Voted one of the greatest DJ’s of all time, Andy C will headline this summer’s South West Four on Clapham Common alongside the likes of Rudimental, Dizzee Rascal, Chemical Brothers and Carl Cox.

What’s On’s Jim Palmer caught up with the drum and bass supremo…

How much are you looking forward to South West Four? What are you most excited about?

I am always looking forward to South West Four, it is a fantastic festival. Being a homecoming festival we have friends and family there, and the whole crew, for this huge party, this blowout at the end of the summer.

This year for me too I am going to be playing the main stage, which I have a couple of times, but in darkness, without the lights and lasers and whatever comes with that. It’s going to be a full on nighttime festival vibe.

How does it rank alongside other electronic music festivals in this country and around the world?

For us it is well up there. A London festival, bank holiday weekend, the Ram tent with 10,000 people in there, all day. It is massive, one of those diverse, proper London festivals.

You play lots of different kinds of shows, what makes festivals special?

I love having so many acts there, catching up with people, the big crowds and general feeling you get from everyone going to a festival. You go there to have fun all day with the sun out or a tent while it chucks it down outside.

It is a celebration, enjoyment, soaking up all what music has to offer.

What’s your most enduring festival memory?

It was chucking it down this time, absolutely! I was out in Canada, and the crowd didn’t care.

I remember playing this one tune and it was a moment, those moments you get, and that one was a special one.

I have had these moments all over, whether at Global in 80 degree heat and everything breaking, SW4 mainstage, Glastonbury with 60,000 or 70,000 people. Each one of them had their own vibe.

How long does it take to put your set together? Is it something you change on the night?

It doesn’t take too long actually, I just turn up and go. Years ago I worried a lot about these things, sweat buckets over 2 hours or even 90s minutes.

But, over years, now I know from playing longer sets that I don’t need to prepare, we are gonna have it.

That is drum and bass. Hopefully my enjoyment translates to the crowd. I think at a festival with drum and bass, the energy is there, it is a no brainer.

You have won heaps of awards – which one means the most to you and why?

Good question… the latest one! Whichever one is the most recent, because the first one was 18 or 19 years ago, 1997 I think, so whenever I am fortunate enough to get one it shows people are enjoying what I am doing currently.

It is genuinely humbling, it is a beautiful thing with so many people working in drum and bass to be recognised and that gives you the confidence to keep the fire burning – mine is.

What music do you listen to in the car?

All sorts! I just got back from holiday, I was listening to the new Kendrick, ‘Untitled Unmastered’. What an artist that man is.

I loved ‘To Pimp A Butterfly’ from last year, loved Jamie XX’s release too.

Will definitely have Radiohead’s next album playing in there, absolutely buzzing for that. Actually trying to get tickets to see them in concert now and they are like gold dust, will need to call some contacts for that!

Oh, and Anderson Paak, was listening to him day before yesterday. That is the thing with drum and bass, the tastes are so varied and that is what the genre does, we have been able to take these influences and incorporate them.

What was the first single you bought? How do you feel about that now?

This ain’t even a lie, me and my best mate from school James who I just saw last week actually and has a wicked taste in music, we used to pretend we ran a pirate radio station.

We saved up our dinner money to buy vinyl, and we’d go round his house and talk down the microphone into his stereo.

The first one I got when I got my turntables was ‘Shut Up and Dance’, which was pretty epic.

But, I didn’t have the money for a second record so I ended up coming home and mixing that with something my sister had, ‘Vogue’ by Madonna. If you can mix them – it is a good learning tool for sure, on belt drive decks, that is my guidance for sure.

Andy C headlines South West Four festival on Saturday  August 27 at Clapham Common. Go southwestfour.com

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