Festival Tips: Christian Smith, Jon Rundell, Nicole Moudaber, Dave Spoon

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Festival Tips: Christian Smith, Jon Rundell, Nicole Moudaber, Dave Spoon

17 August, 2010 | 6.38AM

Written by: Beatportal
Filed under: Music News: christian smith, dave spoon, festival tips, jon rundell, nicole moudaber, sw4

Billed as “The biggest DJs in the world… the best weekend of your life,” South West Four Weekender promises exactly that. Running from noon to 9pm both Saturday and Sunday (August 28/29), and with four stages spread across the spacious expanse of London’s Clapham Common, the festival offers that rarity of rarities, all-day outdoor partying in a virtual urban oasis. Catch Carl Cox, Dubfire, Adam Beyer, Layo & Bushwacka!, M.A.N.D.Y., Jon Rundell, and Vitalic live on the Carl Cox & Friends stage which is presented by Beatport and DJ Mag - not your typical Sunday in the city.

We asked Christian Smith, Jon Rundell, Nicole Moudaber, and Dave Spoon what to expect this weekend. Read on for their answers.

Christian Smith

Have you been to South West Four before? What are you looking forward to?

This will be my first time performing at SW4. I have played all the major clubs in London, like Fabric, Ministry of Sound, Brixton Academy, etc., but this will be my first open-air festival in London and I’m really looking forward to it. Fingers crossed that the weather will be nice and sunny!
 
Tell us about your first festival experience.

I hate to admit this, but I really can’t remember my first festival experience. Before the festivals they had raves, and before the raves they had illegal warehouse parties. I remember my first “cool” club experience when I was 14 years old. I managed to fool the bouncers and sneak my way into the legendary Vogue club in Frankfurt where Sven Väth was playing tracks such as Visage’s ‘Fade To Grey’ and Adonis’ ‘No Way Back’. My parents thought I was sleeping over at a friend’s place, haha… This was the beginning of my clubbing career as punter, before getting more seriously involved as a DJ and producer.

Which was the first major festival you played as an artist?

The first proper festival I played at was at Homelands in the UK. As usual in England it was raining cats and dogs. But I was lucky as I played in a tent. I was nervous as hell, but the gig ended up being amazing.
 
What’s the strangest thing that a fan has ever given you?

I once had a gig in Las Vegas at a big club called Ice. The night went very well, until the promoter came to the booth and gave me a CD of Britney Spears, and asked me to play some songs. Then I politely said that perhaps it’s better that the resident DJ takes over and went back to the hotel.

Check out Christian Smith’s Summer Weapons Top 10 and his Beatport Classics Chart on Beatport.

Jon Rundell

Have you been to South West Four before? What are you looking forward to?

I’ve been to every SW4 since it began, as it’s a 10-minute walk from where I live. This will be the third time I have played. My favourite thing about it is that all my friends from London are there, which adds to the occasion as they don’t often get to see me much these days.
 
Tell us about your first festival experience.

My first festival experience was at a rave called World Dance inside a huge aircraft hanger in Lyyd Airport. I think there must have been about 50,000 people in there.

Which was the first major festival you played as an artist?

I guess the first major one I played was when I did the Future Music Festival tour in Melbourne, I played to 30,000 people and was very nervous to begin with.
 
What’s the strangest thing that a fan has ever given you at a festival or a gig?

The strangest thing I have ever received from someone at a festival is a chocolate cake in the shape of me. It tasted very nice and was finished in seconds.

Check out Jon Rundell’s most recent Top 10 chart on Beatport.

Nicole Moudaber

Have you been to South West Four festival? What are you looking forward to?

Yeah, I played there last year on the Shake It stage with Layo & Bushwacka. It’s the atmosphere that I like the most—it’s second to none. This year I’m playing at the Bedrock Area with John Digweed and friends.
 
Tell us about your first festival experience.

The most memorable experience was at Creamfields UK when the Pet Shop Boys headlining—they are friends of mine and we had such a laugh that weekend!

Which was the first major festival you played as an artist, and what was the experience like?

The first major festival I played at was two years ago in Beirut. I opened for Tiesto and there were about 20,000 people! The place was rammed and that was an amazing feeling. The following was last year at SW4.
 
What’s the strangest thing that a fan has ever given you at a festival or a gig?

A sandwich from Subway, and he’d already eaten half of it!

Check out Nicole Moudaber’s Space Ibiza Bombs Chart on Beatport.

Dave Spoon

Have you been to South West Four festival? What are you looking forward to?

I’ve not made it to SW4 yet so I really can’t wait to get involved. Especially as there’s that Jamaican jerk chicken catering van there… Mmmmm.
 
Tell us about your first festival experience.

Homelands 1999 or something like that, I think, in Winchester (might have the date wrong to be honest). I went with an ex-girlfriend, got caked in mud, got emotional at a Sasha set when he played ‘Xpander’, lost the camera, saw Gilles Peterson tear the rood off! Also, it was all 30 minutes from my house! Rated.

Which was the first major festival you played as an artist, and what was the experience like?

I can’t remember now! I want to say Creamfields but that’s not right… It must have been Global. Either way it was immense and although it might seem that I’ve forgotten, I remember playing after Jon Carter to a packed arena in the daytime… spinning some “electro house” favourites no doubt.
 
What’s the strangest thing that a fan has ever given you at a festival or a gig?

Well, I get given all sorts of spoons at shows so that’s not so strange any more… The key to a Czech girl’s hotel room, a shoe (to sign), an actual gay marriage proposal in San Diego, and I remember in Australia Seb Ingrosso giving me a pair of wellys.