Isle of Wight Build Up // Bad Day Blues Band // KilliT // The RPMs // The Scruff // The Velvet Hands // Sugarthief // Hannah Paris // Real Dead Ringer // Yves // The Black Roses //

With the Isle of Wight Festival being close to kicking off, we continue with our coverage and quick-fire questions to some of the artists who are set to play the stages across the festival. Giving you an inside guide to who you should catch and help you discover more new music.

Bad Day Blues Band

The Bad Day Blues Band are a group of ferocious live performers and showmen dedicated to giving audiences an experience they will not forget. Merging the rock, country, soul and blues genres, BDBB produces something that is uniquely theirs and no-one else’s. Established in 2016, the band have already played at some of the most iconic venues, including The Hard Rock Cafe, supported Grammy-award winner Delbert McClinton and have recorded at Abbey Road studios. BDBB is performing Sunday at 12:30pm on the Hard Rock Stage.

How would you describe yourself as an artist/band for those who haven’t heard of you?

Bad Day Blues Band: “There can’t be many people left in the world who haven’t heard of us are there!? Cool, gritty, original rock ‘n’ roll then I suppose.”

How are you feeling in the build-up to your performance at the Isle of Wight?

Bad Day Blues Band: “Really looking forward to it. The history of the festival is second to none and the line up this year is amazing. We’ll obviously be the pick of the bunch, obviously. So many amazing musicians are playing, it’s a special event.

What sort of preparation do you have as an artist for a festival of this size?

Bad Day Blues Band: “Preparation!? Should we have packed some sandwiches!? Only joking (we don’t eat sandwiches, we’re too rock ‘n’ roll for that). Lots of live shows in advance help. We’re lucky enough to play at Black Deer Festival the day before, and we’ve recently done some big shows in America; so we have lots of experience to tap into and smash it at the IoW.”

Who are you most looking forward to seeing at the festival?

Bad Day Blues Band: “Bad Day Blues Band. We have heard good things. Oh, The Killers as well. They’re not bad.”

Who do you feel should be on the lineup for next year?

Bad Day Blues Band: “Bad Day Blues Band, main stage headlining please.”

KilliT

A five-piece metal band from London; Gaz, Niro, Claire, Ben, and Pete are making their way across the UK tinging classic rock with contemporary styling. KilliT opens the Hard Rock Stage on Friday at 7:50 pm.

How would you describe yourself as an artist/band for those who haven’t heard of you?

KilliT: “Classic rock, but contemporary vocals, monster drums and bass and killer guitar hooks. Heavy and loud but always a singalong stadium-sized chorus!”

How are you feeling in the build-up to your performance at the Isle of Wight?

KilliT: “Gaz hasn’t been since Shanklin pier burned down – I don’t think there would be any CCTV footage, so it’s probably ok to go back now. We’re really excited. It’s a great festival, and we’ve done a few acoustic shows for Hard Rock whose stage we play on Friday, so it will be good to show them what we can do with a fully operational Battlestar.”

What sort of preparation do you have as an artist for a festival of this size?

KilliT: “Rehearse! Sorta kick-ass 40-minute set and nail it. We like to put on a show and link the tunes together with some kind of thought and dynamic rather than just play a song and start the next one. There’s also some logistical planning with the tour bus and ferry etc.  Doughnuts also feature heavily on the itinerary.”

Who are you most looking forward to seeing at the festival?

KilliT: “The Sunday line up looks awesome…the Manics are legends, Killers have some epic pop tunes, and it’s always great to see how grumpy Van Morrison is live. Dammit, we’re playing on Friday!!!”

Who do you feel should be on the lineup for next year?

KilliT: “Obviously we’d say us, but I’m guessing that’s the most common honest answer. It’s good to see a platform for up-and-coming bands, along with more established household names so keep on keeping on. Of course, we like the classic rock bands like GNR, Alice in Chains, Metallica, but there’s a ton of great contemporary bands and a really cool emerging classic rock scene. It’s nice to see a festival that caters to really wide tastes in decent music.”

The RPMS

The RPMs emerged from the Brighton scene, that has also birthed contemporaries Black Honey and Fickle Friends. The band was formed in Dorset by childhood friends Jack Valero (lead vocals and guitar), Callum James, (drums and backing vocals). Following a move to Brighton, they were joined by Miguel Cosme on bass and gained early momentum in 2016 for their debut EP, ‘Digital Disobedience’, followed by their second EP in 2017, ‘Agents of Change’, released via Xtra Mile Recordings. Catch them at the This Feeling with Pirate Studios & Pretty Green stage.

