ThisIsTheMusic

Win a chance to play at Lakefest with Amped alongside Johnny Marr and Gaz Coombes and win £5k!!

Lakefest organiser, Iain Robertson, is no stranger to tough decisions. Having retired from the parachute Regiment, he took on jobs guarding George Harrison, Gary Moore and Johnny Rotten. But keeping Oasis on the rails after the release of their class debut album Definitely Maybe, ignited their rise toward global superstardom would be the toughest gig of them all. Iain was side-by-side with Oasis as their road manager and minder, twenty-four hours a day, eight days a week, as they took on the world and won. He wrote the book (Oasis- What’s The Story).

Now in its 11th year, Lakefest have decided to introduce something new and exciting to their mainstage, Amped. They are providing the opportunity for all aspiring musicians to enter a competition to play on the main stage at Lakefest preceding Gaz Coombes and headliner Johnny Marr.

Here Iain Robertson explains why Lakefest are proving this fantastic opportunity.

Q. Can you tell me more about this years fantastic competition Amped?

A. I thought you’d never ask! In a nutshell, it’s the most inclusive and far reaching competition for emerging talent within the UK…If you’re in one of the many brilliant new bands that Chris Moyles has recently, and so publicly written off, get yourselves entered. How often does an established festival give up an evening main stage slot, alongside the likes of Gaz Coombes and Johnny Marr? If you’ve got game, bring it! 15,000 Lakefesters are waiting to hear from you.

Q. There seems to be so many opportunities for bands to be seen and heard through this competition! That’s without the 5k prize!

A. The point of Amped is to create far-reaching opportunity. In the current digital world, recording and releasing music has never been easier, at the same time getting that music heard has never been harder…every band who reaches our regional heats, and can back their songwriting up on a stage, will be offered a paid slot on Lakefest’s brand new ‘Amped’ stage. What that means is that we are giving 18 artists a chance to shine, to be seen, to be heard, and to be paid. And in truth that is the part of the competition that we’re most proud of. The mainstage main prize, with a £5k payday is super-exciting, but it’s the wider reaching offer that makes this unique,

Q. It’s held at Lakefest can you tell me more about the festival and your involvement in it?

A. Lakefest is a brilliant boutique, family, festival which lives at Eastnor Castle, in Herefordshire. 11 years old this year, we’re expecting an audience of around 15,000. The festival director, Lee Martin, agreed with us that it’s important to give back into the live music scene: and on that basis he looked at the concept we presented, agreed that it was the right thing to do, and asked us to partner with the festival: underwriting the main prize as well as the ‘Amped’ marquee. And so, ‘Lakefest presents: Amped’ was born. I’ve been a part of the delivery team for 7 of the 11 years, as artist liaison and backstage gofer, before designing and delivering the Lakefest VIP experience, across the last three years. I’m a part of the delivery team on the junior talent competition, and brokered the relationship with The Children’s Hospital Charity, for whom I am an ambassador. My background is in live touring, having been either a bodyguard, or Tour Manager to a broad selection of talent, from George Harrison, Johnny Rotten and Spandau Ballet, to Oasis, as well as most points in between.

Q. New bands tend to have a difficult time getting onto festival bills how does Amped hope to help address this?

A. The simple answer is, by building a space that exists solely for the benefit of those new bands. Watching the news that BBC Introducing is being cut back, we realised that this opportunity has never been more urgently needed.

Q. You’ve names like Fightback Lager, Northern Exposure etc is collaboration at the heart of what you’re about?

A. When I built the partnership, I wanted to work with organisations who had proved themselves to be champions of the horizon. People who engage in ‘live’ at a grassroots level – people whose guiding purpose is that of giving a voice to fresh artists, in a world where, as previously advertised, it has never been harder to be heard. Luckily for me, Lee Martin & Lakefest feel the same way.

Q. How do bands get involved?

A. You’ve a great line up at Lakefest yet again! Where can people get more information and buy tickets?2023’s Lakefest promises to be another triumph of festival fusion: McFly, Faithless DJ set, Clean Bandit, Johnny Marr and a very long list of eclectic wizardry, all within the shadow of a glorious castle, by (of course) a shimmering lake – There isn’t a better value festival ticket to be had. But don’t just take my word for it. Check us out at www.lakefest.co.uk and grab a ticket…better still, put your superhero pants on and enter the competition.

A. One digital submission is all it takes. No excuse for not being a part of this – just hit us up at www.ampedmusic.co.uk We will take it from there. Applications close mid-March so there’s still plenty of time to do the right thing.

The competition is open from the 15th January 2023 and the cut off for digital entries is midnight on Friday 3rd March 2023. Further details on the competition can be found on the Amped website, here.

Lakefest is on 10-13 August at Eastnor Castle Deer Park, Ledbury.