De Niro or Al Pacino?

Today was my first day on the phones on the Dom King show.

I had a caller telling me that the streetlamps in his road had been left on for three months, a man who wanted to know the Cray Wanderers result and a lovely seventy year old lady called Betty who thought Al Pacino was a very sexy man!

Oh yes! An eventful day...

Basically there was a debate on the show about who you'd save out of Robert De Niro and Al Pacino. Hence Betty's call. I also got to speak to lots more, including a gent from Biggin Hill who didn't recognise my voice and was kind enough to wish me luck!

I also interviewed the BBC Kent Introducing team and sat in on a meeting. Jacob, their 17 year old producer is a really dedicated, talented guy. He puts together packages and scripts and helps with the playlists for the show. I wish I could have been involved when I was his age. He'll go far for sure. In fact I think he has even set up a blog...

Let me look....

Aha! Here we go

Ah...to rest

Frank.

Sometimes its hard to be a woman

So I was covering an event last night and something happened that has not happened before.

I felt a bit of an outcast. I mean, I've felt like one before but that can be due to my own wierdness, or 'quirks' as kind people call them. 

Yesterday I felt that it was because I'm female. 

It's something that was quite wierd because I've not experienced it in the music/journo world thus far. I think I dealt with it, maybe not 100 percent productively but as much as I could. If one person doesn't respond to you well, no matter how warm and friendly you naturally are/try to appear, go and find someone else who will! Perhaps that person who has had previous reservations will change their mind and if they don't then take your talent elsewhere.

Sometimes I wonder if I should change what I wear, my appearance etc... I don't wear jeans which is pretty much BBC uniform but that to me is because of practicality. I have sensitive skin, jeans make me itch! Also, I don't think I'll ever find a pair of jeans that fit me perfectly. However, dresses suit me fine. I'm not a 'Barbie' (not that anything is wrong with being really girly) but it strikes me that if you appear feminine, sometimes people take offence. 

For example, at Lounge on the Farm I had a bright pink two man tent purely because it was the cheapest tent in the shop that I could find, ten pounds. I had the festival next day and it was the only one left. When I was sat in the tent at the festival campsite I constantly heard people going past my tent making silly, childish remarks about it. Since when did people care enough to get all 'NME' on my tent!

When I returned home after the event last night I felt quite exhausted with the whole 'keeping up appearances' element of the evening. I could have flung myself onto my bed and let everything out but I decided to 'take the evening with a pinch of salt' and have a good read instead!

Frank.

The Dominic King Show

Today was like my starter day for the radio. I basically shadowed Steve the producer and learnt more about how the show operates etc... On monday I'll actually be answering phones and calling guests etc etc... gulp!

After the show I went up to the newsroom to do some Blast type stuff/email etc etc when a guy came to talk to Jo, one of the Online journos, about the webtrail. Each week a voice over is recorded and broadcasted on the radio (a trail) about whats on the BBC Kent website. As I was to be mentioned at the end it the script ended up as "And, I, Frankie Ward will be"...yep I got to do the voice over. At first I did it too fast, or stumbled over hard-to-read words (it was quickly handwritten with words omitted that I jotted down) but in the end, I think we got a good take and hopefully it will be used from tomorrow...hoorah! Hopefully I can get some audio for the Blast site...

Frank. x

On the telly

Hey,

if anyone has read my blog for a while I wrote a post about being on TV.

Well clips from the episode have now gone online, one is 

and the other is here 

and the other is here

Frank.

Mercury Nominations and having a blast

...Laura Marling has to win! 

Today I wrote two pieces for my Blast page, a diary and a piece on Lounge on the Farm.

www.bbc.co.uk/kent/blast

At training I met Ashley Partridge, another Blastee and I have persuaded him to start a blog,

Its www.ashleypartridge.blogspot.com

Us Blast kids eh? We're gonna take over the world!!!

Also at BBC Kent I'll be helping out on the Dominic King show from 10am-1pm. I suppose you could call it unpaid BA (Broadcast assistant) work which was what I really wanted to do when I got the Blast position. It's going to mean lots of long bus journeys and getting up early but its so worth it!

ahhhhhh!!!

Frank.

Especially for you...

Today I was meant to see my friend and overdose on chocolate...however I got a text asking me if I could do an interview with Jason Donovan....how could I refuse?!

The Dartford festival is obviously near the Dartford tunnel, just outside of London. It's actually quite a nice town with a nice park which provided todays venue. The lineup consisted of tribute acts...with Donovan the headliner. I suppose they could have got a tribute act for him as well but it was nice to have the real thing I'm sure!