How would you describe yourself as an artist/band for those who haven’t heard of you?

The RPMs: “Well, originally, we were more of an indie guitar band, but we started moving away from that and into more dance/electro and pop territory. This was fairly new to us, and we weren’t always sure what we were doing at first, but I think it made it all the more inspiring as we’d spanned both genres and weren’t constrained by traditional electro and pop methods. We found ways to combine both making a track you can dance to in a club with a guitar riff. So, with all that in mind, we’d say we’re dancey pop music made by indie people.”

How are you feeling in the build-up to your performance at the Isle of Wight?

The RPMs: “Very excited, of course! We’re playing a later slot on the Hard Rock Stage than last year, so we’re hoping we’ll catch the early evening vibed-up crowd. We can’t wait to be a part of the This Feeling stage gang and prove our metal amongst so many of our peers.”

What sort of preparation do you have as an artist for a festival of this size?

The RPMs: “Mainly, just lots of rehearsals where we’ll get a room with a similarly sized stage and make everything as tight as it can be, and everything so rehearsed it becomes natural including any stage moves, etc. Almost like we’re preparing a play, but also making sure to leave room for spontaneity as that’s where you get the best stuff. You have to tread a fine line between planned and ‘off the cuff’. You need planning, so everyone knows what they’re doing and everything goes smoothly, but mixed in with the completely unexpected things that are unique to the show making it all the more exciting.”

Who are you most looking forward to seeing at the festival?

The RPMs: “So many great bands on this year, and pretty much every band on the This Feeling stage. If we have to choose, then Jordan Allen – been wanting to catch them live for a long time. Himalayas – caught them when we played SXSW and they’re a great band. Bang Bang Romeo – great band and just the nicest people. Velvet Hands, Sisteray, The Modern Strangers, Thyla, Sons, Nadi Sheikh, Sugarthief, Lucie Barat, and The Novatones.”

Who do you feel should be on the lineup for next year?

The RPMs: “Confidence Man. They’re the perfect festival band.”

The Scruff

The Scruff head into 2018 as the ‘ones to watch’, following on from what feels like a breakout few months for the Bedford natives. A somewhat turbulent start to last year saw a member emigrate, a rebuilding process and a new outlook on their sound as the band regrouped with a new guitarist, Jack, to release ‘Her’ – the anthemic single inspired by the passing of drummer Omar’s mother. The single was swiftly picked up by the Radio One team, who made it BBC Radio One Introducing’s ‘Track Of The Week’, as well as receiving support from Steve Lamacq at BBC 6Music. Be sure to catch The Scruff on the This Feeling with Pirate Studios and Pretty Green stage.

How would you describe yourself as a band for those who haven’t heard of you?

The Scruff: “Without wanting to pigeonhole ourselves, I’d say we go down well with anyone who likes an energetic set full of indie-pop bangers and intertwined heartfelt balladry. Naturally, people like to compare us to other bands, and those comparisons seem to vary wildly. Most recently, someone compared our sound to REM which was a welcome surprise, but it really is down to perception. As long as people are enjoying what we do, we don’t care who they think we sound like.”

How are you feeling in the build-up to your performance?

The Scruff: “I think we’re all just really excited to get on the island and show people what we’re about. We’re quietly confident and can’t wait to hang out with our friends in other bands who are also on the bill.”

What sort of preparation do you have as an artist for a festival the size of this?

The Scruff: “We haven’t really prepared or rehearsed any differently, to be honest. There’s an extra bounce in everyone’s step in Scruff camp at the minute, and I think just the magnitude of a festival like this is enough inspiration for us to turn it up a gear during our set.”

Who are you most looking forward to seeing at the festival?

The Scruff: “We’re all into really different things, but I think we’ve all shown an interest in catching Van Morrison on Sunday as well as the Killers. We’re not sure what day we’re arriving yet, but if we’re there for the whole weekend, we’ll definitely be catching fellow Bedford boy Tom Grennan and a fantastic band called The Surrenders who we’re massive fans of.”

Who do you feel should be on the line-up for next year?

The Scruff: “Well, ideally, we’ll get invited back ourselves right? Failing that, we would love to see some of the bands we’ve bumped into on the road be given a chance to shine on a stage like this. Bands like Monarchs, We are Parkas, and The Sulks have caught our eye in recent months, and we think they’d all be right at home on these big stages!”

