Japan Music: Talking Talent

After all the

effort, the long hours, the selection of judges, the we're finally on the eve of the final of the Glastonbury Emerging Talent Competition 2011. Eight acts will battle it out in front of a live audience at The Pilton Working Men?s Club, Shepton Mallet. Sue Wheeler, the Glastonbury Festival ETC Co-ordinator has taken some time out from the frantic arrangements for this important event in the music calendar to tell the Devil about her favourite Glastonbury memory, her fantasy Glastonbury line-up and her plans for 2012 when Glastonbury takes a year off.

The Devil: How long have you worked with the Glastonbury Festival and how did you first get involved?

Sue: I've been working full-time at the Glastonbury Festival Office for just short of 3 years, although as a person who has always lived locally I have worked onsite during the Festival many times over the years - litter-picking, working on a stall, stewarding, running my own stall. It's how the majority of local people get to attend the Festival; they work for a ticket. I initially became involved at the Festival Office by helping the marketing team for another event that Michael puts on, called The Glastonbury Abbey Extravaganza. It's an event held over two evenings; one is a popular night on Saturday 6th August with Status Quo and a fantastic support which we are yet to announce, the other is a classical night on Sunday 7th August with Katharine Jenkins, the National Symphony Orchestra and a special guest. After we had finished working on the event back in 2008 I was asked to stay on as a permanent full-time member of staff! I was delighted, of course!

The Devil: What's your favourite Glastonbury memory?

Sue: Well, I've attended every Glastonbury Festival since 1987 so that's a lot of memories! But one of the most memorable would have to be singing along in the rain with thousands of others to Hey Jude when Paul McCartney headlined the Pyramid on the Saturday night in 2004. But I think the thing that makes Glastonbury Festival so special is all the random stuff you stumble across. For me the only way to truly enjoy Glastonbury is to keep it as schedule free as possible and just go with the flow. Then you get to see the real Festival, I think.

The Devil: What would your perfect Glastonbury line up be?

Sue: Crikey, that's a tough one! Can it be a fantasy one? To keep it diverse I would have to say, for the headliners: The Beatles, Take That and AC/DC. Something for everyone there, I think, and I'd certainly be very happy!

The Devil: If you could change one thing at Glastonbury what would it be?

Sue: I'm really struggling over this question and I'm absolutely stumped, I have to say!

The Devil: What was the first record you owned and what was the first record you ever bought with your own money?

Sue: The first record I owned was an album called 'Blockbusters' which my dad bought for me that had a compilation of Sweet, Mud and Suzi Quatro on it! I think it was to stop me rifling through their Beatles e.p.s! Yes, it was a long time ago - I think I was 4 or 5. The first record I ever bought with my own money was the single 'Golden Brown' by The Stranglers. My parents had bought me quite a lot of music up until that point, though.

The Devil: Which bands or artists on the current music scene make you tingle with joy?

Sue: Radiohead's new album King of Limbs is great right now, and I also love Sleigh Bells - Riot Rhythm is a great track. I heard Jamie xx's remix of Adele's Rolling in the Deep recently and I'm loving that too.

The Devil: There's no Glastonbury next year what will you do to keep busy?

Sue: With a public office, things don't grind to a halt just because the Festival isn't on! I will pop into the office to deal with post and emails and it also gives us a great opportunity to do all the little maintenance jobs that can sometimes build up due to the fact that we are always so busy! I also want to take this opportunity to do a bit more travelling. I don't get the chance to do that in the summer when I'm working - I might even go to a few Festivals!

The Devil: Favourite song of all time?

Sue: Another tricky one, Devil! The Beatles have definitely been a constant in my life since I was very young, so probably something by them - but their back catalogue is far too vast to even attempt to go there! Maybe 'For No-one'. A sweet song, not well known as it is an album track.

The Devil: Favourite book?

Sue: Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte. I was inspired to read it by the haunting and beautiful Kate Bush song.

The Devil: Favourite Movie?

Sue: So difficult! I love Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Moulin Rouge, From Dusk til Dawn, In Bruges - all for different reasons. But I guess I would have to say Hot Fuzz. I've always been a tiny bit in love with Simon Pegg, ever since Spaced was first on the television, but also Hot Fuzz was filmed where I live. It was an exciting time for me. I bought Simon Pegg and Nick Frost a shot of sambuca each when they came in our local pub!

The Devil: Favourite word?

Sue: Home. Makes you feel warm inside.

The Devil: Tell me something that you've never told anyone before.

Sue: That's a really difficult one because I am pretty much an open book...

The Devil: If you were interviewing yourself what would your killer question be and how would you answer it?

Sue: See above for the killer question, however I would like to think that I would be able to answer it a bit better than I have done today!

The Devil: Is there anything else you'd like to tell the Devil Has The Best Tuna readers?

Sue: Thank you for today. I hope you've enjoyed reading this. Watch out for the winner of The Glastonbury Festival's Emerging Talent Competition - to be announced at the finals on April 2nd which is being streamed live on www.glastonburyfestivals.co.uk

Go Try

Good luck to everyone at tomorrow's final. Here are the acts who will be hoping to secure the coveted slot on the main stage...

J-Treole

J-Treole in a world of their own, a world where Jazz and Hip Hop have joined forces to liberate the world from the sense dulling bump 'n grind merchants.

Skydive [FREE DOWNLOAD] by @jtreole

Twin Brother

Twin Brother was featured on the Devil's blog just last week where I introduced his track Lungs as based on a secret mathematical formula for the perfect indie sound. Take a listen to another of Twin Brothers' tracks Nothing Stays which would have sat comfortably on Ryan Adams' 'Demolition' album.

Nothing Stays by Twin Brother

My Tiger My Timing

A band that the Devil has been telling the world about for almost three years (Talking Tiger, A Roaring Success ). I'm so pleased that the world has finally started to listen.

Go Try

This Is Not The Fire by mytigermytiming

My First Tooth

Another band that the Devil has been keeping under surveillance for some time (Spooky Tooth, Tooth Ache) and it is so good to see them getting the recognition that they deserve.

Go Try

Silent Spring by myfirsttooth

Tristram

Tristram may have stumbled upon a new genre post-folk, the application of folk rock harmonies to post rock instrumentation. It works, amazingly.

Go Try

Tristram - Dust Disturbed by brokensoundmusic

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