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Jo Whiley is backing the
Little Noise Sessions |
Whiley’s speaking up for Little Noise
PREVIEW: MENCAP
LITTLE NOISE SESSIONS
Union Chapel, Islington
JO WHILEY’S a picture of domestic bliss.
She’s driving around London, family in tow, seeking out the perfect fridge.
“We’ve travelled miles to look at Smeg fridges to decide whether it’s style over content,” she explains.
This brief glimpse of the Radio One DJ’s home life is a far cry from the Whiley we’re used to.
She may talk about her children on-air but we’re more accustomed to seeing her in wellies at Glasto, and hearing her host megastars in her legendary Live Lounge sessions.
While her husband drives, Jo’s discussing her pet project, Mencap’s Little Noise Sessions at Islington’s Union Chapel (November 16-25).
Now in its fourth year, headliners include Editors, Alexandra Burke, Mika, Richard Hawley, Lost Prophets, Taio Cruz, Florence and the Machine, David Gray and Newton Faulkner.
In past years, U2, Coldplay, and The Killers have turned up unannounced to play in the atmospheric surrounds of the chapel, but we’re still guessing who’ll be this year’s talking point.
Jo, who lived in Archway for many years, said: “When we talked about doing concerts for Mencap there was a lot of talk about massive gigs at the Albert Hall or something like that and I didn’t want to do that. I wanted somewhere really intimate. Walking into the chapel you get a sense of how beautiful it is. People come out awestruck, whether it’s the artists or audience – you walk around with this Ready Brek glow as if I’ve just been part of something special.”
Being one of the lucky few to have a backstage pass, Jo has an insight into how the bands are when they’re not performing.
“I just love the 30 seconds before a band walks out, whether it’s Bono and The Edge who turned up to surprise everybody, and thinking this is a band who play across the world to the biggest audiences ever and here they are in church literally saying their prayers, rolling their eyes and being incredibly nervous, their knees knocking, just seeing them that scared in that environment is quite a priviledge and a sight,” she says.
This year, Jo says, they’ve decided to mix things up a bit: “We’ve got more of an urban night with Tinchy Stryder, Taio Cruz and Chipmunk, it’s something we’ve never done before.
“We’ve got a rock night with the Lost Prophets and a Welsh male voice choir which will be fantastic, traditional indie stuff, then people like Florence and the Machine who I’m really chuffed with because you just know it’s going to be amazing in the church.
“Every year we place bets on who’s going to get on the pulpit. The sight of her climbing wherever she can with her red hair behind her will be quite special.
“Mika’s doing something special. They all take it one step further, think about how it will work in the chapel and how they can do something that’ll blow people’s minds. Booking Lost Prophets you’re thinking how’s that going to work – their fans will come along and want to rock out. Then when I heard they were thinking about getting a male voice choir in – I think, ‘okay they’ve got ideas’. It forces bands to think about how they’re going to do something which is great because you get to see them stretching themselves.
“With Kasabian I was really worried, not sure how they were going to pull it off but they just told people to rock out and stand up. You don’t have to be reverential, you can still be involved in the gig.”
Jo became involved with Mencap because her sister has learning difficulties.
“As she was growing up I was aware there’s really little to do when you’re an adult with learning difficulties, there’s not many social functions to go to, you’re really struggling so we’re trying to draw attention to that, give people the chance to go to gigs, get involved in drama, nightclubs, djing, that’s why Little Noise makes perfect sense.”
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