Underage Festival - 2008 Festival

2008 Festival

The 2008 festival took place on 8 August 2008. The event was a success, with around 10,000 fans attending. Many queued for hours prior to the gates opening to gain entry. Headliners included Gallows, Dizzee Rascal, Foals, and The Dykeenies.

• The Horrors were originally scheduled to play the Main Stage, but had to pull out due to recording commitments. They were replaced by Dizzee Rascal. Mystery Jets were also scheduled to open the festival with a set on the Main Stage, but pulled out just a few days before due to their lead singer Blaine Harrison being in hospital. They were replaced with Kid Harpoon.
• Those Dancing Days performed on the Main Stage after Care Bears on Fire instead of the NME Stage, as previously billed.
• OCD were selected on BBC Radio 1's BBC Introducing show to play the festival. A number of young, unsigned bands were put forward by a variety of BBC Introducing Djs including Huw Stephens and Vic Galloway to win the opportunity to play on the Main Stage. An eventual winner was picked by Sam Kilcoyne, the festival's organiser. The entire feature was released in special Underage Festival podcast by Radio 1, in the week before the festival took place.
• Tim Burgess, lead singer of The Charlatans, played a DJ set on the Main Stage between each of the three main headliners.
• Gallows' headline set included an appearance by Lethal Bizzle, for a special cover of The Ruts' "Staring At The Rude Bois". As well as this, lead vocalist from hardcore punk band Blackhole - and Gallows' lead singer Frank Carter's younger brother - Rich Carter sang vocals on a number of tracks towards the end of the set.
• XX Teens set featured an appearance by famous anti-war protestor Brian Haw, who is currently the longest residing resident of the peace camp situated outside Parliament Square. Following set-closer "For Brian Haw", Haw gave a ten-minute speech regarding the War in Iraq.
• Polly Scattergood designed and curated a special shed for the festival, "Pollyworld", which featured small acoustic performances by herself and a number of other acts.
• A Girl Called Kate won an NME and Red Bull Bedroom Jam competition to play at the festival. Their video for 'Ctrl Alt Cheat' was voted the winner by fans and a panel of judges.
• Also featured was the Artrocker Signing Tent, which allowed fans to have merchandise signed by bands such as The Maccabees, Foals and Bombay Bicycle Club.
• The MySpace bus featured an acoustic set by Bombay Bicycle Club, as well as an interview with Dizzee Rascal for website need2know.