Soul Of Man - The Strongbow Rooms

Guaranteed party starters Jem Panufnik and Justin Rushmore of Soul of Man are back at their favourite festival this weekend, taking centre stage in The Strongbow Rooms at The Big Chill. With a few surprises in store and bags of bounce-about beats to lay down, this is one to miss at your peril... 

Virtual Festivals: So, here we are again then?
Justin Rushmore: Yeah. We've played Big Chill the last couple of years. 2003 was mental, we were playing in the Bombay Saphire Bar and it got so packed that security had to storm in and close it down. It was going off! Then last year we played The Strongbow Rooms, which was amazing, by far the best venue there. It had a massive tree in the middle of the dance floor which went up through its roof! For us it was our highlight set of the year so of course we can't wait to get back. It's a good excuse to get very silly. It's a truly unique festival, one for all the undercover old school ravers who are now all mums and dads but come out after dark!

VF: What makes the perfect festival?
JR: You know I was looking through some photos of Glastonbury the other day and couldn't find one in which people weren't smiling like idiots. Festivals are just adult playgrounds really and we're very much part of a generation of people who know what they're doing and are right at home, even though they're miles away from home in a field. It's all about having fun, and that's what we try and push. There's no room for noodly jazz beard stroking during our sets, only pulling headstands.

VF: Tell us about your famous hats?
JR: Just before Big Chill last year, me and Jem went shopping for fancy dress and bought these stupid hats. We were wearing them before we were due on and then bumped into eachother and decided we'd play with them on as well. They accidentally became a bit of an accessory, and we've since dubbed it the 'porkpie set'. I reckon we'll have to wear them again this year, definitely.

VF: What can we expect this year?
JR: The unexpected! It'll be all over the place. Jem's well into his funk, whereas I'm more of a house man, but we've been producing breakbeat for the last five years. So it'll be funky and good fun and all about having a laugh. Playing Big Chill is the one time it doesn't really matter so long as everyone's having fun. There are no frothy Guardian types to worry about.

VF: Is Big Chill especially silly then?
JR: I think it's true of all festivals. Especially at Big Chill, where there's more of an emphasis on the social thing rather than the acts. I think anyone would agree that Big Chill is never about huge acts, it's more of a b-list, which in turn creates a better atmosphere. There's also a different age group, a bit older. You get kids up to about the age of eight and then there's a divide pretty much until the late 20s through to late 40s! There's not many people taking themselves too seriously which means we definitely don't. All festivals are the same, but sometimes you've got to tow the line a bit, like when we were broadcast on Radio 1 at Glastonbury. We'll be letting loose this weekend alright.

VF: How do fests compare to playing clubs?
JR: We've been DJing a long time and yeh clubs are cool, but at the end of the day they're just four sweaty walls. There's just nothing like dancing around in the sunshine. We're lucky enough to travel around Europe, and we've been to some brilliant festivals in Holland and Prague recently.

VF: Do you do any of the technivals in Europe?
JR: I'd love to but DJing is my job so I've got to go places I'll get paid. I'm sure they're amazing and I used to go to all the Spiral Tribe raves, so that's what it's all about for me. But we just go where we're told now!

VF: Any tips for Big Chill?
JR: When we were in Holland Patrick Forge told us about this band called The Rebirth who are supposedly amazing. They're a 12-piece funk band who are making big waves at the moment. I haven't heard them yet but they're supposed to be pretty special. Also, Roisin Murphy, that Moloko lady, who's an incredible performer and definitely rocks, so I'll check her out if I'm in the right field at the right time. I also want to catch the Mad Professor. I love my dub.

VF: Best Big Chill moment?
JR: I think it was probably two years ago. At Big Chill you find yourself having a lot of extraordinary experiences, being touched by magic, and picking up nothing but good vibes. So I was really upset when I walked past this couple who were having blazing argument. It put me on a bit of a downer and then I realised it was two people acting as part of some performance art piece, and it just gave me this incredible boost.      

The Big Chill 2005 takes place at Eastnor Park, Herefordshire, this weekend (5-7 August). Soul of Man headline The Strongbow Rooms on Saturday night. Click here for more.

For more about The Strongbow Rooms visit www.strongbowrooms.com