There wasn't really an easy way for me to get to Dartford from Maidstone but luckily my mum was going to Bluewater so I tagged along for two hours going from sale to sale and then headed to the park. Jason arrived around five so we waited over half an hour (mum came too!) and then met him. We were joined part way during the interview by a young lady from the local paper, which to be honest, was great because she wanted to know the same stuff as me so I asked my questions and she asked the ones I forgot to ask! I kept the interview pretty low key but did broach the subject of the cancelled soap Donovan starred in, Echo Beach. It's sister comedy show Moving Wallpaper has been recommissioned but he will not be starring. However, if he was affected by this question he did not show it and was graceful with his answer... he feels its a pity but he's got his new record deal now etc etc.

He also spoke of the album saying it will consist mostly of 50/60's covers (ballad style.) He and a friend brought a guitar along to the show with him which made his entrance all the more exciting!

After the interview we went outside in the sun to get a photo, however so many people started taking photos that Jason got a bit flustered and soon ducked back into his tent. My mother on the other hand got excited about the presence of comedian Joe Pasquale who was really rather pleasant and agreed to let her take a photo! He had also said hi to me when he entered the drinks marquee, rare for someone with any sort of celebrity status, (he's in the Dartford panto at the end of the year.)

So tomorrow I'll overdose on chocolate! And on Monday its off to BBC Kent to try and blag a position as an unpaid BA (broadcast assistant) as well as my Blast Position. (I'm gonna keep asking...might as well, Blast is only two days a week...I want four!!!)

Until next time

Frank.

My first comment

I got a comment, (the titles pretty self explanatory)

my head just floated out the window!

joking, the comment actually didn't really make much sense to me, but it was very much appreciated...

I have had a reader!

Frank.

video from my hotel...courtesy of la beeb...

Made this video for the BBC Blast site...but its a bit too long so I've stuck it on here instead...apologies for the cheesy intro but I've gotta get some practice in eh?!

Loungin' on the Farm

So this weekend I popped over to Merton Farm in Canterbury, Kent to cover Lounge on the farm festival for BBC Kent.

The festival is a well kept secret, not marketed widely and an event that largely relies on word of mouth...but after the weekend there I believe that word will spread like wildfire. The festival, now it in it's third year has clearly defined principles of promoting Kent produce and establishing Kent on the music map. The organisers are also opening a venue in Canterbury called, funnily enough, The Farm to try and pull in

 acts that normally skip Kent and just play London instead.

This was also my first event where I was doing photography so whilst I wait for a new battery (it wasn't my SLR but my Dads.) I have my fingers crossed about how the pics will turn out...as I ran out of power I had to shoot the last band, The Coral on my 5.0 megapixel digicam!

So basically in comparison to the shambles of Z008 I had an AMAZING time. I got to interview at least 20 different acts, some established, some up and coming. I even managed to catch up with Johnny Foriegner who I've wanted to meet for ages and they gave me a beer. It was good times. I think after I met the Coral (they came out when I was 12 and I'm now 19) It kinda sunk in and I had to run away to let it all sink in!!!

On the saturday evening I was due to interview the New York Dolls but things were running a bit late. Tom from BBC Kent Introducing went before me so I managed to blag an interview with Blaine from the Mystery Jets and we had a nice informal chat and as I'd just bought a Ukele he and Will signed it for me...

When I was talking to Blaine I asked how they got Laura Marling involved in the recording of 'Young Love' as I'm a huge fan of hers, I also wanted to know how they perform the song live without her. It turns out that either Will sings the song on his own or they get a girl from the audience to do it....

and that is how I blagged my way onto the main stage infront of up to 1,000 people singing 'Young Love'!!! I got to watch the gig from the side of the stage and push Will on concealed in a gigantic amp case (rock and roll eh?!)

I admit that I was nervous before I went on, would people boo me or, as I hadn't come from the audience, believe that I was 'with the band.'

The band had to have two songs cut because of the curfew time the cow shed (yes it was a big barn!) had been given so I was on sooner than I expected. I literally walked on intro-free, stood and waited to sing whilst trying to look as it I fit in and then sang!

I now understand why acts always mention their monitors etc because at first, I couldn't hear myself at all..infact I couldn't for most of it but I just tried to keep going as if nothing was wrong. The biggest issue was the height of the microphone being too tall for me, but, not wanting to move it I did the whole thing on tip toes!!!

