One of the biggest bands to play Lincoln in recent years – 30 Seconds To Mars – are hitting the Engine Shed next month. Accompanying the American rock giants are Radio 1 DJs Fearne Cotton and Zane Lowe. Lowe will be broadcasting his show live on Radio 1 from the Engine Shed and Cotton will be recording her Live Lounge set in the city too.
“We’re all really excited about it, I’m looking forward to lots of bits of it, but then dreading bits of it like living on a tour bus,” Fearne said. “The actual tour itself is going to be so fun, we’ve obviously got such a good line up and it’ll be nice spending some time with Mr. Lowe as well.”
Each morning of the Student Tour Fearne will be joined by some huge artists in the live lounge, whereas in the evening Zane Lowe will be broadcasting the headline sets from each of the headliners.
“I will have my Live Lounge bit in the morning, where the bands will do a nice acoustic set. I’ll also get to hang out in the student areas so I can go and meet some of the new students. See how they’re living and really get down and dirty with the students.
“Of course in the evening Zane will be doing his thing with the gig, with a band having a more party atmosphere. It’s just going to be mad days of music.”
The Radio 1 Student Tour is visiting three other universities across the UK – Northumbria, Oxford and Bristol – each with separate headliners. Zane Lowe and Fearne Cotton will be DJing at all four shows.
“[Students] are the best audience to have. Whenever I play at different universities you just know you’re going to get such a good reaction. People just want to have a good time and they’re out having a good old drink as well.
“For some reason I always decide I can drink like a student when I DJ at unis, so I end up getting horribly drunk and shoved in a car for the way home.”
Growing up within the TV industry, presenting Diggit in 1998 at the age of 17, Fearne didn’t go to university with all the job opportunities in front of her. “I missed out on all that. I did an A Level, but because I was already working I thought I didn’t want to give up what I’ve got here TV-wise, so I decided to miss out on it.
“I’ve got certain regrets, I think I did miss out on certain things. My brother went to university and had an amazing time, a lot of my friends went so I’d go and visit them and see how their uni life was. I feel I did miss out somewhat.”
As well as 30 Seconds To Mars, the Radio 1 Student Tour features Mark Ronson, Klaxons, and Chase & Status. All four of which are some of the biggest names in music this year.
“I’m really chuffed with the whole line up. I love 30 Seconds To Mars they’re such a good live band… It’s great to get such a big US band like that on our student tour. Klaxons — great to have them back. Mark Ronson as well, I love his new song.
“In a fantasy line up obviously I’d love to have Led Zeppelin there, but that will probably never happen. But that would be quite a joy for me as they’re my favourite band in the whole wide world. I just think we’ve got a really, really good line up for this tour and I wouldn’t change it.”
Tickets for the Lincoln show of the Radio 1 Student Tour are sadly sold out, but make sure to listen to Fearne Cotton and Zane Lowe’s live broadcast from Lincoln on Tuesday, October 19th.