Radio 1's Big Weekend in Mote Park, Maidstone

Jono off of Unofficial Mills went along to Radio 1's Big Weekend this year and spent the weekend in Maidstone. Here's his final thoughts on the event that saw Radio 1 takeover Mote Park.

Radio 1’s Big Weekend is the station’s biggest event of the year and it’s not hard to see why. After five years of listening to the coverage every year on the radio I finally managed to get myself tickets to the event in Maidstone.

Coming from Norfolk it was always going to be a struggle to get to wherever the event was going to be and it was no different this year. Maidstone was around five or six hours away with the need for at least four trains to get there. The train to London stunk of old people’s BO and I spent most of the journey worrying who was going to sit next to me. I need not have worried as no one actually turned up next to me.

After meeting Catherine off of the forum in London, we got the train to Maidstone from London Cannon Street. It was odd to see such a big but empty train station and these places always to seem to have an air of mystery to them. The train was hotter than the actual tube, and pretty packed too. On arrival it was straight through the town as we tried to co-ordinate the map… which was proving a major problem. Given that I can’t help give directions to people around my own town this was always going to have a few flaws, and it didn’t help that there were so many charity workers trying to stop us on the way.

After asking a traffic warden and checking out several town maps we were on our way to Ashford Road, and so off we went down this long road. Except the road just kept going… and going… and going… After walking as far as we could we gave up when we discovered the numbers went from 1 to 40 and back to 1 again. It later transpired that our B&B was in the next village and that the road was around two miles long.

The bed and breakfast was nice, but it was a little out of the way. Whilst it was pretty close to Mote Park it wasn’t really near the town. On Friday night we ended up walking into Maidstone for a McDonalds and finding the service slower than any other McDonalds I’d been to. It wasn’t that full and yet I think I was queuing for ten minutes. We then ended up getting a taxi home before visiting the pub over the road for some ciders.

On the Saturday it was rise and shine early for breakfast at 9am. We caught a bit of Vernon Kay on Radio 1 who warned listeners that it was very hot, and we began our long walk to Mote Park. The park was already filling up when we arrived, and so we sat down in the shade to avoid having to queue. At twelve we pushed through to the middle of the queue and ended up suggesting one of us fainted to get to the front. The stench of smoke was present from the chavs beside us who felt the need to have a last minute cigarette.

After a few words at the box office we’d got our tickets and a guest pass to get into an extra area. The area had much better toilets and seemed cleaner. It was also where there was more food, picnic benches and a few added celebrities on the way.

The first place we visited was Zane Lowe and Scott Mills doing their DJ set on the outdoor stage directly under the sunshine. The crowd were really up for it, and I have to say I’ve never seen a friendlier bunch of people. Although we didn’t communicate with anyone from the crowd, none of them were annoying and everyone was there for their love of music and Radio 1.

First up was the Ting Tings who were really up for it, before The Hoosiers played the main stage. We then looked on in amazement at the crowds that had gathered to see Moyles play his James Brown samples in his DJ set with Judge Jules, and ended up dodging the topless fat sweaty men by going to the guest area. There were walked past Sophie Ellis Bextor. Edith Bowman also passed us snuggling up to Tom from Editors. It was celeb galore!

On the way back to the main stage to see The Feeling I caught up with Aled who seemed to be in high spirits. The sunshine had remained gorgeous throughout the day but I was feeling guilty that I’d had so much crap food – chips, ice cream, pizza and burgers. Oops!

After lazing about outside in the sun whilst peaking in to see The Feeling we bump into a crowd gathering around an old guy in a lot of bling. We soon realise he was someone important, and it becomes clear he was the mayor of Maidstone. A little too old to be doing Ali G impressions, but I guess that was what was attracting the crowd.

Elsewhere we caught a bit of Fat Boy Slim who had attracted a huge audience, and we exchanged a few words with Scott. Meanwhile, Dick and Dom were racing around trying to find an available toilet, only to end up opening the toilet doors to men having a dump - classy.

