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Rory and Charlie at Glastonbury 2008

Back in April we were asked to recommend Suffolk bands to play at the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Introducing stage at this year's festival.

A judging panel including Radio One's Huw Stephens, Gary Lightbody from Snow Patrol and the editor of Observer Music Monthly looked through all of the entries from other Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ local sites and picked Cheeky Cheeky and the Nosebleeds to join the bands performing over the weekend of 27-29 June 2008.

"I've never been to Glastonbury before but it's the festival that even your parents know and everyone you meet knows about, so it's such a big opportunity to be playing it," said Rory, one of the band's two singers.

The five piece hail from Woodbridge, Framlingham, Rendham, Sweffling and Martlesham are enjoying a meteoric rise to fame following a couple of early gigs at The Steamboat in Ipswich.

Rory and fellow singer Charlie took to the mic as the band paid a visit to Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Suffolk's studios at the end of May.

"We first played at The Steamboat, and are big fans of (landlady) Val there, and got loads of school friends down and had good fun," Rory explained. "We then played at the Drum and Monkey a couple of times before playing another gig at The Steamboat."

Charlie continued: "We tried to self-promote it but we'd been really busy and hadn't put much effort in, so not many people came.

"We then played an Uprock gig at The Swan and it was one in-one out, which was really good."

The capacity gig in Ipswich came in between the band's first tour, in support of Joe Lean and the Jing Jang Jong, and a high profile show at Brixton Academy alongside The Wombats.

"Your first proper tour really changes you as a band as you're playing every night and getting tighter with every show," said Rory.

"The Brixton gig was pretty scary - looking out and seeing a slope of bodies."

Charlie added: "Tom broke a bass string, which is like a thick cable, on the second song, I broke a string on the third song and Christian's guitar cut out - all in front of 4000 people."

"It went well though," said Rory.

Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Introducing at Latitude

Cheeky Cheeky and the Nosebleeds have also been handed the honour of headlining Saturday night's entertainment on the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Introducing/Lake Stage at the third Latitude Festival.

"Latitude's so new and so many magazines call it the best festival," said Rory.

Charlie: "Everyone wants it to be the new Glastonbury. It should be so much fun and the line up is really good - with Franz and Interpol playing.

"We've been on tour for ages so it's going to be a good homecoming on a big stage."

What can those yet to see the band perform live expect from a Cheeky Cheeky and the Nosebleeds gig?

"We don't know what our live show's like as we haven't really seen it apart from a video we took at Amsterdam," said Charlie.

"We watched the video back and everyone does loads of things that I didn't realise they do - like Rory does a few sweet dance moves."

So if you're heading to Latitude or Glastonbury go show your support for a band, who Charlie says, don't really know what they'd do if they weren't playing music.

"Being in a band is the best thing you can do. What else would we be doing at this time?

"We could be in university or working in a job we hate. Just going around the country playing to people in towns you've never been to is pretty amazing.

"Come see us, it's good fun and we won't bore you."

If you're in a band and would like to feature on the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Suffolk Introducing website as well as being considered for future events like Glastonbury or a Maida Vale session, submit your details using the link on the right >>

Tracks from two artists from the website are played every Tuesday night on Stephen Foster's Introducing show on Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Radio Suffolk.