Underage Festival


The Underage Festival was a music festival in Victoria Park, London that was open only to those between 13 and 17.
The festival took place at the beginning of August each year. There were five main stages: the Converse Century Main Stage, the NME Stage, the Topman New Music Stage, the Domino Stage, and the Red Bull Bedroom Jam Stage. As well, some of the smaller features included the Habbo Dj Tent, the CM Tower Hamlets Music Space Stage, and the Artrocker Signing Tent. The 2008 event also included a MySpace bus, where secret sets and interviews with bands took place.
The festival evolved out of a series of club nights, held in the Elephant and Castle area of South London and hosted and organised by Sam Kilcoyne, the teenage son of Barry 7 from Add N to and current member of the band S.C.U.M, after he was refused admission to a Buzzcocks gig for being only 14. These grew popular with preteens and teenagers and even received press coverage in broadsheet national newspapers like The Guardian and the BBC's arts programmes, which reported it as a "youthquake".
Following the cancellation of the 2012 event, no further editions have taken place.

2012 Festival

The event was scheduled to be held on 31 August. On 27 July it was announced that due to production issues and the new location, the festival had been cancelled for 2012. Organisers stated they were hopeful of returning to the old site in 2013.

2011 Festival

The event was held on 5 August 2011 at Victoria Park, London and tickets for the event went on sale in January 2011. The first line-up of this year's acts was announced on 8 March by Huw Stephens live on BBC Radio 1.
Huw Stephens announced that Yasmin, Frankie & The Heartstrings, The Midnight Beast, Yaaks, Spark, Roll Deep, Giggs, Janelle Monáe, Devlin, Fugative The Chapman Family, Maverick Sabre, Brother, Cocknbullkid, Florrie, Crystal Fighters, with Bombay Bicycle Club headlining. The Red Bull Bedroom Jam Stage is to be headlined by My Passion, whilst other acts on the stage include Page 44, Blitz Kids And Autumn In Disguise, as well as many more. The New Roundhouse Rising stage was opened by Younghearts, an up-and-coming London based indie band with a forthcoming single "Isolation" due to be released soon.

2010 Festival

The tickets for this year's festival first went on sale in early January, where it took place in Victoria Park, London, on 1 August 2010. The line-up consisted of newly famous acts such as Ellie Goulding, Tinie Tempah and Chiddy Bang, as well as some acts such as Hadouken! and Tinchy Stryder returning for their second Underage Festival.
Tango StageConverse StageTopman CTRL Stage StageRed Bull Bedroom JamCommunity Music Stage

  • Chiddy Bang
  • The Courteeners
  • Darwin Deez
  • Hadouken!
  • Lightspeed Champion
  • Lomax
  • Los Campesinos!
  • M I A
  • Sub Focus
  • Tinie Tempah
  • Annie Mac Presents
  • Caspa Feat. MC Rod Azlan
  • Devlin
  • Donaeo
  • Fugative
  • Gold Panda
  • Greenmoney
  • Jakwob
  • Martelo
  • Rye Rye
  • Tinchy Stryder
  • Twizzle
  • Chapel Club
  • Egyptian Hip Hop
  • Ellie Goulding
  • Erik Hassle
  • Late Of The Pier
  • Michachu And The Shapes
  • New Young Pony Club
  • Professor Green
  • Stornoway
  • Crystal Castles
  • Daisy Dares You
  • Everything Everything
  • General Fiasco
  • Is Tropical
  • Rox
  • Don Broco
  • Family Force Five
  • Hearts Under Fire
  • Morning Parade
  • Never Means Maybe
  • No Mean City
  • Sacred Betrayal
  • Stand Up Guy
  • Talay Riley
  • This Is Divine
  • You And What Army
  • Akala
  • Deshi Movement
  • Gold Future Joy Machine
  • Mammoth Sound
  • Scorcher
  • Shiva
  • Sleepless Beauty
  • Tantrums
  • Unicorn Kid
  • Heights

    • 2009 Festival

    Soon after the 2008 festival, Eat Your Own Ears announced in an email to fans that the 2009 festival would again take place in Victoria Park in east London, on 2 August 2009. Tickets for the event were available from early February. During his BBC Introducing... show for Radio 1, Huw Stephens announced some of the acts playing the festival, including headliners, The Pigeon Detectives.
    Converse.co.uk StageArtrocker StageTopman CTRL StageYouth Music Stage

    • Hadouken!
    • Lion Club
    • Muchuu
    • Mystery Jets
    • Rolo Tomassi
    • Santigold
    • The Chapman Family
    • The Pigeon Detectives
    • The Ruskins
  • Patrick Wolf
  • The Horrors
  • Golden Silvers
  • The Whip
  • The XX
  • Flashguns
  • Marina and the Diamonds
  • Good Shoes
  • The Video Nasties
  • Caspa
  • Esser
  • JME
  • Lo Fi Culture Scene
  • Metronomy
  • Plastician
  • Pull In Emergency
  • Rusko
  • Tinchy Stryder
  • Little Boots
  • Tomb Crew
  • First Aid Kit
  • Kissy Sell Out
  • Ladyhawke
  • Rosie and the Goldbug
  • The Temper Trap
  • Liar Lair
  • Tommy Sparks

    • 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.
    Converse Century
    Main Stage    		NME StageTopman New Music StageDomino 15th
    Anniversary Stage    		Red Bull Bedroom
    Jam Stage    		CM Tower Hamlets
    Music Space Stage    		Habbo Dj Tent

    • Gallows
    • Tim Burgess
    • Dizzee Rascal
    • The Maccabees
    • Bombay Bicycle Club
    • Those Dancing Days
    • Care Bears on Fire
    • OCD
    • Kid Harpoon
  • Foals
  • Glasvegas
  • XX Teens
  • frYars
  • Poppy & the Jezebels
  • S.C.U.M.
  • The Rifles
  • The Rascals
  • Ipso Facto
  • Florence & the Machine
  • Team Waterpolo
  • The Cheek
  • Pull In Emergency
  • Nick Harrison
  • Bonde do Rolê
  • Four Tet
  • Sons and Daughters
  • Wild Beasts
  • The Count & Sinden
  • White Williams
  • Eugene McGuiness
  • The Dykeenies
  • Furthest Drive Home
  • Kasms
  • None the Less
  • A Girl Called Kate
  • Ox.Eagle.Lion.Man
  • Polly Scattergood
  • Sleepercurve
  • Glamour For Better
  • Lo-Fi Culture Scene
  • Underground Heroes
  • Why Whiskey Why
  • Goldielocks
  • Alex Starling
  • Fifth Element
  • Toy Toy
  • Temporarily Blank
  • The Purple Socks
  • Risofthescorned
  • Directive
  • Young Turks
  • Kid Harpoon
  • Rhys Jones
  • Frederick Blood-Royale
  • 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 protester 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 .

    2007 Festival

    • The 2007 festival took place on 10 August 2007, and featured the following artists-