TWENTY one years ago
when he was just 18, James Lavelle set up his iconic music label Mo'
Wax. That same year, Southbank Centre hosted what was to be its first
Meltdown Festival.Now the two have come
together with James curating the annual festival which takes over the
21-acre site between June 13 and 22.
We speak as he is
putting the finishing touches to the event which he says is a "huge
honour" to curate.
"It's pretty mind
blowing to be honest!" he laughs. "I'd been talking to the
Southbank Centre for a few years. They were always curious about what
I was doing and we kept in touch over the years.
"Then they asked
if I wanted to do an event and I said I'd like to do a mini Meltdown.
They said it was a good idea but a week later I was invited to meet
Jude [Kelly, artistic director] and she asked if I'd like to do the
whole thing. So here I am!" he laughs.
James is perhaps an
obvious choice to curate the festival which each year invites a
different cultural figure to act as director of the event, take over
the site and pick the performers of their choosing to create a once
in a lifetime experience.
Influenced by US hip
hop, acid and the street culture of the 90s, James set up Mo' Wax
which has proved him to be a unique musical and artistic innovator,
experimenting, shaping, rethinking and changing the cultural
landscape.
This ethos chimes well
with the aims and aspirations not only of the festival but also of
the Southbank Centre itself.
At the heart of James'
Meltdown is the desire to work with young people and mobilise the
next generation to become makers, not consumers, of culture.
"There's a
pressure to do a good job," he admits. "Not just for myself
and my own expectations, but because I have a responsibility to
inspire the next generation of young artists in the same way that I
was inspired as a teenager and I'm following a lot of amazing people
who have done it before me."
These include some of
music's biggest names - David Bowie, Patti Smith, Jarvis Cocker,
Massive Attack and last year, Yoko Ono.
Kicking off proceedings
on June 13 will be UNKLE featuring Philip Sheppard and Urban
Archaeology: 21 Years of Mo' Wax.
The following 10 days
will see a line up which in true Meltdown style is vibrant, eclectic
and varied and made up of a collaboration from the worlds of music,
film, art and everything in between to include DJ Harvey, Neneh
Cherry, Chrissie Hynde and Under The Skin, a screening and soundtrack
with Mica Levi.
"There is a lot
going on," laughs James. "I had a wish list which was my
starting point for the stuff I wanted to include but it's evolved and
changed since I was offered the chance to do it.
"My aim is to
bring together my influences from the past, the present and my work
as an artist and transform the space in a way that's never been done
before, both artistically and musically.
"It's a great line
up - it's all a highlight really and it's all the things I'm
passionate about. I'm particularly excited about seeing Goldie and
Under The Skin and getting my own show together. But I'm also excited
about the young artists who will be part of the festival."
And he says there will
be more added to the list between now and next week including a few
surprises.
"It's a real mix
so I hope it will appeal to a wide range of people."
To put on such a
mammoth event has taken him by surprise though and he admits it's
been more work than he anticipated.
Nonetheless it's an
experience he says he would love to repeat.
"It's an immense
amount of work, some of it quite complicated, so it's been manic and
hyper.
"There isn't a lot
of money, there is no sponsor and it's been quite difficult pulling
everything together as a result.
"Also there are a
lot of things I would have loved to do not just music related but art
and installations and so on that I just haven't been able to. So it's
been a learning curve.
"I think I'm the
first person for a while who the Southbank has had based in London so
they've been talking to me the whole way through. I've been on site
practically all the time!" he says cheerfully.
"It's been full on
but it's been incredible, very emotional and a great experience but
I'm knackered and now I want to be able to sit back and enjoy it,"
he laughs.
"I'm not
complaining though. I'm standing at the Southbank centre every day
for God knows how long and being able to be part of one of the most
important places in the country and the world. It's amazing.
"It's also a
wonderful part of the summer and has an amazing energy. For people to
come and spend time and enjoy such a cultural experience that will
appeal to lots of different people - it's fantastic. It's something
eclectic and joyous and there are amazing people involved - including
the Southbank people who are just lovely. I hope what they and I can
bring will inspire people."
And for a man who is
always on the go, but who has done more in his lifetime than most, I
ask what his plans are after the event and into the future.
He laughs and then
pauses before saying: "I never slow down and am always juggling
about 50 million things at a time but there are still millions of
things I've not done that I want to do," he says.
"I've a
16-year-old daughter and I'm bewildered about that and learning to
deal with that side of life, I want to headline festivals and make
more music. The list is endless.... I'm still searching for the Holy
Grail!"
James Lavelle's
Meltdown is on at the Southbank Centre between June 13 and 22. Visit
www.southbankcentre.co.uk for full listings.
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