Welcome to the Planet London Features page. You are welcome to comment on any features.
We were very lucky to catch up with Saffron Sprackling, lead singer of legendary band Republica,
and Mel Sanson, Q Alternative Stage organiser and front person, as well as lead singer for Brighton rock band Kenelis right before they rocked the stage at Brighton Pride.
Planet London (PL): What's been the vibe for you at Brighton Pride today and what have you enjoyed so far?
Saffron Sprackling (SS): Well it's been such an amazing day. To be here with Mel Sanson and Vicky from Kenelis who are co-ordinating the Q Stage, and seeing their dream realised... with the crowd being amazing, going crazy for all the bands, especially Lucy Spraggan earlier in the day, it's going to be fantastic to see Kenelis perform and then go on stage oursevles.
Mel Sanson (MS): Joan of Arc played a Guns N Roses cover ealier, that I managed to catch in between working, and that was amazing as well.
PL: Will you be partying after the Park?
Both: Hell yeah!
PL: What's been your favourite performance today then?
MS: I can't really pick a favourite, it wouldn't be fair!
SS: Lucy Spraggan!
PL: Why did you introduce the Q Stage and why is it important for Brighton Pride?
MS: I just think it's important to have alternative music in the park, not just the main stage, main stream singers with backing vocals. Brighton Pride want to make the event more like a festival... I was previously involved with the women's live performance stage but this year I thought, "Why limit it to women?"
So the Q Stage is about live music, it doesn't matter what your gender or sexuality is, it's about playing live music at Pride.
PL: If you could be in a girl band of your choice who would you choose to join you?
SS: I'd be in TLC because that's my favourite girl band of all time. If I could make my own... then Courtney Love, Mel Sanson, PJ Harvey, Shirley Manson, Gwen Stefani...
PL: Can we join?
PL: What music is your guilty pleasure?
MS: Example. I like it. Not cool for a rocker but I like it.
SS: Supertramp and the BeeGees.
PL: Tell us a secret about yourself...
Both: There really aren't any. Everything's out there already.
PL: Is there any song out there you wish you had written?
SS: Waterfall by TLC. But there's so many really, like Read my Mind by Gordon Lightfoot. Beatles songs.
MS: Drop Dead Gorgeous.
PL: Who would be your ultimate person to cover your songs?
SS: Kenelis!
MS: Republica!
By Naomi & Katie
After an epic pheasant-plucking quest, we finally had the chance to catch up with fan favourite and Ultimate Planet Community Award winner Lucy Spraggan in person at this year's Pride in London - and she did not disappoint!
Lucy performed an acoustic set at the Women's Stage to massive applause and revelry - flying in from Egypt early on the morning of Pride and pulling off a massive crowd-pleasing 20 minute set.
With the ability to weave authentic stories and uptempo folk-hip-hop guitar, it's no wonder the girls go wild for this down to earth Sheffield-born lass.
Planet London (PL): How are you?
Lucy Spraggan (LS): Very well thanks (A bit tired)... just back from holiday
PL: Adventurous Travels?
LS: Well yes, it was interesting, there was an incident where we were staying with 15 armed police officers and a machine gun...
PL: There's a song in there somewhere...
PL: How are Pride events different from any other that you perform at?
LS: I think they are always a bit more mad and a bit more fun... it's not that gay people are more fun. But gay people are more fun.
PL: What are you working on at the moment? We saw you released a sneak peak of a new track earlier in the year
LS: Yes, that was Papercuts, one of the new songs. I'm doing new songs for the second album, and I'm straying out of the box a little bit - doing some things people wouldn't expect, I hope
PL: We are looking forward to that
PL: What's been your favourite experience on stage so far?
LS: Playing all the big festivals like V and T in the Park has been really special because they're the things you don't really ever think you'll get to play and where you are playing them it's amazing.
PL: and you are packing the tents out at those festivals as well
LS: It's a bit mad, yes!
PL: What is your favourite karaoke song?
LS: 'English Man in New York' (Sting) or Goldie Looking Chain 'Guns Don't Kill' which I can do without even looking at the screen!
