About Raw Talent

Thursday 21st August
Half seven in the evening and the crew in full swing to get our broadcast cabin up and running. Tucked in behind the BBC Introducing stage where Dance To The Radio (Leeds label) are putting on some West Yorkshire bands tonight. The crowd is massive, they're shouting "Yorkshire, Yorkshire" and everyone buzzing about Pigeon Detectives doing a surprise set on this stage tonight. We'll post the photos as soon as we have them....

Pigeon Detectives, BBC Introducing Stage Thursday

Now 11pm. What a night. Glorious sunset over the Leeds Festival site. Turquoise sky, purple clouds and The Pigeon Detectives drawing a crowd of thousands to the BBC Introducing Stage. They were excellent, the crowd loved it and even us lot backstage working into the night to get our production office set up, downed tools to go and watch from the back of the stage. It was amazing. You can check out the photos on the front page of our website. That's me done for the night. Now it's back to the campsite to get some food and some sleep before recording begins tomorrow at the BBC Introducing Stage. See you bright and early....

Friday 22nd August
Early.
Camp next door to ours up all night playing Madonna, Oasis and Bon Jovi. Got to sleep with ear plugs. Airbed stopper lost in the mayhem of tent-putting-up yesterday so used another ear plug to stop the hole then used gaffa tape to seal it. Seems to work.
Cold night but beautiful sunrise across West Yorkshire this morning.


Busy already getting ready to record the first of the bands just after midday. Gossip around the site this morning.....the word is that The Foo Fighters are doing a secret gig today. Could be just a rumour but we'd like to see them turn up on stage with Tenacious D. Dave Grohl and Jack Black in a band together! Wow! That'd be worth fighting through mud and crowds for. It is muddy here. If you're coming to Leeds Fest today bring your wellies.

Now just after Midday and Eureka Machines from Leeds just getting ready to open the BBC Introducing Stage. Just heard Colin Murray (Radio 1) getting things started on the Main Stage. Atmosphere here is really good, sun shining, no one seeming to mind the mud. Just been asked to go and meet Feeder later on to do an interview. They've been bumped up the billing on the Main Stage tonight because Slipknot now not playing. The interviews with the main bands are carried out down in the guest area by the press tent. It's a great place to hang out and band-spot but I won't be down there long as back here at the BBC Introducing Stage I don't want to miss anything.

The Bacchae

6.40pm Friday Evening. Feeder have just been on the Main Stage. I didn't get to see it but could hear it from our makeshift office. The BBC Introducing Stage still pulling in good crowds despite being in competition with the big names. On the stage right now, These Monsters are giving it loads. They're from Leeds have got some partisan support despite the rain. Just two more bands to go after this before the stage closes for the night - Loqui and the beautifully turned out The Bacchae. We're still recording all the bands, taking photos, and also linking up with other BBC local radio stations who have shows like Raw Talent's. Linda Serck at BBC Berkshire is broadcasting live at Reading tonight with her show and we're linking the two festivals down the line in a few minutes time. It'll be good to hear how the Reading BBC Introducing Stage is going. Meanwhile back here, loads of people heading towards the Main Stage and Tenacious D. Will let you know if there are any special guests on stage with Jack....(ps there weren't but Jack was dressed up as a purple wizard apparently. Really sorry I missed that.)

7.30pm Linda at BBC Berkshire just told us that Hull band Cherry Cobb Cartel were really good tonight at Reading. The were actually on the stage during the link up. Later on tonight they'll be getting in their van and heading back up north to play the Leeds stage tomorrow. Reading sounded noisy, busy, hectic, just like Leeds. Going to finish up here and head out into the masses to see Metallica in a bit. Raining heavily now and it's getting dark. Atmosphere brilliant.

Saturday 23rd August

Just after 9.30am and Kris (engineer) and I already at the Stage. No one else around but we've got some jobs to do like getting some more photos up on the website. The sun's shining and it's already warm. Actually feels like summer. I love it this time of the day in the main arena. Only us here along with the security guards, the people doing the catering stalls, the litter pickers. Everyone a bit work-weary but the mood is really happy. While I remember, there was a great moment at The Cribs gig last night when the PA seemed to fail. The crowd were singing along anyway and they carried on, finishing the song for the band. It was one of those great moments, could have been a disaster but it was wasn't and everyone talking about it into the night.

Tripwires, BBC IntroducingStage Leeds, Saturday

Some great bands coming up on the BBC Introducing Stage today including Pulled Apart By Horses and a also a real favourite of mine from Liverpool, The Maybes. Remember you'll be able to hear some of their set in our show on Sunday night.
Tripwires have just opened the stage.

Sunday 24th August
9am and backstage. Rained heavily in the night so some power problems at the stage but all sorted now. Got about four hours sleep. There's a band camping next to us who we know from last year. They're from Belfast. Had to turn down their party invitation but maybe tonight. Security guards all along the campsite perimeter in the night because people trying to get in. Felt like I was in a POW camp!

Katy and James from Pulled Apart By Hors

Yesterday, some brilliant performances on the BBC Introducing Stage. Pulled Apart By Horses from Leeds were manic and fantastic and Cherry Cobb Cartel were second headliners and did us proud (both were our choices for the stage). Check out more photos in the gallery. Really looking forward to today's bands. Will be working all day to get ready for our broadcast tonight.

Now 2pm. New York Fund on stage. They were late turning up but have made up for it with set that's going down really, really well. Big cheer just gone up as they ended their set.

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Right, it's Raw Talent Pete here, hijacking Katy's blog while she goes
about with the clipboard of destiny, which defines everything we do.

Sunday evening is here, and the real challenge has begun. While everyone else
is thinking about winding down, our biggest task is just about to
begin. A live radio broadcast.

All weekend we've been in a cabin backstage recording everything that's
happened on the stage, going out and getting pictures, doing radio
packages and editing them on the fly. All these efforts will count for
nothing if the radio show messes up so the pressure's on.

Putting together a radio show is a masterpiece of timing. We want to
choose the best, and most notable tracks from the weekend, but we need
to make sure they each have an appropriate slot in the schedule so Alan
doesn't have to speak at three times his normal speed. Another
consideration is the avoidance of flowery language that is known to
occasionally come from the mouths of bands during exuberant onstage
moments.

So as the show begins, instructions are barked at the hapless individual who is stuck back in the studio. Other instructions are barked at Alan as the mic goes live and he battles to be heard over Bloc Party on the main Stage and Skeletons on the Introducing stage. Somehow a ballet-like piece of radio choreography comes together and the radio show rolls into place like a finely-tuned engine. Grrrooarr!

One other thing... Katy likes to vet all her photos before they appear on the website, but the truth is far less glamorous. She's been wearing the same combat
trousers for three days now and her 'salon' hair is starting to become matted. Alan's Stetson is beginning to fray at the edges, while the engineering team are beyond shabby, having been stuck in a glass-room for 72 hours. Spare a thought for all of us.

Katy tells me she always finds the end of a festival sad. We're about to pack our stuff away and hope our power isn't switched off before the show finishes. What a great festival. Same again next year eh?