‘THERE IS SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE!’| NATHAN SHEPHERD TALKS ALL THINGS BBC RADIO 6 MUSIC FESTVAL

INTERVIEW | BBC RADIO 6 DJ NATHAN SHEPHERD By Keira Knox
Greater Manchester will host the BBC Radio 6 Music Festival once more. The station’s premier event is returning to the area for the third year in a row. It will feature new music debuts, exclusive collaborations, surprise guests, and the world premieres of brand-new live events.
On Friday 28th March, Indie Forever will be Live at Band on the Wall with DJ sets from Sports Team, Lava La Rue, Steve Lamacq, Viagra Boys and of course Nathan Shepherd. What can you expect from the Indie Forever night?
“Just the straight up indie bangers! I have blends and mixes that I know are cool and sound good. And then the rest is just picking the indie bangers that you know are going to go off. So I always go for The Cribs ‘Men’s Needs’, The Wombats ‘Let’s Dance to Joy Division’. ‘Blue Monday’ seems to be one that I always put in my set, but it also seems to be one that everyone else puts in their sets. It’s a staple for an indie banger. I just know it works really well going into like, Justice ‘We Are Your Friends’ or like a Yeah Yeah Yeahs track or something like that. I need to like dibs it!”
Even though Nathan Shepherd hosts the usual broadcast on BBC Radio 6, you can anticipate additional DJ sets from up-and-coming bands like Viagra Boys and Sports Team. The evening will honour all that is indie: classic songs, lively beats, and, of course, sipping a pint while dancing to the greatest DJ sets in town.
“The DJ sets are going to be really interesting one. Very eclectic. Steve Lamacq is going to play the classics that you know and love him for. I’ve seen him DJ quite a few times and he’s always amazing! And Sports Team, again, I hope just some classic indie bangers. I’m really looking forward to seeing Viagra Boys, to be honest. I don’t really know what to expect from that set, but I’m sure it’s going to be very, very fun. It’s going to be a hard one to follow because I think I’m on after them. So might be a little bit difficult coming on after that, but it’s going to be great nonetheless. The rest of the festival is a brilliant lineup as well. So diverse, it’s got something for everyone.”
In addition to an amazing night of DJ sets, the city centre is home to a variety of live entertainment. The BRIT Award-winning Ezra Collective will provide a very unique custom performance on Thursday, March 27th, honouring the value of youth clubs across. English Teacher, the Mercury Prize winners, will play O2 Victoria Warehouse the next day. On Saturday night, Kae Tempest will close out the festival.
“Really looking forward to seeing Ezra Collective. I think they’re going to be an awesome, awesome start to the whole festival. The BBC introducing, I can’t wait for that. Adult DVD are playing there and they are an awesome live band. I say to everyone that I speak to, you need to see them live because they’re wicked. I think there’s something for everyone. It’s such like a versatile line across the days.”
Nathan Shepherd will broadcast from the BBC Radio 6 Music Festival in Greater Manchester (26th-29th March) and will perform a DJ set at Indie Forever Live at Band on the Wall . For tickets, visit bbc.co.uk/6musicfestival
Listen to the full interview here: