REVIEW OF THE YEAR: Most Played Songs of 2012

2012 has been another prolific year in the music industry, with tracks from all around the world hitting the coveted #1 spot and entertaining us through the radio waves every day. However, there have been 6 songs in particular that have been played to exhaustion, with the first notes of their introduction resulting in a nationwide sigh when they are heard on the radio.

In January, who would have thought that the most successful song of the year would have come from South-Korea?

1. Psy – Gangnam Style

Without a mention of his name or even the song title, you know exactly who I’m talking about. Of course, it is 34-year-old Psy, whose song ‘Gangnam Style’ has inspired us all at our Christmas parties to take up that horse-like dance craze that has become a universal phenomenon. Just last week on December 21^st, Gangnam Style became the first video ever to hit 1 billion views on YouTube, but why? Despite being immensely catchy, with the phrase ‘Opa Gangnam Style’ sparking a dance-uprising whenever it is heard, we have absolutely no idea what it means! Even Psy himself in an interview said “It doesn’t have any meaning actually. I’m just saying Gangnam Style, Gangnam Style.” Nevertheless, 1 billion of us worldwide have sat and watched that video; plus, people are still buying it! After reaching the UK Number One spot in September, it still hasn’t left the Top 10, even eighteen weeks after its release.

2. Gotye – Somebody That I Used To Know

Gotye may not have a renowned dance routine or even a particularly catchy dance beat, but is still responsible for undoubtedly one of the most successful songs of 2012. If asked if you had heard of Wouter De Backer, I’m quite confident you would have no clue who he was, but once hearing the xylophone introduction of his universally popular song, his identity would soon become clear. After its release in January, Gotye spent 5 weeks at #1 and a sensational 18 weeks in the Top 10. His success was worldwide, particularly in his homeland of Belgium, where it became the most downloaded song of all time.

3. Carly Rae Jepsen – Call Me Maybe

We have Justin Bieber to thank for this one. After hearing the song and tweeting about it, the power of Bieber was truly reflected as the song began to spread. By April, the song reached the UK #1 spot where it remained for four weeks. With an incredibly memorable chorus, you will find the lyrics haunting you all day. Whether you like the song or not (although I imagine most people fall into the first category), you will have found yourself humming to its upbeat and cheery tune at some point. Just like Psy, Carly Rae Jepsen has inspired us all to take up a dance routine, although inadvertently, to sing and dance along holding our thumb and little finger in the typical telephone manner as the title ‘Call Me Maybe’ is sung and repeated.

Carly Rae Jepsen & Katy Perry

4. Fun. – We Are Young

Spending 14 weeks in the UK Top 10, this indie power ballad deserves its place on this list. After its release in April, there came a time when you couldn’t go a day without hearing ‘We Are Young’ playing somewhere. It has been said by many critics that the success of the song was propelled by hit US TV show ‘Glee’, where it was first brought to attention commercially. As the success of the band has spread, this debut #1 single and the accompanying debut album ‘Some Nights’ have both been nominated for the a notorious Grammy Award.

5. Maroon 5 – Payphone

Following on from the success of their hit single ‘Moves Like Jagger’ in 2011, Maroon 5 returned in 2012 with yet another ultimate track that remains stamped in your memory. Unlike the other tracks on this list, whose musical introductions immediately gain your attention, ‘Payphone’ is even more overt, pumping out its initial lyrics through your stereo, instantaneously launching your vocal participation!

6. Emeli Sandé – Read All About It (Pt III)

In this ultimate sporting year for Britain, this song quickly became the unofficial soundtrack to everything Olympics-themed. Opening Ceremony, Closing Ceremony and even BBC Sports Personality of the Year – Emeli Sandé was everywhere. Part One of the song, a collaboration with rapper Professor Green, was already a successful hit in 2011; Emeli reintroduced her part of the song as a solo track in 2012 and was clearly a favourite of director Danny Boyle, as well as the BBC who quickly pressed the ‘Play’ button on the track whenever a musical interlude was required on any Olympics coverage.

Running Joke: a worker on the underground reflects the repetition of Emeli Sande's appearances at the Olympics

Words are continuously being coined and added to the English Dictionary and so it seems only suitable that the term ‘earworm’ was created in 2012. As stated in the Oxford Dictionary, an earworm is ‘a catchy song or tune that runs continually through someone’s mind’; a term that can easily sit alongside these 6 most heard songs of the year. No matter how irritating they may become after a sustained period of time, it is without doubt, however, that these six songs deserve their success as the year’s greatest earworms.

Britain vs Europe - The Battle of the Foreign Festivals

As 2012 draws to a close and we reflect on the year, it seems that the UK has really shined in terms of cultural events. It goes without saying that not only our nation, but nations across the world, have gathered to watch the UK this year more than ever – the Brits really know how to do it best.

The London 2012 Olympics have been acclaimed and praised, with many saying that it is the greatest Games ever. Not only was the organisation of the events at the Olympic Park a roaring success, but also that of our British Olympians, with a marvellous medal haul of 65 in the Olympics and a triumphant 120 in the Paralympics.

Shortly before this was of course the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Celebrations in June. As a country we were reminded of the prestigious British title that we all so proudly adorn, taking delight in the spectacle of the Thames Diamond Jubilee Pageant, whereby over 1000 boats assembled around the centrepiece of the Royal Barge, whilst the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh sat in their velvet red thrones. However, cast your mind back to this very day – whether you stood on the bank of the Thames or watched the BBC television coverage, one element that will certainly be remembered is the terrible, yet typical, British weather.

Of course, it was an extra-long Bank Holiday, and it would not have been the same without a downpour, but is it occasions like these that are transporting our British festival go-ers abroad?

Whether it’s Ibiza Rocks or Mallorca Rocks in their respective destinations, or perhaps Sonar or Benicassim in Spain, you can be guaranteed that the sun will be shining upon your weekend of live music, which of course seems much more desirable than a boggy, flooded field in Somerset.

Glastonbury Festival is renowned for the climate that seems to attack it year upon year. As the festival took a fallow year in 2012, the rotten weather had to be passed on to a festival peer, with the Isle of Wight Festival taking the brunt. Across the weekend of the 21^st to the 24^th of June, Seaclose Park in Newport became waterlogged with the torrential rain that had battered it, turning the park into what can only be described as a mudbath.

Isle of Wight campsite: Tents surrounded by thick mud

Isle of Wight Festival: Tents floating on flooded water

Some people may not be too fussy about rain hammering down whilst watching their favourite bands; after all, in a packed crowd only your head and the top of your shoulders will get wet! However, it is the camping element whereby the European climate can be a clincher. The photos from these flooded festivals show tents almost floating upon the surface of the water, with attendees waging through mud and knee-deep puddles to escape from the campsite. Travel to Spain or the Canary Islands and the weather is much more camper convivial.

Hannah Jacques, winner of BBC Radio 1’s Superstar DJ Competition 2012, won the chance to open up Radio 1’s legendary Ibiza Weekend at the iconic Ushuaia Beach Hotel, and therefore knows a lot about the attraction of foreign festivals. Hannah says the thought of the chance of rain nowadays is something that would put her off attending a British festival.

“I am not one who can sleep in a muddy tent, and if I am cold and wet I know I can’t enjoy myself no matter how drunk or how good the artist is!”

“The thought of going away to a summer festival abroad does really appeal to me. The fact that it would be guaranteed good weather takes away any worry.”

Hannah Jacques

Not only is the weather becoming an issue for British festivals, but also the price tag attached to their tickets. Glastonbury, V Festival, as well as Reading & Leeds have gradually increased their prices year upon year, with the 2013 Glastonbury tickets burning a gaping £213 hole in a visitor’s pocket. With that comes an expensive train ticket and even more extortionate food and drink prices.

Although not all work out as cost-effective, some European festivals can work out cheaper, allowing for the equivalent festival experience with a summer holiday abroad also included. Benicassim tickets for 2013 cost just £130, with the cheapest return flights for these dates from London to Barcelona costing just under £80 with EasyJet, leaving just enough money to spend on a pint in the park to equal out the cost you would have spent on your Glastonbury ticket alone!

For some, the pull may not be in the weather, nor in the price, but the line-up itself. Whether it’s your favourite British band, US band or perhaps a European group, the festival bill will always be the biggest confirmation on whether to buy tickets for that gig. However, if you are willing to travel abroad to see your favourite band, DJ Hannah Jacques warns that you have to be prepared for everything else that comes with it.

“Foreign festivals would have lots of local people as support acts, so you might have to listen to lots of artists you don't have a clue who they are!”

Despite having the ultimate weather conditions for a weekend outdoors, the hassle of going abroad is not for everybody. Plus if you can't afford a flight to Europe, don't be worried that you're missing out completely. The Brits still know how to throw a party, with our festivals being just as good as any others. Some of the biggest artists from all over the world come to the UK to perform to packed out crowds, with both the performers and the fans returning year upon year, so the organisers must be doing something right to battle with the uncontrollable climate that they face.

Seeing a band you’ve seen before? The Festival Feeling that can be a huge delight or a major disappointment

You’re on your way to the festival of the year with all of your mates chatting about the line-up. “Aaah I saw them last year, they were incredible!” you might say, in response to that artist who topped the bill for you. However, their upcoming set can either remind you of their excellence and why you celebrated them so greatly, or it can completely tarnish your prior experience.

Take Madness as an example. ‘Suggs’ and his reggae pop group are a common occurrence on the line-up of many summer festivals, including V Festival in Hylands Park, Chelmsford and Weston Park, Staffordshire. I was fortunate enough to see these old favourites in 2010, when they appeared on the Main Stage. Playing all of their classic tracks such ‘Our House’, ‘Baggy Trousers’ and ‘House of Fun’, they graced the stage to a booming reception from the crowd, before starting the biggest party the park had seen all weekend. Standing at the barrier, I was surrounded by a range of age groups – teenagers like myself who have grown up listening to their parents playing Madness, as well as those who had been to see Madness in their hey-day.

Two years on and my excitement to relive this moment was one of my predicted highlights of the weekend. On the contrary, I was left disenchanted. Perhaps expectations were a little too high as a result of their performance the week before at the Olympics Closing Ceremony, or had the band prepared so much for the gig of their life and not so much for a standard festival performance? The band failed to get the crowd pumped and alive with many just nodding their heads and swaying instead of the party atmosphere I’d experienced in 2010.

Madness' Suggs in 2010

I had a similar encounter with the V Festival Main Stage crowd in 2010, where we all stood in anticipation of Paolo Nutini – an act I had praised to no end in 2009. After an electrifying and buoyant set from Katy Perry, the soulful Scottish singer had the audience in the palm of his hands, with everybody singing along to the hit tracks from his then new ‘Sunny Side Up’ album, as well as popular songs from his debut album ‘New Shoes’ and ‘Jenny Don’t Be Hasty’.

A year on and Paolo’s easy listening set had gone from bluesy to boring. He was missing a certain spark and his voice was under par in comparison to the previous year.

Paolo Nutini: From bluesy to boring

In the same year, it looked like V Festival was set for even more disappointments with the cancellation of Oasis’s headlining appearance. Instead, Snow Patrol slid up the line up to play the festival out on the Sunday night, with a performance that blew the crowd away. The set was nothing but mesmerising. Having seen the band in 2007 at the festival, I was already impressed with their ability to perform live tracks that sound so incredible that they outclass the recorded version. Their headline slot did not disappoint but instead, astounded the crowd with the sheer talent of frontman Gary Lightbody and his band. With rapturous glances at one another throughout, it was clear the band were euphoric at the crowd’s reaction, and have since praised the gig in interviews as the greatest of their life.

Snow Patrol's Gary Lightbody headlining the Main Stage in 2009

Snow Patrol continued to impress me this year at the 2012 V Festival, where they appeared on the bill just before The Killers. The Las Vegas band last appeared at the festival in 2009, shortly after the release of their ‘Day & Age’ album. Every band that performs at a festival runs the risk of falling into the category of being one of those bands who perform their personal favourite unknown tracks or album tracks instead of the crowd favourites. However, Brandon Flowers and the rest of his group seem to strike up the perfect balance, playing the festival anthems ‘Mr Brightside’, ‘Somebody Told Me’ and ‘When We Were Young’, as well as simultaneously introducing you to their latest album. 

This could be relayed once again to their appearance this year, whereby the band avoided playing too many tracks from their new but unreleased album, instead playing just one new track, ‘Runaways’, which had already received some airplay on radio stations.

Brandon Flowers whips the V Festival crowd into a frenzy

Another name on this year’s V Festival line-up was Tinie Tempah, who completed a hat-trick of consecutive appearances at the festival, with each set being full to the brim with Tinie’s chart-topping tracks. Never failing to get the crowd dancing and swept up into mosh-pits, you can also guarantee that this set will be fuelled with energy and exuberance, whether you have seen him once, twice or ten times!

Keep it bouncing: Tinie Tempah's brings energy to V Festival

Although there can be that fear of tainting a previous memory of a certain artist, more often than not, you’ll find those festival gems who continue to leave a lasting impression on sell-out crowds year after year.

Have you had a similar experience to those described above? Have you ever been left disheartened by a lacklustre performance from an artist you loved? Or have you been continuously charmed by a festival favourite? Leave a comment and let us know.

Age Limbo – The confusion over the labeling of ‘adult’

For the past two years I've been having the same frustrating conversation every time I step onto a bus. From the age of 16, public transport is quick to classify you as an adult, whereas other areas of society are desperate to wait until you are 18 to permit certain actions.

Currently studying for my A Levels in my final year of school, I step onto the bus in my school uniform. Although we do not have a set uniform, our black skirt-white shirt dress code alongside my 3:30pm daily departure clearly identifies my journey home from school and my involvement in education.

Approaching the bus driver I ask “a single to the bus station please”, or if I’m unfortunate enough to be taking the bus to school in the morning, it’s “a single to Moulsham school please”. If the school uniform didn’t give it away, the ticket to school surely should – I’m a student and should therefore pay an appropriate fare that matches that.

“Is that child or adult?”, I’m asked by the driver. If you have to ask, give me the benefit of the doubt and charge me the more reasonable price – the thought that immediately springs to mind. My conscience and need to be honest kicks in and despite knowing the answer already, I respond “well that depends what a child ticket is classed as”.

‘Under 16’ is quickly snapped back at me; instead of kicking up a fuss, I decide to store my aggravation and pay the extortionate £2.50 adult fare. Although this may not seem too bad, take the bus four times and you’re already paying £10 within the week, when you could be paying a £1.50 child fare instead.

£2.50 Adult Single - The need for student tickets

I appreciate that at the age of 16 it may not be right to be classed as a child, however, it is also not right to be classed as an adult and be forced to pay so much extra, especially if you’re still in full-time education. Within the next few years, it will soon be compulsory to stay in education until you are 18, meaning that there shall be even more students on the bus facing the same dilemma as myself. If we cannot be classed as a child, the bus companies should be forced to introduce a student fare to accommodate for this age limbo between 16 and 18 when it cannot be universally decided whether we are children or adults.

When you consider some of the age limits in place in the UK there are some terrible peculiarities where this age limbo comes into play yet again.

Take driving as an example; you must be 17 before you can start to learn how to drive a car, yet there is no age limit at all to start having flying lessons. It stands solid that flying a plane thousands of feet in the air must surely be more dangerous than driving a car on steady ground with an instructor, so why the confusion over the age guideline?

Another example can be found with the armed forces, whereby at the age of 16, you are eligible to join the army. However, in order to have any involvement in choosing the politicians and government who make decisions about the army, the eligibility to vote is saved for the age of 18. Is it right to be allowed to join an organisation where you are expected to fight for your country and risk your life when you have no right to vote for the political party you believe best supports that organisation?

Much worse things could happen than paying an extra £1 on my bus fare, but the principle behind it is one that correlates to various other life circumstances and therefore needs to be looked at. If everyone under the age of 16 is always a child and likewise, everyone over the age of 18 is always an adult, the middle-ground between is a huge grey area that provides much irritation to the teenagers caught within, especially when it is apparent that it consistently goes against them. 

Why Glastonbury?

Each and every year a certain festival attracts 135,000 visitors to Worthy Farm in Somerset. But what makes Glastonbury Festival so prestigious?

On Sunday (7^th October), tickets for the festival sold out in just one hour and 40 minutes, leaving many members of the public fighting with their computer’s refresh button to get their hands on a ticket to one of the UK’s greatest summer events.

2012 saw Glastonbury take its ‘fallow year’, with the immense hype for 2013’s festival being even greater. Despite being 150 miles away along the M4, the biggest summer of sport occurring in Stratford would have caused a lack of infamous festival portable lavatories and even more importantly, an overwhelming shortage of police officers and security presence, as reported in The Guardian.

There was no doubt that the demand for 2013 tickets would have been overwhelming, as understood by organisers Michael and daughter Emily Eavis. The pair, who own the most renowned farm in the country, spoke of how ‘genuinely humbled’ they were by the desire of thousands to visit the festival. ‘We dearly wish we could have you all along’, said Michael Eavis CBE, who was voted by Time Magazine in 2009 as one of the world’s top 100 most influential people.

Michael Eavis receives his CBE from Queen Elizabeth II

Whilst most other festivals reveal a date when tickets will go on sale, the Glastonbury ticketing process is much more rigorous. Anybody wishing to go must register their interest, filling in all of their details and uploading a photo. Once registration has closed, wishful spectators must rush to their laptops and phones to attempt to pay their £50 ticket deposit, guaranteeing themselves a ticket, with the full balance to be paid in April 2013.

With a big festival comes an even bigger price tag, with the 2013 event fetching up to £216 once the booking fee and postage has been applied. With an addition of £10 to the ticket price each year over the past 4 years, the public are left asking how much more the price can increase. What sparks festival go-ers to return year upon year, and what excites newcomers to attend Glastonbury over any other festival?

Abbie Elsey, a college student from Chelmsford, Essex, will be attending Glastonbury for the first time in 2013.

“I’ve watched it on TV for years now and it has always looked like one of the liveliest festivals.”

“It wasn’t until my dad mentioned he was going as he’d never been before that I decided to go. It always has music and bands for ever generation which I think makes it look so much fun!”

In 2011, 2000 performers played on 60 stages, with artists from all walks of life and from all genres of music being able to play to the crowds. With so many acts, there truly is something for everybody.

Will Smith, 19, a student at the University of Derby, will be returning to Glastonbury for a second time in 2013 due to the variety of spectacles it offers,

“I chose to go to Glastonbury because of the sheer amount you can do in one weekend. Some of the other attractions at the festival are amazing – you wouldn’t be able to see them anywhere else on earth.”

Worthy Farm: The vast site of Glastonbury Festival

For Sophie Hennessy, 17, from Chelmsford, the media response to previous Glastonbury festivals has kindled her desire to go. “It’s constantly voted best festival in NME and Q magazine.”

Despite missing out on seeing her favourite band Coldplay headline the festival last year, the bands’ reaction has inspired Sophie to buy a ticket. 

“They said it was their best performance ever. There are always massive headliners and the artists that play there talk about how important it is for them to play there.”

Ryan Booty, a student at the University of Staffordshire, attended the 2011 festival and says it was ‘the best weekend of my life’.

Ryan, who has experienced Glastonbury just once, said: “Because of how large it is, it’s hard to do everything in one year. We can take the memories of last year and do everything else this time around.”

The line-up is due to be announced later in 2013 but the organisers have said that the headliners have already been chosen. But who would be your ultimate headliner?

Abbie: “I would absolutely love to see Mumford and Sons. They’re so cool. The Prodigy are amazing live and I would just love to see them again.”

Will: “Coldplay, Arctic Monkeys and Oasis, but it’s not going to happen!”

Sophie: “The top three headliners would be Red Hot Chili Peppers, Arctic Monkeys and The Strokes.”

Ryan: “I would love to see Coldplay again but I would also love Blur, Snow Patrol and Take That. That won’t happen though!”

If you’re lucky enough to be heading to the festival in June, tabloid reports suggest that you may witness the last ever Rolling Stones gig. Keith Richards has revealed that the band has been booked to play shows in the UK, but you’ll have to keep your eyes peeled on This Festival Feeling to find out if these rumours are true.

"Is the youth-radio bubble doomed to burst?" It's a simple answer...

“Is the youth-radio bubble doomed to burst?”

It’s a simple answer – NO.

With the latest news of Chris Moyles’ departure from the Radio 1 breakfast show, the BBC station is being continuously mentioned in the press for its aging listeners. As recent statistics show that the average age of a Radio 1 listener stands at 32, higher than the target audience of 15-29, the press are quick to judge that Radio 1 must be doing something wrong in engaging a younger demographic, or that teenagers and ‘youths’ won’t be interested in the radio industry for much longer.

This couldn’t be more wrong.

Not only am I a huge fan of BBC Radio 1, but I’m a radio enthusiast with a dream to work as a radio producer in years to come. It could seem that my view is biased; however, I’m not the only one and there are plenty of other teenage, budding radio stars out there in the UK.

With so many new fresh opportunities being introduced to radio, the industry is going from strength-to-strength. 

Social media has a consistently growing role in radio. The use of Facebook and Twitter have an immense impact on the shows themselves, as well as giving immediate response and feedback to the stations, presenters and producers, which can be used instantaneously.

 

And vice versa; most importantly is the impact that radio has on the social networking sites too. By taking a look at the ‘trends’ on Twitter, once you’ve escaped the daily 1D and Bieber tweets, you can often find the names of artists being interviewed on Radio 1 and even more notably, artists playing in Fearne Cotton’s Live Lounge. By clicking on the link or hashtag, with some radio features such as the Live Lounge making use of this twitter feature, a feed of discussions and opinions of the show appear at once.

Twitter really comes to life during a media-frenzy. The X Factor, the Olympics and other key TV and sporting events always dominate the Twitter trending topics. On July 11^th, one of these media frenzies occurred as Chris Moyles stepped down from the breakfast show, with Nick Grimshaw being announced as his replacement. As a controversial media figure, everybody had something to say about Moyles’ exit, causing a stir as the UK’s top trend for most of the next 24 hours. Such a reaction would not come from a media ‘doomed to burst’; this proves just how popular radio really is.

Another sensation that radio has been introduced to over the past few years is the use of visual media. Surprising for a radio show, you may say, but every day on the Radio 1 website, you would be able to watch a segment or a feature streamed live on a video link on their homepage. The BBC Red Button has also been of frequent use to Radio 1, with a 52-hour, strangely addictive, live feed being used during Chris Moyles and Comedy Dave Vitty’s world-record breaking marathon radio show. 

A Facebook page, titled ‘We want The Chris Moyles show on the Red Button every day’, has just under 3000 likes, proving the popularity of making radio visual. Some people may argue that radio is just becoming TV, however visual radio is very different; the insight into the studio and the feeling of snooping into an unseen world is incredibly compelling, engaging and fascinating.

It’s not just the young radio enthusiasts who understand the enormous involvement that radio plays in our day-to-day lives, but also the artists who are played on the stations. Since Top of the Pops was taken off air, the need for artists to have their music shared to the country has been left to radio. Although it is necessary to create an interesting, attractive music video to be shown on MTV, the necessity to appear on the Radio 1 playlist is additionally significant.

Split into an A, B and C list, an artist’s weekly play count depends on their position in the playlist. A weekly playlist meeting with producers is the judgement day for musicians hoping to achieve a chart hit. The impact of Radio 1 on the chart positions of certain songs is extraordinary, so it is understandable that artists today become so motivated to achieve a spot on the list, as seen above with the tweet from pop group Scouting For Girls.

In the words of Radio 1 fanatic, Gerald Somers, “radio has a long way to go yet”. Gerald, who writes his own blog about Radio 1 news, said: “Radio is fun, interactive and becomes a companion in a strange sort of way.”

This idea of radio providing companionship is shared by even more radio enthusiasts, including Amy Byford, 18, and Maddie Faiers, 19, both from Essex. Maddie, a presenter on Keele University’s student radio station, KUBE, said: “Radio is an essential part of my daily life.  It provides me with the news, music that I love, as well as new music I may not know, entertainment, debates and company. I feel like the presenters are my friends!”

Amy said: “I think people take it for granted sometimes. Without radio, many people would get into their car for a long journey and not have a presenter talking to them.” As an aspiring radio producer, like myself, Amy continued: “Although it is a hard industry to get into, I believe that if you want something enough, you will be successful.”

Just like Amy, James Lewis from Bristol, has great aspirations for reaching his career goal. “My dream for the future is to present on BBC Radio 1. I am immensely determined to achieve this aim, and will stop at nothing to ensure that I, one day, will broadcast a show on Radio 1.”

The immense passion for developing a career in the radio industry is held by so many young individuals, making these positions so sought after, proving that the 'youth radio bubble' is continuing to grow.

A love shared by many teenage and student radio fanatics is radio's vast scope of creativity and the immediacy that allows for this creativity to be shared.

James continued: "The main reason that I love radio as a medium is that it is so immediate and therefore I can directly interact with listeners and improvise and change my show depending on how the listeners react. This lends radio a more personal feel that I think makes it a more two way experience for the presenter and listeners.”

Chris Quillietti, 17, a hospital and school radio presenter from Scotland, said: “Creativity is and always has been the life blood of the industry and I really enjoy working with energetic, creative and enthusiastic people. I love radio because of its fast pace, accessibility and how creative you can be.”

Oliver Dean, 16, from Milton Keynes, has been working at his local BBC radio station for the last 3 years and is a self-confessed 'radio geek'. Oliver said: "Radio has a piece of my heart. I don’t understand why more people don’t want to work in radio, I don’t think there is a better job in the world... getting to talk, play music and entertain millions of people for a few hours in a day. What could be better?"

A final thought comes from Luchina El Badawi, 19, from Guildford and presenter of the University of Plymouth’s student radio station. Luchina said: “It is just plain old fun. You get to have a laugh with the people you are doing it with.”

The newly redeveloped BBC Broadcasting House
 - ready for the next generation

Radio isn’t simply just a dying media for ‘greying listeners’, as a recent article in a Sunday newspaper suggested, but is a trendy and constantly developing industry. It is an industry that relies on creative, intelligent and passionate individuals, who spend hours putting together and broadcasting fantastic shows that continue to attract listeners, even viewers and many discussions on social media sites. There are many more individuals like this out there who are just waiting to get stuck in with the next exciting generation of the advancing radio industry.

Lonsdale Boys Club @ O2 Academy Islington

After seeing a link on the Orange Rockcorps twitter page, I quickly entered a competition to win meet and greet tickets to the Lonsdale Boys Club’s upcoming London gig. As I didn’t rate my chances of winning particularly highly, I forgot that I had even entered until…

On Wednesday 8^th August, I took a look at my phone to see I had a missed call from an unknown number. I called my voicemail to hear a message from Ben at Orange Rockcorps asking for me to call him back, as my mind tried to consider what it could be about. I swiftly recalled entering the competition and was ecstatic to hear that I had won!

Just under a week later on Tuesday 14^th, my good friend Vickie and I travelled to the O2 Academy Islington for our exciting day ahead. For the two of us, this day had been a long time coming.

Earlier in the year when organising our school talent show, we had booked for the Lonsdale Boys Club to come to our school to judge the show and to perform. After so much support from the boys, we unfortunately had to cancel their appearance and we were absolutely gutted!

Prior to this, I also took part in a feature called ‘DIY DJ’ on Fearne Cotton’s Radio 1 show whereby I had to choose a song by an upcoming band to be played on air, where I chose ‘Light Me Up’ by the Lonsdale Boys Club. The boys sent me a lot of love over Twitter for this and we had spoken every now and then on the social networking site ahead of the Islington gig.

So our moment finally came and we headed into the venue just after 6:30pm to go backstage to meet the boys. We were joined by 4 other girls who had won meet and greet tickets via other websites, including Becky and Sophie who we coincidentally also knew from our school.

I was not surprised in the slightest to find out that frontman Charlie, bassist Topher and Loz on the keyboard were all lovely! We had around 20 minutes with the boys were we discussed the previous talent show arrangements and my appearance on Fearne Cotton’s show, as well as the looming show that we were all so hyped up for. The boys were also interested to find out that we were from Chelmsford, the location of this weekend’s V Festival, where the boys will be playing on Sunday on the Virgin Media Undercover Stage, with an agreement that we would each be looking out for each other.

After leaving the backstage meet and greet area, we made our way to the stage, where we had prime position at the front. In such an intimate venue, we could not have been any closer to the stage if we had tried, even being able to perch on the edge of the stage to give our legs a rest!

With two great warm-up acts, four-piece alternative rock group ‘Dance A La Plage’ and former number-one singer-songwriter Josh Kumra, we were well and truly warmed up for the headline act. Chants of ‘LBC, LBC’ welcomed Loz, Charlie and Topher to the stage, alongside screams and cheers from the passionate crowd of fans.

Playing their former singles ‘Sista Shake’ and ‘Light Me Up’, upcoming single ‘Ready To Go’, as well as fan favourite ‘Hooligans and Hulagirls’, the boys had the crowd dancing and jumping for the whole hour of their set. With an insight into some of the tracks on their upcoming album, it stands solid that this group, signed to Gary Barlow’s record label, have a very promising future!

I’d like to thank Charlie, Loz and Topher for such a fantastic evening and for being such genuinely lovely people when we met them. Huge thanks also go to Cath at Charm Factory and Ben at Orange Rockcorps for making the night possible!

Topher

Loz

Charlie & I

"Record-keeping in need of improvement" at Broomfield Hospital

Broomfield Hospital has been warned about their record keeping.

After recent spending cuts to the NHS, the Care Quality Commission, CQC, issued a formal warning to the Mid Essex Hospitals Trust about the keeping of patient records, especially at the Chelmsford hospital.

As part of a routine check by the CQC on April 13^th, inspectors found that in nine of the patient records which were looked at, there were numerous gaps in food and fluid charts.

Some food charts had been discontinued with staff unsure why, posing a risk of a lack of information when making decisions over patient hydration and nutrition.

Patient discharge checklists also had issues of clarity whereby it was difficult to establish what plans had been made in supporting people after being discharged into the community.

Andrea Gordon, CQC’s Deputy Director of Operations in the region, said: “We will be returning to the trust to follow up on progress and, when we do, we will expect the trust to be able to demonstrate it has made improvements.”

“CQC has a range of legal powers it can use if it is found the required progress has not been made. Where necessary we will use these powers to protect the people who use this service.”

In response to the report, Chief Medical Officer at Broomfield Hospital, Dr Ronan Fenton, said: “The patients whose records were inspected by the Care Quality Commission did receive good quality care, but it was the record-keeping aspect that was in need of improvement."

With ‘extremely hard-working and dedicated staff’, Dr Fenton continued to say: “We are confident that we can demonstrate to the CQC that we are strong on these assurance disciplines as well as the many standards of care quality that have been commended by the CQC.”

Broomfield Hospital: the Chelmsford hospital has recently had a major renovation

UNISON has branded the warning from the CQC as ‘inevitable’ and a wake-up call about the impact of spending cuts. As the largest union in the CQC, they work to represent the staff at every level.

Eastern Region Regional Manner at UNISON, Margaret Lynch, said: “Government spending cuts are beginning to bite”.

“UNISON has drawn attention to the Government of the crippling impact of spending cuts – and this CQC warning should be a reminder to all politicians in charge of this government of the dangers of making cuts in hospitals.”

Fundraising triumph for the Amy Winehouse Foundation

A fundraising event at Stock Brook Manor helped to raise over £20,000 for the Amy Winehouse Foundation, with help from Grants SEAT.

Foundation logo

Organised by Amy’s father Mitch, the Golf Day on May 24^th was the first event to be organised by the foundation since Amy’s death at the age of 27 last July.

Mitch and daughter Amy Winehouse before her tragic death in 2011

The car dealership in Braintree sponsored a series of prizes for the golfers, including a SEAT Leon worth £15,000 as a prize for a hole-in-one.

Managing director Darren Williams and his wife Katie, communications manager, were invited to the following gala dinner and charity auction. The star-studded event included guests Ray Winstone, Katie Price and new charity patron, Barbara Windsor.

Speaking after the event, Katie Williams said: “It was an enormous privilege to play a part in helping to make the Amy Winehouse Foundation’s first fundraising event a huge success.”

“It was clear from the numbers of people who attended and the generosity they showed on the night that Amy’s legacy lives on.” 

Darren & Katie Williams from Grants SEAT dealership

Radio DJ's Buntathon Success

Listeners of a BBC Essex show have displayed huge generosity in creating over a mile of bunting flags.

Host Dave Monk was initially inspired to put together 100m of bunting for a special Olympic torch event in a borough of South Essex.

The ‘Bunathon’ campaign soon accelerated and just 3 days after asking listeners for help, Dave already had his 100m, so decided to stretch it to a mile.

The radio presenter has been overwhelmed and said: “It had brought out the best in people. There is a strong spirit of togetherness.”

With help from groups, individuals and even some residential homes, the collective effort has now producer over 3000 flags. The actual length is still to be measured.

On 25^th May, a group of listeners joined Dave and his radio team to sew the flags together, including Mary from Burnham, a former professional machinist who has produced hundreds of flags. Another lady wished to dedicate her contribution to her late mother who taught her to sew.

Dave said “It was so nice. It sums up the feeling behind it all.”

The future of the bunting is still a little hazy, but will spend its time travelling around the county for charity events. Dave said: “The Scouts are interested. I’d like it to raise as much as possible for charities.”

Dave Monk's radio show can be heard on BBC Essex, weekdays between 9am and 12pm.

Dave Monk

Farm-promoter Jack's award winning business

After spending many years working on his father's farm in Willingale, Essex, Jack Bosworth has spent the past few months developing a business of his own, leading him to win the 'Innovation Award' at this week's British Pig & Poultry Fair in Warwickshire.

Jack Bosworth: Award-winning business at the age of 17

Jack, 17, developed the idea of promoting the pig industry after it had proved to be very successful for his father. Spains Hall Farm, just outside of Ongar, is home to thousands of pigs under the watchful eye of Stuart Bosworth, Farmer's Weekly Pig Farmer of the Year 2011.

Following on from Stuart's success, Jack created a Facebook and Twitter page for the farm in order to raise awareness. After just a week, national suppliers did not hesitate to get in touch to find out more about Spains Hall. In order for information to spread even further, Jack went on to create a website where all those interested could be forwarded to.

After realising the full potential of the social networking world, Jack began his 'Hog in the Limelight' business, offering the production of farming promotion videos for supermarket and trader pitches, website management and the overall support and promotion of farms up and down the country.

At the British Pig and Poultry Fair where Jack was one of three nominees in his category, it was his business pitch that secured his award and a £1000 prize. Presenter of the award, Nigel Lee, was exciting to see the enthusiasm of such a young individual.

“The judges liked that not only were the videos aiming to counter negative publicity but also promoted farmers generally in terms of quality and the Red Tractor standard."

"We hope he will succeed."

Jack Bosworth (right): collecting his award

Jack has a lot of confidence in the business and trusts the years of experience he has developed from working on his father's farm.

"As a farmer's son, I know farming. I am confident my business will help to get the farming industry the good publicity it deserves as well as trying to create more demand for assured produce, which could then save many of the farmers that would have been going out of business otherwise."

Jack is a keen supporter of the British Red Tractor, which seeks to 'maintain, develop and promote standards throughout the whole food industry'. Their logo is commonly found on many supermarket products which seek for the same goal.

Jack is passionate about the industry that he has grown up into and it stands solid that he will continue to develop the family business and even further into the modern world of technology.

As he begins a Business Management degree at the Harper Adams University College in September, Jack shall continue to run Hog in the Limelight, hoping to establish even more experience to improve the business in the coming years.

Jessie J jumps into the record books

One of Essex's finest stars has this week become a historic figure of British music.

Following the release of her album 'Who You Are' last February, Jessie J has been topping the charts with singles from the album. Jessie's second single, Price Tag, as well as one of her most recent singles from the album, Domino, both reached the #1 position. Her latest single, 'Laserlight' featuring French DJ David Guetta, released from the Platinum Edition of the album, is now Jessie's 6th single to secure a top ten position.

The position of having 6 top ten singles from one album in the UK chart is one that has only been held by the elite: Take That, Lady Gaga, Katy Perry and Michael Jackson. As the first UK female to achieve such a feat, Jessie J is moving one step closer to becoming one of the UK's greatest musical success stories.

Jessica Cornish, as she may be known, has progressed a long way from her Essex childhood. Having held the #1 spot in 19 countries world-wide, totalling a staggering 11 million single sales, it is certain that the UK public aren't the only ones going crazy for this songstress. Her album has also sold over 2.5 million copies worldwide, with over 1 million in the UK.

Jessie J

Jessie's success stretches much further than many would expect. Having starred in Andrew Lloyd Webber's West-End production of Whistle Down The Wind as a child, before graduating from the BRITs school in the same class as Adele and Leona Lewis, Jessie has always been surrounded by success, which she has been to keen to share with others. Having written songs for US stars Chris Brown and Miley Cyrus, including Miley's hit single 'Party in the USA', it is clear that she has been keen to pass on her talent and success.

Her desire to continue finding new talent has become more public in recent weeks after beginning her coaching role on BBC's new talent show The Voice. The format, which has been very successful across the world, has now reached the UK and has been proving popular in the weekly ratings. Sitting alongside Will.I.Am, Tom Jones and Irish rock-band The Script's Danny O'Donoghue, Jessie J holds her own as the only female judge. This Saturday will be the first of the live shows, as Jessie J continues to mentor and coach a group of artists she selected in the blind auditions. Having whittled her acts down to five in this weekend's battle rounds, Jessie is left with a range of talent, style and ages with her performers Becky, Cassius, Ruth, Toni and Vince.

Having begun work on a second album, I cannot imagine that the typical myth of a 'difficult second album' will be a term placed against Jessie J's name. Making Essex proud, we can expect and hope that Jessie's success can only continue to grow and strive.

Essex superstar spinning on The Voice

Brand new hit BBC One show, The Voice, whereby the four coaches sit with their back facing the performers, is proving to be a huge success.

After much popularity in the US, the UK version with coaches Will.I.Am, Tom Jones, The Script's Danny O'Donoghue and Essex's very own Jessie J, has been topping viewer ratings for the past three Saturday nights.

The Voice judges: Jessie J, Danny O'Donoghue, Will.I.Am and Tom Jones

If one of the four coaches wish to mentor the artist that they are listening to, they must hit the button in front of them to spin their chair around. If more than one coach turns around, they must fight it out with one another to make themselves seem more desirable and appealing to the performer, who will then select the coach they wish to work with. With just 10 places in their category, the coaches must be certain when listening to the artists that they wish to turn around and potentially work with them.

With just three weeks in to the brand new BBC show, Jessie has filled up 8 of her 10 available coaching places. With 18 number one singles across the world, two million album sales and a staggering 16 million single sales, Romford's Jessica Cornish definitely knows a thing or two about the music industry.

Although some might believe she is quite a newcomer to the music scene, Jessie has been writing her own music for many years, as well as writing chart-topping songs for the likes of Miley Cyrus and Alicia Keys. When it comes to fighting for the acts that she wishes to work with, Jessie certainly throws all of this success and experience into her case to prove to the artists that she can help them to be just as successful.

One of the acts that was unfortunately passed by in the audition process was Essex's Shansel Huseyin. All four judges teased at the prospect of pushing their button for the 16-year-old operatic singer, who, unbeknown to the judges, had discovered her singing talent whilst imitating a Katherine Jenkins performance! Shansel, who reached the Grand Finals of Essex's Got Talent, has had no vocal training, yet managed to spark the attention of the four The Voice coaches.

Essex's Got Talent: Shansel Huseyin

It has been rumoured, since Shansel's audition was shown two weeks ago, that Will.I.Am has offered her a record label. Whilst nothing has been confirmed, it is certain that Essex holds a bundle of talent and shows like The Voice and The X Factor are a prime example of how people of all ages from the county are achieving such massive success.

TOWIE stars are ready, set and go for the London Marathon!

The annual London Marathon is fast approaching and three of the county's reality TV stars will be taking part to raise as much money as they can for their chosen charities.

On the 22nd of April, 'The Only Way is Essex' favourite James Argent, or Arg as he is better known, will be running the 26.2 mile course to raise money for Cancer Research UK. James will be joined by Billi Mucklow and Cara Kilbey, who will be running the marathon for Samaritans.

Cara and Billi training for the 26.2 mile run

Arg, who has famously battled with his weight on the hit ITV2 reality show, has promised his followers on Twitter that he has been cutting down on the junk food and focusing more on his training for the marathon. It has become a regular occurrence that James has tweeted about his latest run or bootcamp session.

On the other hand, his TOWIE competitiors Billi and Cara appear to have an alternative motive. In an interview with the Daily Star, Kilbey said that their training entails a run to the coffee shop, followed by a run to Billi's sunbed salon. Cara continued to say 'then [we] go back and treat ourselves with a nice wine'. Arg even tweeted just last week to say "@BilliMucklow @carakilbey have pulled out of a run 4 sunbathing! Shock!".

Let's hope that the girls will get some thoroughly-needed training in before next Sunday, when they will join Arg, hopefully crossing the finish line at the Mall. Good luck!

The Life of an A Level Student

It has been too long since I've last written a blog. This isn't due to a lack of motivation or desire but instead a lack of time. Due to the sheer volume of work and revision I have from Sixth Form, I have struggled to find time to fit writing on Essex in the Media into my busy working schedule.

Despite this, I still find myself being puzzled by one of the news stories that has occurred since I wrote my last post. The 'A Levels are too easy' saga has continued this week with Education Secretary, Michael Gove, declaring that the exams do not prepare students for university.

Every year when both the GCSE and A Level results are revealed, journalists and various members of the public decide that they believe the exams are getting easier. To the irritation and anger of the students who have slaved away revising for their exams, these people have no idea of the amount of work that goes into the exams and having not sat the test themselves, it seems beyond me as to how they can possibly come to this conclusion.

As a 17 year old student, currently in the midst of revising for my first set of A Level exams, I am well aware that A Levels require hard-work, dedication and are definitely a huge stretch from the GCSE specification. Everybody talks about the jump from Key Stage 4 to Key Stage 5 as you begin your AS Levels in Year 12, however until you are in the position of working for the exams yourself, you cannot fully comprehend it.

In his report, Michael Gove shared his worries that the A Level specification is "falling short of commanding the level of confidence we would want to see". I would happily offer Gove the opportunity to take the step from Year 11 to Year 12 at any school across the country so that he can see the necessity of a development in maturity that all students seem to take on. Having chosen to stay on at a sixth form or college, the students doing their A Levels are well aware of the need to grow in confidence and maturity in order to achieve the grades they so desire. There is no point in sitting back allow teachers to "spoon-feed" you, as Gove reports, as the need to achieve is for the student's benefit and not that of the staff.

Gove's report also stated, how in the UK, "we are the only country who ask kids, very, very, very early on, at 16, to concentrate on just three subjects". At most sixth forms and colleges, students are encouraged to choose four subjects at the age of 16, which they will study in the first half of their A Level course as part of their AS exams, moving on to take just three as they do their A2 exams. By the time students finish their GCSEs, it can be very difficult to choose any more than four subjects which they are still passionate about and still enjoy to learn about. Taking any more than this amount would lead to a lack of interest and therefore a lack of motivation and success. I do not believe it is too early or that it leads to any less success by taking fewer subjects at A Level.

Furthermore, I couldn't possibly imagine taking on another A Level on top of the four that I already study. I put my absolute all into the subjects I take: English, German, ICT and Philosophy & Ethics. These are four very challenging and also rather varied subjects and provide me with the balance that I need and that I desire. I know, just like many other students, that if I were to take any more subjects, my success in each individual subject would most likely suffer.

The graph below shows the rise of the number of students receiving an A grade at A Level (please note that the A* grade only came into effect in 2010).

From this graph, many would assume, just like Michael Gove, that the rise would insinuate a progression of ease in the exams. However, could it not show a progression of intelligence across the country? With the use of the internet, for example, students have a much larger accessibility to information and to resources which can aid the studying process, allowing the percentage of A grades to increase over a period of time.

Teenagers are dealt with negative opinions of their generation by many citizens of the UK and it is too quick and simple to say that the increase of success of A Level grades could be a result of the exams becoming easier. It should be considered that perhaps teenagers aren't all 'chavs' and most of us are hard-working individuals who should be seen positively and praised for our success in exams, instead of dealt with the blow of the media suggesting that the results we have strived for are not as valuable as they may have been in years prior.

As results day looms in August, students are nervous enough for their results, without having to worry about what the media might choose to negate about them next.

Chelmsford granted city status

In her Diamond Jubilee year, the Queen has granted Chelmsford as a city. Along with Perth in Scotland and St Asaph in North Wales, Her Royal Majesty granted three cities on three corners of the country a new city status in order to help mark the celebration of her 60th year as our monarch.

As the county town of Essex and with a population stretching to around 160,000, many people would say that this news has been a long time coming. Most importantly due to the cathedral, which is often a defining aspect of a city, many people have argued the case of Chelmsford's city status for quite some time.

Chelmsford Cathedral

After 24 towns across the UK placed a bid to win a competition to be officially granted as a city, Chelmsford fought off some strong competitors, including Middlesbrough, Bolton and even Reading, the bookies favourite due to being the largest town in the country. With just 18/1 odds, the outlook did not seem particularly promising, so the news came as a shock to the council and to those who helped to place the bid.

Chelmsford even beat Colchester and Southend to claim the title, becoming the first ever city in Essex. It seems only just that the county town should become a city before any others.

With so many assets that would be expected from a city, it only seems about time that Chelmsford should be upgraded from a town to a city. Anglia Ruskin University has, in recent years, been expanded using a £81 million investment and is one of the largest universities in Eastern England.

Chelmsford also boasts multiple top-class high schools, each varying greatly in specialities; these include Moulsham High School specialising in Humanities, Boswells School in Performing Arts, Great Baddow High School in Sport, as well as the two grammar schools, Chelmsford County High School and King Edward Grammar School, which are within the top schools in the country.

The former town also provides various superb amenities that you would expect from a fantastic city.

With a fantastic high street and two shopping precincts, The Meadows and High Chelmer, Chelmsford is packed full of retail opportunities. With John Lewis on its way for 2013, Chelmsford will be complete with virtually every popular high street store that the country is offered.

Chelmsford's Broomfield Hospital is the largest in Essex and with a substantial re-development in recent years, various new facilities have been added. The St Andrew's Centre within the hospital is worldly renowned for its specialist work for people suffering with burns and a cleft lip or palate.

Substantial development: Broomfield Hospital's new building

The sporting successes within Chelmsford have been awaited this news for quite some time, with Chelmsford's football club being called Chelmsford City! Chelmsford is also home to Essex County Cricket Ground, as well as ice hockey team Chelmsford Chieftans. It will also welcome the Olympic Torch as part of the Olympic Festival celebrations in July.

Chelmsford receives media attention through the V Festival, held in Hylands Park, every year. With some of the UK's and the world's biggest musical artists coming to Chelmsford every year, it seems only right that the likes of Eminem and Rihanna, who performed at the festival in 2011, should be welcomed into the City of Chelmsford, as opposed to the town.

Crowds pack out at the annual V Festival in Hylands Park

Having been specifically chosen by the Queen to be one of the three places representing her within her Diamond Jubilee year, Chelmsford should hopefully receive the appropriate positive publicity that it deserves, as a place packed full to the brim of exceptional facilities and figures. The news should attract business and investment into what is a bustling and successful city of the UK.

In Case You Didn't Know... Olly Murs CAN sing!

Ever since his appearance on the X Factor, critics have often been scathing of this Essex lad. However, after a sell-out, nationwide, arena tour, it's time these critics hushed and accepted the fact that Olly Murs is a true star, and a very talented one.

After the success of his Number One album, titled 'In Case You Didn't Know', as well as the first two singles from the album rocketing to the top position in the chart, there is no denying that Murs does have a talent. Despite what I imagine is widely considered by some, the 'Heart Skips a Beat' singer has written most of the songs on both of his albums, proving that his talents stretch from being a singer to a song-writer, as well as being an all-round good guy too.

Anybody who appears on the ITV show The X Factor will always be confronted with scrutiny by the press and by music journalists who are too quick to snub the pop sounds that are created by the talent show. It only requires a glance on Twitter to see how it is the likes of JLS, Olly Murs and One Direction, all X Factor finalists, who attract such large fan bases and therefore dominate the charts when their singles are released. Although many people believe Simon Cowell is trying to manipulate the UK's musical tastes, he is in fact just finding artists that appeal to it.

This negative conception of X Factor artists is unfairly held by too many people who attempt to reject this mainstream field of music in order to be seen with a more 'respectable' taste in music. However, this mainstream music is exactly that for a reason - it is popular and enjoyed by the masses. Whether a genre is deemed as 'Pop' or 'Indie', this holds no effect on the actual talent that the artist holds and I think that this can often be mistaken.

As a fan of Olly Murs myself, it may seem biased that I have such high praises of him. However, so will the thousands of other people who saw Mr Murs at his recent tour. It takes a special something, or a special somebody, who can sell out The O2 Arena on two successive nights, as well as two more dates in the same city at Wembley Arena just a week later. With even more dates taking Olly to the largest cities across the UK, crowds packed out to see the spectacular live show that Murs provides. 

Even despite inches of snow disrupting journeys, and even preventing many fans from getting home in some cases, the arenas remained full, certifying that the concert was very much worth the hassle!

Cheeky chappy: Olly Murs rocking The O2 Arena, London

Opening with an uplifting and lively track, 'Anywhere Else', from his latest album, the lyrics perfectly suited the occasion. "Nothing compares to this moment and nothing ever will" ultimately summarises the exhilarating feeling at the start of any live music event, with the show that I saw at the O2 Arena on the 4th February being no exception.

Continuing with all of the greatest songs from his first two albums, as well as some cover versions, including Aloe Blacc's "I Need a Dollar" and a medley of James Brown's greatest hits, Mr Murs clearly defined his vocal ability, proving to audiences of thousands why he rightly deserves his place at the top of the UK charts.

Anywhere Else: "Tonight, our arms are open wide"

Complete with a top-class band, including tremendous back-up singers who helped Olly with a few of his dance moves throughout the show, I would thoroughly recommend paying a visit to see this Essex-boy on one of his upcoming summer shows. These include a homecoming, headlining concert in Hylands Park on 16th June, before returning to the park again on 19th August for the annual V Festival, where Murs will be making his debut appearance on the Main Stage.

If you're not altogether convinced about Olly Murs or he's still not your cup-of-tea, be sure to see him perform live and I can guarantee you will have a good time.

Fuze find a fan in McFly

This week, Pop rockers McFly will begin their nationwide, 26-date, theatre tour, which sees them travelling across the length and breadth of Britain performing to all their fans. As the band travel to York on the 17th April, they will be joined by a very talented Essex band.

Fuze, made up of Ed Alston - lead vocalist and guitarist, George Kirchner - lead guitarist, Jack Goldsmith - bass guitarist, and Keir Adamson - drummer, beat hundreds of other hopefuls to the position.

From left: George, Keir, Ed, Jack

From November of last year, McFly begun their Battle of the Bands competition, looking for fresh and under-the-radar artists to support them on their tour. With many acts across the country entering videos of themselves to the website, the public had a chance to vote online over a 3 month period for their favourite.

The top 50 were then whittled down to 26 as McFly, made up of Tom, Danny, Dougie, as well as Essex's very own Harry Judd, picked the bands they wished to appear alongside them.

Having been crowned Chelmsford's YFest winners in August 2011, as well as giving regular performances at live music venues across the county including The Box in Chelmsford, Fuze are very much prepared for a live audience. However, with a sell-out gig at The Barbican theatre in York, the group will have to adjust to a 1,500-strong crowd - a spectacular experience for any artist

Lead guitarist, George is filled with excitement at the prospect of their upcoming gig. "It will be the biggest gig we've ever played. To have this opportunity to perform to 1,500 McFly fans, as well as McFly themselves, will be so awesome."

After receiving a call from an unknown US number at the start of February, George was ecstatic to hear the voice of McFly's manager Richard Rashman, with "the words [he] had been waiting for months to hear".

"My heart literary started to beat faster than ever before, I couldn't breathe and I just knew that we made it on to the tour! As soon as I got off the phone, I went to scream at the top of my voice but nothing came out! I then ran down stairs and told my mum, phoning the other guys in the band shortly after."

In order to prepare for their supporting slot at the chart toppers' gig, Fuze will be hosting a warm up gig on 13th April. Starting at 7:30 at The Box, Fuze welcome anybody to attend to support them in preparing for this once-in-a-lifetime show.

In recent months, Fuze's album has been available to buy on iTunes and Amazon, with the band's latest single, 'By Your Side', available to download for 89p on iTunes. The four-piece have also recorded a video to accompany the single, which is also available.

If you wish to find out more about Fuze, head to their official YouTube page FuzeBandTV to see some clips of Ed, George, Jack and Keir performing live, as well as a sneak preview of the latest video, or visit the Fuze Facebook page

Fuze's 'By Your Side' is available to download now