We had them on even before they had a live agent. and they went down really well. I was in their studio recently and l was pleased to see an advert for a Soma boat party that they played on their wall.’
This year‘s Slam Tent line-up is heavy with home- grown talent. with Skye-born Mylo. and (ilasgow boys Salon Boris. Jim Hutchison. Alex Smoke and Sidewinder all taking to the decks. This is the perfect way to complement a two-day bill that comprises globally renowned producers and DJs like Tiga and Josh Wink. It‘s a programme that a Scottish crowd can be proud of. (‘larke likes the symbiosis that such a programme sets up: ‘I love the tent because it‘s the best way to give the new guys a chance. Nevertheless. you‘ve got legends like (‘arl Craig doing his live thing. Trey Demented. where he plays just about every one of his classic tracks live. You‘ve also got people like Basement Jaxx and the Chemical Brothers. who both jumped at the chance to play.‘
The growth of the stage has been proportionate to that of the festival. and it can now stake a claim as one of the big draws of the party as a whole. Such is the popularity of the stage that it does occasionally have to be closed down for the duration of a set to prevent overcrowding. So turn up in good time if there‘s someone in particular that you just have to see. Also. it might be worth noting that the tent's crowd is notoriously fervent and hedonistic. so pick a pleasant spot to the side if full- on abandonment isn‘t really your scene
T in the Park, Balado Airfield, 10 8. 1 1 Jul.
WORDUP
The latest club news
KEEP AN EYE OUT FOR A Slam fanzine, that should be kicking about soon, to celebrate the forthcoming release of their new album Year Zero available on site. Not only is it a nice bit of memorabilia but it also features a history of Slam as told by our very own Glasgow Fabulous/Ubiquitous Girl team.
DO THIS DO THAT ARE RUNNING a competition in conjunction with XiIe Clothing for their forth coming events featuring DJ Sneak and Josh Wink. For information plus opportunities to win free tickets and prizes go to www.xileclothing.com, the official website for these events.
YOU MAY HAVE NOTICED there is no A-List this issue. Don’t worry, it hasn’t gone for good - it’s just on its summer sabbatical and will be back in September. In the mean time, if you fancy taking advantage of some cheap clubbing the Arches, Glasgow, is offering half price vouchers for the Funk Room and Death Disco on its website www.thearches.co.uk.
THE FESTIVAL IS ALMOST UPON us and those nice folk at the Liquid Room. Edinburgh have let us in on a few killer nights. At Snatch we have Utah Saints (12 Aug), Asian Dub Foundation (19 Aug) and Richard Fearless (26 Aug); Evol's birthday features Princess Superstar (27 Aug) and Colours is joined by Sasha (date tbc).
AND FINALLY, IT’S TIME FOR another competition. MTV has given us five copies of its new MTV Base double mix CD, featuring a selection of urban cuts, including 50 Cent, Christina Milian, Nas and many more. To win a copy please send and email marked ‘MTV’ with your name and address to promotions@list.co.uk by no later than 22 July and the first five out the hat will be winners.
The history of Slam
8—2? Jul 2004 THE LIST 67