News 2006
Bombay Bicycle Club and Keith win the chance to open V Festival
17/08/2006
17.08.06: Virgin Mobile is proud to announce the winners of its Road to V musical battle to find the opening act for this year V festival. Having beat off stiff competition from the 4000 acts who entered, London based Bombay Bicycle Club and Manchester four-piece Keith romped home to victory and both will play to crowds of thousands over the weekend long event.
Having tracked their progress since June, the final decision was reached by the all-star panel made up of The Charlatans front man Tim Burgess, Virgin Radio DJ Steve Harris, and promoter Mags Ravel from Metropolis Music. The panel spent the last few months reviewing their performances, meeting the bands and reading the reviews left on the website to decide who from the final 14 bands came top of the class.
Worthy winners, the Bombay Bicycle Club wowed both judges and audiences alike with their polished pop indie tunes, professional performances and steady confidence on stage. The boys who formed at school just over a year ago, will be gearing up for the biggest gig of their lives when they open the mighty Virgin Mobile Festival on the 19th August at Hylands Park, Chelmsford.
Similarly, fantastic Manchester four-piece Keith impressed with their polished mixes of dub, folk, groove and indie. The band who met whilst studying Music Production at Manchester University caused quite a stir with both industry musos and on the all-important V fan messages boards. The band has the accolade of opening at the Weston Park, Staffordshire on the 19th August.
The bands were told about their success less than 48 hours before the festival started on the Channel 4 ‘Road to V’ show which went out on 16th August 2006 at 00.25. After the celebrations finished both bands locked themselves away and vowed to get in some final practise before the biggest weekend of their lives.
The bands have already had massive exposure via the TV programme, which has charted their progress to date, and their sets at V look set to catapult them to the heady heights of superstar fame. Tune into see the winners story and what really happens back stage in the final episode of the show, on Channel 4 at 00.30 on 26th August.
To find about more about both of the winning bands visit www.channel4.com/roadtov or fight your way to the front at the festival.
For more information on this year’s V Festival, visit www.vfestival.com
Henry’s House:
Krissy Knights: 020 7291 3035 krissy@henryshouse.com
Rachel Moule: 020 7291 3033 rachel@henryshouse.com
Virgin Mobile:
Alison Bonny alison.bonny@virginmobile.com 07802 430276
V Festival 2006 takes place on 19th – 20th of August at Hylands Park, Chelmsford and Weston Park, Staffordshire. Radiohead, Morrissey, Faithless, Beck, Keane, Bloc Party, Lily Allen, The Magic Numbers, Paul Weller, Hard Fi, Sugababes, Razorlight, The Charlatans, Groove Armada, Kasabian, Fatboy Slim, Editors, Ordinary Boys, The Go! Team, Starsailor, Rufus Wainwright, James Dean Bradfield, Kubb, Orson, The Feeling, Gavin Degraw, Delays, Daniel Powter, Bic Runga, The Young Knives
About Virgin Mobile:
Virgin Mobile is the UK’s largest mobile virtual network operator and uses T-Mobile's network. Since its launch in November 1999, Virgin Mobile has attracted more than 4 million customers.
Virgin Mobile is part of the ntl:telewest group. The group is the first to be able to offer `quadruple play’ to customers: mobile and fixed line telephony, broadband internet and television.
In the UK, Virgin Mobile phones are available direct on 0845 6000 600; on the web at www.virginmobile.com or on the high street at approximately 5,000 outlets including Virgin Mobile Stores within Virgin Megastores and selected WHSmiths, The Carphone Warehouse, The Link, Phones 4 U, Currys.digital, Comet, Tesco, Asda, John Lewis, Argos, Woolworths, Toys R Us, Ryman, web retailer Dial-a-phone plus hundreds of independent mobile phone dealers and available via Shop Direct/Littlewoods, Grattan and Empire home shopping channels.
Virgin Mobile Pay Monthly (contract) is currently available in Virgin Mobile Stores, The Carphone Warehouse, The Link, Phones 4u, at concessions in WHSmith and from www.virginmobile.com
Virgin Mobile employs approximately 1,700 staff at three sites, Trowbridge, London and Daventry, and has an outsourced customer service centre operated by approximately 200 staff in Middlesbrough.
Virgin Mobile was voted 22nd in the Best Workplaces in the UK Financial Times survey for 2006.
Virgin Mobile is offering its customers a Summer of Free Virgin to Virgin Texts in the UK until 30th September.
