Fantazia The Legend Returns - Interview / Story

The following is an article/interview from a Scottish Main stream newspaper held just before the event:

FANTAZIA'S BACK

Dance event kings return to Scotland with circus special

RAVE kings Fantazia are back in Scotland after a 13-year absence and they're promising to make an even bigger impact than last time.

One of the original rave organisers, Fantazia, made their mark in 1993 with their Seminal Big Bang, arguably the best ever dance event in Scotland.

Now they're back with what's sure to be another landmark event at Braehead next Saturday and they're pulling out all the stops to make this circus-themed event every bit as memorable as the Big Bang.

James is the top man in one of the UK's most successful dance organisations.  Here, the Razz puts him on the spot.

Q What brings you back to Scotland?
A It's a collaboration between myself and Ricky Magowan. We had one look at Braehead and I knew straight away it was the ideal space. It was the amazing reception we got in Scotland that made us plump for here. Scotland is an ideal place to party.

Q What have you been up to since the last time you where here with the Big Bang nearly 13 years ago?
A We've been very busy touring around the world and putting on parties. Our record sales have been healthy. In fact, we've managed to sell over four million albums since we started. We've also got another one out in March.

Q You like a bit of production at Fantazia events. What can we expect from this one?
A Well, that's the surprise. The theme is the circus and we've got some special visual that I'm sure will impress. I wanted to use lasers but the council wouldn't let us.

Q What are your memories from the Big Bang?
A The after-show party at a hotel for the next two days was something else. Carl Cox's set was the highlight. The stage was the longest ever in the SECC at 178 metres and we had no sound restrictions.

FACTS:

FANTAZIA comes from a Greek word.
They hired Michael Jackson's tour bus for one event
The Summertime event caused a 15-mile tail-back on the M1
Fantazia have done three tours of Australia
The Big Bang at the SECC in 1993 cost more than £240,000
Fantazia's dancers also danced on The Word
They staged a rave on the Inspector Morse TV show

By S Barrie