The rest of the night was spent around the main stage where Scouting for Girls played, followed by The Fratellis and Madonna. Scouting for Girls were great fun whilst The Fratellis became the major disappointment for me. They played the hits but they didn’t seem as up for it as I’d hoped. Madonna meanwhile seemed to cause the biggest stir with fans and bands with her diva demands. The tent had to be closed and we waited for a good hour for her to turn up. She might have been a big name for Radio 1, but she was doing nothing for the crowds who were flocking out of the tent quicker than Scott Mills around wine.

After a great performance of 4 Minutes without Justin we made our way home for our long walk back and ended up catching the coverage on the telly.

Sunday morning soon came around again and we were shattered. I don’t think I could have felt any less chirpy if I had tried, but I was still up for another day at Mote Park. This time we went a bit later to avoid the long queues and sitting around. It was an amazing sight to see twelve hours later that Mote Park was spotless once more, and those that took part in the clear up operation over night ought be congratulated.

Kicking off the event today was Westwood who was on the outdoor stage. Bless him, he did try to big up the main stage, but it clearly wasn’t to his taste. Supposedly headlining the main stage tent was ‘The Cooks’ - or the Kooks to you and me. But he did put up a good performance, and the crowds were flocking to see him.

Our next stop was over to the BBC Introducing stage to see the hottest new talent – and playing in an hour was singing sensation Wing.

Naturally I had to get myself to the front row with my sign, so we left early and entered a tent where there was already a mob of fans forming. We got to the front and sat in our place as others began to chant “we want Wing!” and scream as Scott entered the tent.

There were television crews there from New Zealand and photographers from Radio 1 Online. Wing came on to screams and cheers as she tried to make a coherent sentence in English. She looked worried, but soon got into the swing of things when she opened with her first song.

My sign had attracted a bit of attention from the photographers, and several photographs later ended up on the internet.

She played her full fifteen minute set as Scott and Kelly Osbourne danced in the background, before returning to sing Candle in the Wind as an encore. Wing was a star, and I sensed it wasn’t because of her awful singing anymore, but because her personality was loved by us all, and she was enjoying what she was doing.

We departed for the guest area once more and bumped into Chris Moyles who posed for a photograph. He appeared to be trying to deal with a hangover, so we didn’t stick around. We then caught OneRepublic in the Main Stage before catching Pendulum in the new music tent. They deserved an award for attracting the biggest audience in such a small space, and having the maddest crowd – a highlight for Catherine.

Elsewhere around the festival was Rob DJ sporting a ‘When I say Pub…’ t-shirt and Reggie Yates running away from fans mobbing him for a photograph after Pendulum.

The Pigeon Detectives meanwhile kept the main stage rocking, despite tearing a ligament in their leg during this set. Something I was unaware of when catching them live, but it seems the newspapers knew all about it.

The weather continued to be on our side and for the next few sets I remained outside the tents lazing about listening to Hot Chip, The Zutons and The Wombats on the In New Music We Trust Stage, and we didn’t move. Apart from occasionally being trampled on it appeared to be the best place to be – a screen in front of us, live music, and sunshine.

This is where I saw the cutest thing of the whole festival – a father dancing with his three year old son to Hot Chip. For me this summed up the atmosphere of the whole event, it was a real family affair, and something you could attend whatever your age. You get drunken arses at some weekends, but there was none of this here. Celebrities were free to walk around at their own leisure with the opportunity to have their privacy if they wished.

Finally, it was over to the Main Stage for The Kooks, and the audience were certainly up for them. I had my doubts about them after seeing them in Norwich two years prior to that, but they have won my support back, and put up a great performance playing hits from their latest album and their last.

They went without a bang, and rounded up an event that Maidstone won’t forget for a long time. I certainly won’t.

You can post your review of the Big Weekend here on the UM forum.