Other highlights of the weekend included seeing one of my favourite new acoustic acts, Kal Lavelle (and her thanking her family 'and Frankie' at the end of her set,) shooting Johnny Foriegner (pictures!), meeting my new photographer friend Lizzie (superstar!) interviewing Los Campesinos and then later them talking to me like I was just a normal person, not an annoying press person, the med-veg kofta pitta thing I ate, Dani Groombridge, a 14-year old superstar in the making who played the 'School of Rock' tent and came running up to me mintues before her battle of the bands final asking me how to rescue her voice (So I ran and made her salt water and felt proud of my good deed.) 

I'm going to keep writing about this subject for ages I bet but i'll pop photos up soon and provide links to other stories about it.

Frank. x

Punch Me

...no not literally!

Tomorrow (at 9am no less) I'm interviewing Ammo of Punch records so I'm currently doing research...or at least I will once I've finished fiddling with clothes/my room/music.

I'm meant to be going out tonight but that means I need to pack for Kent (Lounge on the farm festival this weekend for BBC Kent) asap so I can just get up in the morn and get to Gibb street with all my stuff so I can get the train from New street to Maidstone straight after...its hectic being me you know...just as its probably hectic being you (whoever you may be.)

Yesterday I continued my run of 444Club gigs at The Rainbow when I met up with Simon Harris to 'sort his life out.' He basically has a solo project, a gypsy/folk band called 'the brightsize gypsies' and a band that plays events like weddings. The problem is he's not sure how to get things off the ground so I'm going to help him with things such as mailing lists etc...He does lots of stuff in Brum but some of it is quite removed from the rest and he's finding it difficult to keep up with it all I think. I just hope I can help!

Frank.

I got a golden ticket....

Ahhhhhh!

So excited!

I won the Oxfam 4Talent glaso comp where you had to send a reply to Oxfam 4Talent's twitter 'What gets your knickers in a twist'...

I said 'Interviewers asking artists who they're doing, not what they're doing.'

And it worked!!! I officially love twitter now! (mine is www.twitter.com/frankieloves)

So my prize is to head of to Bestival in September and do an interview for a podcast which I'm really excited about, I just hope I can make a lasting impression!

Next week I'm off to Lounge on the Farm to do some interviews with more bands, I'm really really hoping to get Art Brut, I met them before and they were absolutely lovely. I also know that my friend Ben is playing in a band called Wheeler Street so it will be great to check them out and get them to give us a few words for the BBC.

At the moment i'm looking round the bombshell that is my new room and wondering what the best way to sort it would be. I still have a few things to move from my flat and interviews a plenty to transcribe, however tonight I'm not going out and it feels odd. Someone help me out please?!

Frank.

Zoo twothousand

I'm soggy and sat in the 'press tent' at ~Kent's Z008 fest.

its a contraversial issue to be honest but the whole thing is an absolute blunder.
Basically the first day opened four hours late and bands had to be moved around etc... I eventually found out that the stage crew hadn't been paid and were striking. Also, Mark Ronson had not been paid his performance deposit (as other bands had not) and had to be paid with a bin bag full of coins (lets face it, his fee would hardly fit in a Tescos carrier bag now would it?)

On the second night the second stage, the Tap and Tin tent, also went down (A stonkingly good Gallows headlining set the night before had people climbing up the support beams) and I was frantically trying to find out whether Young Knives were still playing. Meanwhile a huge number of bands were striking back stage due to a lack of payment and leaving. Allegedly The Rascals turned up with Alex Turner in tow and then left again. Frank Turner also cancelled (he even posted a blog on his myspace about it.)
After no arranged interviewed via the PR company on Friday I had been gathering notes in my book from bands I managed to grab and chat with (such as Fighting with Wire and The Holloways.)
Luckily the PR people finally pulled through for us and I got to interview members of British Sea Power, headliners The Cribs and most amazingly of all...Ash! (The bassist got straight to the point of having not been paid but said they'd come from NY so it was pointless to not play.)
I also found out that Young Knives actually were playing after being told they weren't on site and ran over after Ash's amazing set to catch them. I even got an interview but as I tried to write it down it's going to take a lot of work to read my nearly illegiable scrawl.

Today its soaking. Karina, my BBC Blast mentor got to interview Funeral For A Friend and I met up with Maker, The Holloways, Marner Brown, In Case of Fire (lovely guys) and Mexico Falls.
So now I'm in the press tent waiting for a call from Chatham band 'Underground Heroes,' and also waiting to find out about whether The Hives will be doing interviews...

Frank.

Supersonic

At the moment I'm in the Custard Factory Kitchen with Sebastian Hau-Walker discussing ideas for distribution for Supersonic Festival on the 11th. We're looking for places to put leaflets/give them out/stick up posters

If you've got any ideas or want to help then please drop Sebastian a line at

sebastianhau-walker@hotmail.co.uk!

Frankie.