The Velvet Hands

The Velvet Hands blend slacker story-telling and belting guitar riffs reminiscent of The Strokes with rousing punk choruses that recall The Clash. While onstage their raucous high energy live sets and swagger has seen the tussling frontmen Dan Able and Toby Mitchell likened to The Libertines. The Velvet Hands play the This Feeling with Pirate Studios and Pretty Green stage.

How would you describe yourself as a band for those who haven’t heard of you?

The Velvet Hands: “Binbag rock ‘n’ roll; like an otter in a china shop.”

How are you feeling in the build-up to your performance?

The Velvet Hands: “Pretty good! We’re pleased to be where we are in the lineup, and we’re excited to be able to play to new faces at such a prestigious festival.”

What sort of preparation do you have as an artist for a festival the size of this?

The Velvet Hands: “Make sure we go to the right island and remember our gear. Not sure what the ‘sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll’ policy is on the Isle of Wight; hopefully, it’s better than the Isle of Man.”

Who are you most looking forward to seeing at the festival?

The Velvet Hands: “Mostly the smaller bands, like Avalanche Party, Calva Louise, Sisteray, etc. We’ve got another show on Saturday, so, unfortunately, we won’t be living the dream of getting smashed and going wrong to The Killers – a dream of ours since we were about 14.”

Who do you feel should be on the line-up for next year?

The Velvet Hands: “Not too sure, to be honest. Most of the bands and artists I’d like to see are playing anyway. I think Isle of Wight has good taste, so I’m sure they’ll pick some good stuff next year; maybe The Velvet Hands?”

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Sugarthief

Unsigned Birmingham band Sugarthief are showing no signs of slowing down in 2018 following a very successful 2017. After supporting The Night Cafe and Charlie Barnes (Bastille) earlier this year, as well as a series of successful gigs in London (Nambucca, The Monarch, O2 Islington), Manchester (Jimmy’s, Dulcimer) and Birmingham (Castle & Falcon, Sun ower Lounge, The Flapper), the boys picked up ‘Best Indie Band’ at the inaugural Birmingham Music Awards; as well as being short-listed in three other categories. Their hard work has been further rewarded with a slot at the Isle of Wight Festival, where they will play the This Feeling, Pirate Studios and Pretty Green Stage.

How would you describe yourself as a band for those who haven’t heard of you?

Sugarthief: “We always find it difficult to answer that question because we don’t like to pigeonhole ourselves too much, but if you like, then we’re a four-piece kind of clean and kind of raw sound. Some lame on-stage jokes, and corduroy clothing. “

How are you feeling in the build-up to your performance?

Sugarthief: “More than anything else, incredibly excited! It’s the first festival we’re playing with such a rich history, including the likes of Hendrix, The Who and Dylan playing it in the past. We feel a certain responsibility to give the best possible performance we can, which we plan to do.”

What sort of preparation do you have as an artist for a festival the size of this?

Sugarthief: “Just practising a lot. The best thing you can do is be so comfortable with your set that you can focus on enjoying the performance and taking everything in, which isn’t always easy to do under pressure.”

Who are you most looking forward to seeing at the festival?

Sugarthief: “We’re really excited to watch a few of our Brummie mates who are playing the same stage as us. The Cosmics, Ivory Wave, The Assist and Alex Ohm are all great Midlands bands we’ll be watching on the barrier, beer in hand. We’re also excited to see a few big names for the first time; Liam Gallagher, Blossoms and Travis are part of that list.”

Who do you feel should be on the line-up for next year?

Sugarthief: “I think The Lemon Twigs would fit the lineup perfectly, just because of their pure rock ‘n’ roll edge. Some of our up-and-coming faves, such as Willie J Healey, The Oriellies and The Magic Gang, would be perfect. We’d also love to see any of our Brummie mates on there again, of course.”

Hannah Paris

Hannah Paris is a UK country pop artist and also fronts a five-piece country rock band of the same name. Hannah is making big waves in the UK country scene having enjoyed extensive radio play around Europe. Her music had over 100,000 streams on Spotify, which is almost unheard of for an unsigned artist. She spent 2018 writing new material, which moved away from her earlier ballads to a rockier sound and has gone down very well with her audiences in recent live shows. Every new track is refining her sound and creating a sound of her own. Hannah and the band have appeared at numerous festivals and iconic venues, already including The Hard Rock Cafe (London) and The Green Note (Camden, London. She will be performing on Saturday at 6:35pm at the Hard Rock Stage.

