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In-Tents Questioning: V Festival – Tom Hall

Tom Hall (on the left in the pic) is a hairdresser from Hertfordshire. But when he’s not messing with tresses, he likes a bit of festival action. This is his view of the Chelmsford leg of V 2007.

1. Kindly tell us your name, age and where you’re from. Now.

Tom Hall, 25, from St Albans in Hertfordshire.

Festivals round up: Lily Allen, Foo Fighters and flying men

The rain may have come down but the weekend’s festival action was a rousing success. All the goss on Lily Allen’s Bush-slating, Dave Grohl’s Mum and daredevil festival-goers below.

- Channel 4 are calling this year’s V Festival ‘the best ever’. The unlikely duo of headline acts Snow Patrol and Foo Fighters stormed the event, and even made friends – with Grohl visiting Lightbody onstage for a kiss. It was a lovey dovey affair, with Grohl’s mum also joining the Foos onstage.

Must-see V Festival action: Kasabian, Kanye and Primal Scream

Panic not -the evil sheep lords haven’t triumphed. Despite foot and mouth threatening one of the UK’s finest with cancellation, experts have decreed the V Festival is safe to go ahead this weekend. Hurrah! So if you’re heading to Chelmsford and/or Staffordshire, what to see? Here’s a whole lotta info to digest…

Latest V Festival news: The Bravery pull out, Robyn pops in

The V Festival is one of the highlights of the UK festival calendar, but what it gains in finale status it often loses in line-up depletion as many exhausted bands fall by the wayside due to their gruelling summer schedules.

As I mentioned the other day, Lily Allen may not be well enough to perform after contracting sinusitis and strep throat due to her globetrotting.

Now The Bravery have officially pulled out, although their reasons for doing so are still shrouded in mystery. It follows the cancellation of a slot by Bright Eyes on Monday. Yep, the poor exhausted rock stars are dropping like flies.

Winehouse admitted to rehab

Some puns just can't be avoided. I won't try to be clever, I'll just get it out of the way. Basically, they tried to make Amy Winehouse go to rehab but she said "No, No, No". Then she said "Yes" after she was admitted into hospital last week due to an overdose. The Sun is reporting that Winehouse has checked into the Causeway rehab centre in Essex, leading to speculation that she won't turn up for her scheduled appearance at this weekend's V Festival, which takes place at the duel sites of Hylands Park, Chelmsford, Essex and Weston Park, Staffordshire.

No cancellation has been made, but if she did pull out it wouldn't be the first time she cancelled a festival this year. She pulled out of T in The Park and Norway's Oya Festival, as well as a string of her own European dates. Now she has also cancelled her support slots with The Rolling Stones.

Posted by Mof Gimmers on August 15, 2025 3:15 PM in V Festival
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V Festival announces more bands to the line-up

V Festival, taking place at Hylands Park, Chelmsford, Essex and Weston Park, Staffordshire on Saturday 18th and Sunday 19th August has announced more artists to the line-up.

Appearing on the Virgin Mobile Stage will be Graham Coxon, Bright Eyes, The Bravery, Boy Kill Boy, Stephen Fretwell, Plan B, Bedouin Soundclash, The Holloways, The Rumble Stripes, Mumm-Ra, Remi Nicole, Tiny Dancers and the ever impressive Pop Levi. Also, over in the Strongbow Cider House, will be DJ sets from Kris Bones, Rob da Bank, David Griffiths, Dub Pistols, Justin Roberston, Bez (DJ Set), Evil Nine, Filthy Dukes and Streetlife DJs. Add to that, and impressive line-up at The Barcadi B-Live Bar which will see sets from Jazzanova and Norman Jay amongst others.

On the main stages, you'll get to see Foo Fighters, Kanye West, Jarvis Cocker, KT Tunstall, Basement Jaxx, Amy Winehouse, Manic Street Preachers, Dizzee Rascal, Lily Allen, Babyshambles, Mika, Primal Scream, Corinne Bailey Rae, and more. All tickets for Chelmsford are sold out, but there are some weekend coach package tickets for Staffordshire left - click here to buy.

Channel 4 to continue festival coverage over the summer

With the festival season now fully underway and coverage of The Isle of Wight Festival, Download and Wireless under their belt, Channel 4 are continuing to bring us all the action and music over the summer season with extensive and exclusive coverage of the most talked-about music festivals and events of the year.