PL: Who'd be your ideal duet?
LS: Dolly Parton
PL: What's your favourite sound?
LS: My dog Steve makes this noise. When I say "Sing me the song of your people" he meows like a cat [Lucy's impression was pretty close to it!]
PL: Would you rather be a frisbee or a space hopper?
LS: Spacehopper. Always.
 |
| Um, can anybody tell me the drinks in (Last Night) #BeerFear? |
PL: What's your favourite drink?
LS: It changes from day to day but at the moment it's....
[Editor's note: At this point we got distracted by how many songs there are in Last Night (Beer Fear). We didn't know - but Lucy this this list just for you:
Vodka
Tequila
Brandy
Bells Fine Whisky
Baileys
Rose
Sailor Jerry's
Flamin' Sambuca]
PL: What is your best or worse beer fear moment?
LS: I woke up, and the back of my head had been glued together with a glue stitch and I couldn't remember how. All I had was a picture on my phone of me and a reindeer. That's a true story.
PL: What biscuit best describes your personality?
LS: I'm gonna have to say my favourite - chocolate digestive with caramel inside. Because it's full of calories. And so am I.
PL: What's your favourite monster munch flavour?
LS: Everyone knows it's got to be pickled onion.
 |
| Watch out for those duck sized horses! |
PL: Would you rather be attacked by a horse sized duck or a dozen duck sized horses?
LS: Obviously a horse sized duck.
PL: But it could eat you in one go. You could run away from the horses.
LS: Or climb up away from them. Or ride them.
[Editor's note: inconclusive.]
More photos of Lucy from Pride in London
By Katie
Beer Fear, Boobs & Pride
Following a short-lived appearance on X-Factor, something which she is clear to acknowledge was a spring board to all that's happened in her career throughout 2013, Lucy Spraggan has rocketed onto the pop music scene. No stranger to writing, gigging, recording, with her quirky, extremely likeable, original acoustic-folk-hip-hop style, it's fantastic to see this young musician take off in a scene that has been dominated by boys with their guitars for the last few years.
And she's stayed as humble as she came across in those early X-Factor audition days, still stating she's just a girl who likes to play her guitar.
She lists her influences amongst the likes of Dolly Parton, Taylor Swift, Judy Garland, Petula Clark, Offspring, Limp Bizkit and Kirsty McColl - an ecclectic mix of styles that reflect her songs - beautiful lyrically told stories, that often pierce deep down or express humour of situations her fans will surely be familiar with.
Lucy says that she appreciates her loyal fans, and that "Its really nice to be able to hear from the young gay people around the
world and when they say that I inspire them it's amazing." There aren't many young, out gay singers in the charts, so Lucy is carrying the flag.
It's great to see her keeping a strong connection to the LGBT scene, playing numerous Pride events this summer, she says "it's great to be playing Pride on bigger stages than I have done before. I’ve played Manchester Pride since 2009 so it's always been really important to me."
And the fans appreciate that Lucy is out there gigging and performing. Some show their appreciation more than others, and Lucy describes her best reaction from a fan at the V Festival, when an audience member flashed the singer mid-song - "and they were great tits!" she reports.
As well as the live performances, it's been a successful year in the studio too - Lucy's favourite moment of the year was getting signed to Columbia Records (Beyonce's label Lucy's always proud to state). The first single from the forthcoming album Join the Club, Lighthouse, charted in July, and the popular Last Night the song that introduced Lucy to the ears of many eager fans, is being released next week. Lucy is "really looking forward" to the album release. [And so are we!]
Happily the new album is followed by a tour, of venues around the country, with the highlight being what will be Lucy's biggest gig to date at the Shepherd's Bush Empire on October 30. For that, Lucy says she "Can’t bloody wait!". [Ditto].
For more...
- Keep up to date via the very active Facebook page, on there you will find links to the music videos, and the weekly album update, and dates of all the upcoming gigs and album signings
- Lucy's new album Join the Club is out on Monday 7 October, and you can pre-order from Itunes it here
- Lucy's next single Last Night (Beer Fear) is out on Monday 30 September, view the music video
By Katie
