DJ Erick is keeping it Reel with Blackpool Festival appearance

He's travelled the world as a top DJ for 25-plus years, but Erick Morillo is happy to credit a gang of cartoon penguins and their zoo-dwelling pals with his career longevity.
Erick Morillo plays Blackpool Festival this weekendErick Morillo plays Blackpool Festival this weekend
Erick Morillo plays Blackpool Festival this weekend

And this weekend, he’s one of the biggest names in a bumper celebration of 30 years of dance and house music which is taking over the Tower Festival Headland in Blackpool.

The new three day Blackpool Festival will also feature the likes of Example, Paul Oakenfold, Roger Sanchez, Judge Jules and Blackpool’s own Danny Howard, taking to stages tomorrow, Saturday and Sunday.

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To families the world over, however, Cuban-American Erick is to blame for the infuriatingly catchy track I Like To Move It - recorded under pseudonym Reel 2 Reel, which, in various versions, has featured in all three films in the Madagascar movie franchise.

Erick Morillo plays Blackpool Festival this weekendErick Morillo plays Blackpool Festival this weekend
Erick Morillo plays Blackpool Festival this weekend

“That track was a surprise to me in 1992,” Erick told the Gazette.

“It was at first an underground record, and in any and every club it was being dropped... Then it exploded and became a monster, and then Madagascar used it in all three films for the whole franchise.

“It’s the gift that keeps on giving. It generates so much love and money, it has been a Godsend.

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“As a young DJ and up-and-coming producer, it provided a cushion to be able to explore and develop the Subliminal Records label.

“Funnily, the label didn’t even want the record, the one reason they put it out was because they wanted another record and they had to take I Like To Move It as part of the deal; and that’s how it became a hit.”

Headlining tomorrow night will be chart-topper Example and his go-to tour DJ and album producer DJ Wire, in a Lancashire exclusive, as part of Example’s celebratory 15th anniversary tour.

The Kickstarts and Changed The Way You Kiss Me hitmaker Example tops the bill tomorrow night, with a DJ set from Faithless also to feature on the bill of ‘contemporary dance music tastemakers’.

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Saturday’s line-up, meanwhile, looks back at 30 years of house music, with the likes of Erick, alongside Paul Oakenfold, Judge Jules and Utah Saints.

And for football fans afraid of missing England’s quarter final match against Sweden, festival organisers have added a big screen at the Promenade arena - thought to be the only outdoor screen in the town to be streaming the big match.

The weekend rounds up on Sunday with the family friendly festival Party On The Prom, featuring favourites from kids’ TV such as Peter Rabbit and Andy Day, plus craft, music and story workshops and more.

A spokesman said Blackpool Festival was bringing something new to the North West’, and added: “The event will appeal to both electronic music lovers and families alike thanks to a diverse programme of music and entertainment.”

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Also set to appear are Altern 8, Todd Terry, Josh Butler, Dave Pearce, Pirate Copy, Graeme Park (Hacienda), Marco V, Darren Styles, Mason Maynard and Endor, across four stages with a Hed Kandi VIP area at HQ on Talbot Square.

Visit www.blackpoolfestival.co.uk for tickets.

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