T4 on the Beach returns to Weston-super-Mare for the annual one-day event that brings together the cream of the UK and international music scene. Over 30 acts will be performing to a live audience of over 30,000. This year – and for the very first time – there will be two stages and a dance arena. The musical extravaganza will broadcast live for three-and-a-half hours on 22nd July. Steve Jones, Miquita Oliver and June Sarpong host the teeny event. Plus on E4 there will be an exclusive, access all areas, 60-minute after-party programme. And following the event, there will be further highlights programming across the channel and, for the first time, ten 15-minute diary style shows, following the artists as their T4 day by the sea unfolds... and that's not all.

Experiential marketing is after your festival dollars (along with O2, Strongbow, Ray-Ban, Fender...)

Festival time brings the opportunity for lots of fun for girls and boys of all ages. It also allows firms to launch a plethora of marketing onslaughts which, when you read the details of them, leave you feeling slightly less warm and fuzzy about the festival season. But would these events attract as many amazing acts without such heavy investment from companies?

O2 Wireless takes place this weekend in London and Leeds. The fact that I've been able to name the festival without using the word "festival", and through the use of just a brand name, seems indicative of the impact of corporate sponsorship on live music in the twenty-first century. And you can be assured the input from O2 will not end once you walk through the gate, either.

Up-and-coming festival stars: Ghosts

Every year there are a few acts whose popularity skyrockets on the back of a few well-placed festival appearances. The Feeling did pretty well out them last year, and this year Ghosts are being tipped by many to repeat the trick.

Not that it should be considered a trick really - they write catchy, perky pop tunes which translate well to live performances. Their first single proper, "Stay The Night" cracked the top 30, but if there's any justice their second, "The World Is Outside" should prove a massive summer hit. It will sound amazing in the great outdoors on a sunny day - I just hope it gets enough airplay for folk to recognise it.

Stooges added to V billing

V Festival is welcoming the weirdness at Hylands Park, Chelmsford, Essex and Weston Park, Staffordshire on Saturday 18th and Sunday 19th August with the announcement that Iggy Pop and the Stooges are to be added to the line-up. Also confirmed are Sinead O’Connor and Rodrigo Y Gabriela.

Bob Angus, V Festival Director commented: "It’s fantastic to welcome back a music great, such as Iggy & The Stooges. To top that we also have an iconic Irish musician making her debut performance at V, which I’m very much looking forward to seeing!"

Other acts playing at V Festival across the weekend include The Killers, Foo Fighters, Pink, James, Kanye West, Jarvis Cocker, The Fratellis, Editors, KT Tunstall, James Morrison, Basement Jaxx, The Kooks, Amy Winehouse, Manic Street Preachers, Dizzee Rascal, Lily Allen, Babyshambles, Mika, Primal Scream, Damien Rice, Corinne Bailey Rae, and more.

All tickets for Chelmsford are sold out, but there are some weekend coach package tickets for Staffordshire left - click here to buy. The price of these tickets varies, depending on the location you pick the coach up from.

Posted by Mof Gimmers on June 5, 2025 3:31 PM in V Festival
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McFly added to V Festival bill horror

Mcfly are now on the line-up for V Festival, provoking an outcry in some quarters. Quarters inhabited by the types who decry any music they don't deem to be "proper". However, as Popjustice put it (their caps), "THE V FESTIVAL IS HARDLY WOODSTOCK". Fair point - and since the pop scamps are appearing on the same bill as Damien Rice, Corinne Bailey Rae and Lemar, some might say they will provide the excitement needed to prevent the audience from nodding off into their picnics.

V2007 hosts Foos, Manics and much much more

Alongside headliners The Foo Fighters and The Killers, Snow Patrol are set to headline the V2007 Festival. Latest addition to the billing is Rilo Kiley and The Thrills who will play the event which takes place between August 18 and 19 at sites in Chelmsford and Stafford.

Also joining this year's bill are Kasabian, Editors, Pink, James, Basement Jaxx, The Kooks, Amy Winehouse, Manic Street Preachers, The Fratellis, Primal Scream, Lily Allen, Damien Rice, Babyshambles, Happy Mondays, Paolo Nutini, KT Tunstall, Mika, James Morrison, The Coral, The Proclaimers, The Goo Goo Dolls, Jarvis Cocker, Dizzee Rascal, Ocean Colour Scene, Beverley Knight, The Cribs, McFly, The Hours and more! Quite a line up eh? Click here to visit the VFestival website.

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