A Bristol hip-hop three-piece originally formed by schoolmates over a decade ago has landed a spot on the Glastonbury line-up after winning the final of the First Pilton Stage Competition. Based in the South West, The Scribes consist of lyricist/producer Ill Literate, rapper Jonny Steele and beatboxer Lacey who said that despite having played many festivals in the past, "Glastonbury really is on another level" and that the news has left them in a state of "incredulous excitement."
Held at ‘The Pilton Working Men’s Club’ in Somerset across two weekends in March, The Pilton Stage is a contest that provides up-and-coming bands and solo artists of any musical genre from all around the UK the chance to compete for a performance slot at Glastonbury as well as the opportunity to meet festival founder, Michael Eavis himself.
The competition saw thousands of applicants whittled to seven heats of seven acts, with the winners going on to one of two finals. Shaun would "thoroughly recommend any band anywhere" taking part. He said: "We felt chuffed just to be selected to be honest, even more so when we saw the level of talent also involved. Groups from Derby, Nottingham, all over the shop, and all were amazing!"
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Jonny added: "There's never been a hip hop act win the competition before, so feeling very proud of what we've achieved and anything that shines a light on the South West hip hop scene."
The group also had the pleasure of encountering Michael Eavis during the heats, an experience they described as "daunting". Shaun said: "I panicked a bit and ended up telling him how much my great grandmother, who had lived in Glastonbury since the early 1900s, disliked how busy it made the town over the festival weekend! He was completely lovely, though and insanely down to earth, which was awesome."
The trio are also looking forward to catching the other acts performing. Jonny said:" This year's standouts for me would be Thundercat, Candi Staton and Joey Badass but the great thing about Glastonbury is that it doesn't matter who's headlining."
Shaun added: "I'm definitely going to try and make it to see Loyle Carner and Sudan Archives. I think I'm mostly looking forward to just wandering around the site and taking in all the madness that is Glastonbury."
Despite touring the globe extensively and having previously played Glastonbury once before, the group say playing the famous festival in their own backyard is a momentous occasion for them. Shaun said: "Festivals are a big part of our touring schedule each year.
"We've done a lot of the big ones over the years, but Glastonbury really is on another level, in terms of scale and notoriety, so it's a massive, massive thing for us to be back performing there, especially on what will likely be the biggest stage for us yet! "
For anyone hoping to catch The Scribes who haven't been fortunate enough to bag a Glastonbury ticket, they will be supporting US hip hop legends The Pharcyde tomorrow (March 16) alongside The Allergies and Sam Krats courtesy of local promoters Sip The Juice and Spread Love. Jonny said fans should expect "an energetic, freestyling live show, seasoned with old school love for hip hop."
Shaun described their performances as "very grounded in golden age hip hop, with a lot of freestyling, beatboxing, crowd participation, a real block-party kind of vibe." He said: "That's something that the Bristol scene, in particular, seems to embrace, which is probably why the city has such a big place in UK music history, especially within hip hop."
Hailing from the southwest and a tight-knit music community strongly influences the group's creative ethos. Jonny said: "The Bristol scene is still as hungry as ever. The day we played the final, there was memorial cypher for the Bristol rap legend Sirplus, hosted by Wordlife - it's an example of the support within the scene that's stronger than ever and will allow it to expand to where it needs to be.
"The catch is that to be wanted in Bristol, you've got to make a name for yourself outside of Bristol. We've performed at pretty much every bar and club you can think of across the UK, we had 86 gigs last year alone, and because we've been dedicated to the live performances, it is possible to make money, but it sure ain't easy! Making something out of nothing is hip hop to its core, we've just got to support the movement."
The Scribes are supporting The Pharcyde at Bristol O2 Academy tomorrow (March 16); doors open from 7.00 pm.
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