Lancaster’s student radio station Bailrigg FM is hosting a free music festival celebrating student bands and DJs on Saturday of Week Nine.
Paul Hodges, Bailrigg FM’s Programme Controller and festival organiser, hopes that the festival, which will be held in Lancaster Square in the County College, will provide a good start to extrav week.
“There are plenty of campus based bands but you very rarely get them all together in one place,” he said. “The Bailrigg FM festival is a chance for them to all show off their talent. Michaelmas and Lent terms have Christmas Festival and Campus Festival but the Summer term concentrates on extravs and Grad Ball.”
The idea for the festival came after Bailrigg FM organised several successful live broadcasts and held a series of events featuring student bands playing live from the station. Many of the 10 student bands playing at the festival, which include October Skies, Tailored to Fit, The Lash and Jam Sandwich, have been involved with Bailrigg FM’s live sessions.
“This year alone we’ve broadcast from York for Roses, Sainsbury’s on Red Nose Day, the Giant Axe (home of Lancaster City FC), the LICA Launch, the Dukes theatre and all round campus,” Hodges said. “We’re always looking for new things and places to broadcast so with our live campus bands playing every week we put the two together to make the Bailrigg FM Festival.”
There will be a selection of food stalls including a Sun Hotel chef selling beefburgers as well as several campus-based businesses and County Bar will be open. There will also be competitions for free Sugarhouse tickets for the Saturday night.
The festival has been funded by the Union Exec and the Student Media Reserve and entry will be free; it will also be broadcast live on the Bailrigg FM website. If the festival is a success the organisers hope it will become an annual event.
