This weekend, it is finally upon us – the 10th anniversary Creamfields event. It’s the biggest event in Liverpool’s clubbing calendar, one of the largest dance music festivals in the world, and is attracting some of the biggest names in electronic music to the region.
Undoubtedly one of these is Paul Van Dyk, the German trance pioneer whose career has been intertwined with Creamfields since the event’s inception in 1998.
“Obviously Creamfields and myself have a big shared history,” he says. “1998 was the first time I played Creamfields, it was their first event and it was also the first time I played ‘For An Angel’, which as you can imagine is a quite a memory. And things have picked up from there somewhat.”
It was ‘For An Angel’ that turned the Berlin-born DJ into a household name, and he has been a regular fixture at the festival and other Cream events ever since.
“I’ve seen it grow,” he says. “I’ve seen the changes that were made, and the dos and don’ts that happened. Still, at the same time, something that is always visible with the festival is the passion and effort that the team is putting into the festival. It’s not just the overall feel that’s cool it’s also in the detail. And it’s obviously something that matters to a lot of people, and why a lot of people repeatedly say that it’s one of the best festivals in the world.”
In addition to gracing the decks of Creamfields, Van Dyk was also a regular fixture at Cream club events when the Wolstenholme Square site was in its heyday – something else which also provokes fond memories.
“I remember playing the Courtyard and it all going off absolutely crazily,” he says. “It’s just one of those venues. They have great rooms and great people playing in them. I remember a time when Paul Okenfold was playing at the Annex, I was playing the main room and Nick Warren was playing the Courtyard, all at the same time. Can you imagine, one club, on one night? What a line up!”
He refuses to be drawn on who on the Creamfields line-up he’s looking forward to seeing himself, but he will, it seems, enjoy the backstage banter almost as much as the crowds:
“One thing that I can say I’m looking forward to is the fact that a lot of the DJs and acts that are playing there are very good friends of mine, but obviously we don’t se each other that much because we are always travelling. So those festivals are always a chance for us to get together and have a good time. So it’s an extra bonus for playing the festival.”
By Kenn Taylor
Saturday 23rd-Sunday 24th August,
Creamfields UK 2008,
Daresbury Estate,
Halton,
Cheshire,
Saturday day ticket £57.50 plus £5.00 booking fee
Sunday day ticket £53.50 plus £5.00 booking fee
Weekend ticket (without camping) £105.00 plus £10.00 booking fee
Weekend ticket (with camping) £115.00 plus £10.00 booking fee
Kenn Taylor 