What’s Freshers Fair? What’s Scratch Radio? Where do I go on Wednesday the 22nd September? Who am I? What year is it? Who is the president?

Station Manager, Paul Hadsley, gives his usual witty rundown of events to come.

You might be coming to the City North Campus armed with all these questions and more, but for the most part the most important thing to remember is that the Freshers Fair is all about you and what you want to get involved with here at BCU.

Of course, judging by the fact you’re reading this on the Scratch Radio blog, we’re hoping you already have an interest in getting involved with your official Students’ Union radio station.

At Freshers Fair, we have a small amount of time to get your attention and impress you - and it’s hard to show off a whole radio station from a stand in a sports hall. Don’t be surprised if we decide explaining how we work isn’t good enough and offer to march you to the studio and show a programme in action and even give you the chance to have a go!

With all the hustle and bustle of Freshers Fair, you might miss out on seeing Scratch in action. However, why not stop by our new studio on Level 2 in the Union building (turn left as soon as you go through the automatic doors and we’re right there).

So enjoy yourself on Wednesday and come and see your potential new friends at Scratch Radio!

Paul Hadsley
Station Manager (External)

Backstage at this year’s V Festival, Ben Stones managed to catch up with Scottish pop-sensation Alex Gardner. You can hear the full interview on Scratch Radio during Freshers, but for now here’s a taster of what’s to come.

Scratch Radio has been out and about throughout the summer, you can hear the highlights of our antics when we’re back on air in September.

Scratch Radio’s Wil Vincent has made his way to this year’s Sonisphere Festival where he’s caught up with legendary Swedish heavy-metal band Europe…

Q: You played Bloodstock Festival last year, and you said people were surprised to see that you’re a lot heavier than they thought, does this happen often?
A: Yeah, everyone seems to attach us to “The Final Countdown”, and we went on the Bloodstock site and everyone was like “Europe are shit”, but when they actually saw us, they realised that we are heavier, and we can kick ass.

Q: Have you got a producer for you new album? Where you going to record it?
A: Yeah we have, we’re gonna record it back home. We don’t see any point in me flying all the way over to America to record an album, when I can do my bit in two days, and beside, I get to go home to a wife and a hot dinner, rather than some s***ty hotel food.

Q: Whats the worst bit about touring?
A: What really winds me up are all these refurbished venues. They all scream about how wonderful they are, yet nothing ever seems to work. On the last tour, I slept in the bus, thinking I could go into the venue and have a shower, and none of them ever worked! And everything either seemed to be dirty, or not working etc.

Q: Do your kids get any stick for being the son of the “Final Countdown bloke”?
A: Not as much as you’d think. My eldest son, who is almost 18, is with me at the moment, and came to the Peace and Love festival a few days back, and just camped by himself with his mates. He does get a bit proud though when he sees his dad rocking out with Europe.

Q: Do you think there is a difference between festivals now, and back in the day?
A: Yeah, cause there were hardly any festivals back then! In Sweeden there are so many now, and half of them are going bust as they cant get the line ups. Our tour manager says however that we always seem to play the good Festivals. I dunno if thats a compliment to them or us…

Good Afternoon all!

Despite the ever present threat of rain, all is good here at Knebworth! The live music is due to start within the next hour or so, and there is a great evening of entertainment lined up for the 30,000 campers to enjoy.

Delain will be opening up the festivities at 5pm this evening, but not before a World Record Attempt, to get as many people as possible to do the Time Warp. For those of you who don’t know what the Time Warp (or the Rocky Horror Show) is, SHAME ON YOU! However, you can see Team Sonisphere doing a practise run the other day…

The campsites are buzzing, the beer is being drunk like it’s going out of fashion, and the queues for the toilets are as long as ever… Wish you were here?

For those of you sat at home, we have got a number of interviews lined up this evening, EUROPE will be talking to us in a bit, followed by Karma to Burn, 65 days of Static, Never means Maybe, and Throats.

All interviews will be online at some point, so long as there remains a spare plug socket in the Press area. We’re right in front of Scuzz TV, and it’s hectic stuff! Anyway, enjoy the rest of your afternoon, and remember, It’s just a jump to the left…

Wil Vincent - Head of New Music