How would you describe yourself as an artist/band for those who haven’t heard of you?

Hannah: “My sound is tricky to pigeonhole, but I guess it’s best described as a blend of modern Nashville country music and Southern rock. It has evolved over the last twelve months as this time last year I was a solo artist playing my first festival spots on acoustic stages. So, big changes.”

How are you feeling in the build-up to your performance at the Isle of Wight?

Hannah: “A combination of excitement and anticipation. I rarely feel nervous performing, and I don’t feel nervous at the moment as we have had good preparation, but I am sure it will kick in a little as we get closer to the event.”

What sort of preparation do you have as an artist for a festival of this size?

Hannah: “That’s a great question. We are trying to play as many gigs as possible, but it’s impossible to try to replicate the IoW stages and the large crowds. In the summer we are booked on some big stages at other festivals, but IoW is the fairly early in the festival calendar and we have to rise to the occasion based on our past experiences. Some of my band have played on big stages, and they tell me its easier than the small intimate gigs where people are listening to every note and breath.”

Who are you most looking forward to seeing at the festival?

Hannah: “Personally, I am looking forward to seeing Sheryl Crow, Jessie J and Kasabian, but I could just reel off the entire weekend lineup as my musical influences are wide.”

Who do you feel should be on the lineup for next year?

Hannah: “Ed Sheeran and Taylor Swift are two of my favourite artists. I would love them to be at the IoW 2109, and in anticipation of my sensational debut this year, me, of course. Sorry, but I couldn’t resist a shameless bit of promotion.”

Real Dead Ringer

Real Dead Ringer are proud to present the UK’s most authentic Meat Loaf tribute show, and have worked very hard to recreate the Meat Loaf sound and stage show with plenty of audience participation moments. Real Dead Ringer produces an exciting, jaw-dropping show wowwing audiences and selling out venues wherever they go. With extensive bookings for festivals, theatre shows, corporate events, weddings, private parties and special occasions, they are truly perfect for any event!

How would you describe yourself as an artist/band for those who haven’t heard of you?

Real Dead Ringer: “We are called ‘Real Dead Ringer’ and we are the UK’s most authentic Meat Loaf tribute band!”

How are you feeling in the build-up to your performance at Isle of Wight?

Real Dead Ringer: “We are all so excited! It’s our first time playing at a festival with this project, so we are really excited to bring our show to a brand new audience.”

What sort of preparation do you have as an artist for a festival of this size?

Real Dead Ringer: “Practise, practise and more practise!! We have been doing lots of rehearsals as a band, but I also do lots of practise alone. We are lucky to be gigging a few times a week as well.”

Who are you most looking forward to seeing at the festival?

Real Dead Ringer: “I’m really looking forward to seeing Liam Gallagher; Oasis was the soundtrack to my youth, and to see him will be great. I’m also really looking forward to seeing the Mariachi band Vote Pedro. My 5-year-old son plays maracas for them. I think he will be the youngest ever performer at the festival!”

Who do you feel should be on the lineup for next year?

Hannah: “I love finding new music, and I’ve been lucky enough to discover a fantastic three-piece called The Goat Roper Rodeo Band. I would love to see them play at the festival, and if I could chose a headliner it would have to be one of the big rock bands like Kiss, AC/DC, Guns N Roses or Iron Maiden.”

YVES

YVES are a high octane three-piece formed in 2016, consisting of frontman Harry Roke, bassist Mitchell Dodson and powerhouse drummer Finn Wilkinson. YVES produce arena-sized rock tunes, where soaring vocal melodies are met by a muscle of bass and drums, their songs are handcrafted singalongs, a result that has been described as a stadium-ready sound that is gratifyingly familiar yet thrillingly fresh. Graced with a D.I.Y ethic the band have gigged consistently since formation. YVES play the This Feeling, Pirate Studios and Pretty Green Stage today Yat 8:50 pm.

The Black Roses

The Black Roses are a four-piece London-based band. Formed after drummer, Mike Goodfellow, and lead singer, Anthony Stevenson, met one another at Glastonbury festival. Early formations of the band had already begun when Anthony and bassist Valentin Pean started writing songs the previous year. With the addition of guitarist, Richard Jones, things are picking up with great momentum. Writing infectious indie rock, influences vary from early Arctic Monkeys, Queens of the Stone Age to The Libertines, and The Strokes. The Black Roses play the This Feeling, Pirate Studios and Pretty Green Stage today at 7:30 pm.