BBC Radio 1Xtra Live is back for its 6th year! Bringing four UK cities a night of the best Urban Dance, Music and the Biggest Artists of the Moment.
1Xtra breakfast presenting team – Yasmin Evans and Twin B, will be involved in the event and we had the pleasure of sitting down with the hosts to discuss the events line up, what to expect this year and life as radio presenters.
How did 1Xtra all begin whats it story?
[Twin B] 1Xtra live is our 1xtra annual event where we get artists we support together to create a massive event. It started in 2007 in Coventry I was also there. We had Chris Brown, Akon, Estelle, and Wiley and since then every year after that we had always had one huge event, up until the year before when we decided to go on tour and do four cities and four venues as there were just too many artists we support to just do one event every year. [Yasmin] That was actually the first one that I went to but I wasn’t part of 1Xtra at all at that time, I won one ticket, just one! From Westwood he was just being really nice. I went by myself then the September after I started working for 1Xtra and hosted last year’s tour at the same place!
You Both present for 1Xtra Breakfast Show weekdays, 6-10am How are you both involved in the event and how will 1Xtra Live be covered?
[Yasmin] We’re going to be there for London and Leeds, Twin did the full tour last year but we’re not doing the full tour this year, we got the breakfast show in the morning so it will be difficult. We will be covering all the updates on air during the show. So we’ll travel to Leeds the last day and we will be doing the show from BBC Leeds on the Friday.
Twin B you’re quite the veteran. I mean you have been doing this since 2007! What is like on tour moving around and all that?
[Twin B] Its cool, a lot of the artists we support we have a good relationship with especially the UK artists its always fun backstage we just mess around and the banter is funny, its fun
Any celeb buddies?
[Yasmin] when it comes to Twin, all of them, he has got loads! [Twin B] not every one, but we know a lot of people in the industry we always keep a good relationship with our guest on the show and events, we meet people very often its funny because not too long ago we had the whole united football team in the other day.
1Xtra Live started off massive in 2007 with a fantastic event in with artist like Akon and Kelly Rolland and just last year you had Alicia keys, Rita Ora and more who can we expect this year?
[Yasmin] The line up is a wicked mix again both international and UK we have Nelly and I’m wondering what he’s going to do since he’s changed his style. Robin Thick, Azalea Banks, Wretch 32 and more I’m really looking forward to seeing Wretch perform he always has the crowd buzzing always great vibes, he did an amazing job 2011 he just brings energy to the stage.
What are you both excited for the most about the 1Xtra live event?
[Twin B] After parties! [Yasmin] Yes the 1Xtra after parties are one of a kind, in its self its just entertaining, I love it when everyone’s together we all do things at different times so its great to just see everyone there on the night in the same place jamming and the gossips great! Everyone turns up even people that came for the show come, they come up to us and they’re like ‘wicked shows tonight guys’, its just nice.
What’s going to make this event different from the others?
[Twin B] I think we are definitely celebrating the biggest hits of the year, we have people like the Rudimentals who’s been nominated for many awards and we’ve supported them from the beginning so its more a celebration, kind of like an end of term vibe.
What’s it like hosting the breakfast show such an early start how do get through it?
[Twin B] Espressos and Yasmin just looking forward to seeing me! [Yasmin] Well when I started working here at 1Xtra I was just doing the weekends and commuting from Manchester so I’ll come on a Friday and leave on a Sunday and continue my regular job for 6 months which i didn’t really want to do. I knew what it was like to wake up and not want to go in because my other job was just not what I wanted to do. I love the breakfast show I don’t see it as a job its my career, which makes it my lifestyle, I don’t wake up crawling out of bed not wanting to go work radio is my thing I enjoy it and that’s the difference. Who doesn’t want to play music all day?
6am -10am and your done seems easy to me. What’s involved before going on air?
[Yasmin] Coffee, gossip… [Twin B] To be fair doing the morning breakfast show its more about being able to vibe, so we don’t go through the newspapers before we go on air just so we have news, its about engaging with our audience as we’re all in it together. We try to bring that natural vibe because we’re also are getting up and getting ready to work too. We are doing exactly what the listeners are doing. So it’s not a case on preparing it’s a case on expressing ourselves and how we are feeling that day and just talk about what’s happened the night before. We’re all at the same pace just having a chat.
Yasmin How have adapted to broadcasting from weekends to weekdays?
All right I think, well I hope so {laughs} It’s different of course because now it every morning whereas before it was just the weekends. It’s a bookmark show in the week and now it has to be a bit more natural, where on weekends I’ll come in on a weds and prep for the weekend and Sunday comes its done. We have to be more listeners friendly on the weekday as you have more interaction with people going to work, school, college or just listening at the office. People are really listening Monday to Friday so if you slip up you’ll know about it they will tweet in or something like ‘we heard that’!
Does Twin B, is there a Twin A? What’s the story behind your name?
B is for Brainy, Beautiful and Buff! No really I used to DJ before my twin, so yes I do have a twin and I do share this beautiful face {Laughs} I always referred to my self as Twin b. I used to do pirate radio and there was a day I couldn’t do it so he came in for me and pretended to be Twin B so in actual fact there’s no Twin A. [Yasmin] I have his brother saved in my phone as Twin A so I don’t get confused.
What do you get up too when you’re not on radio?
[Yasmin] well, mines not going to sound as good as Twins but when I’m off air I have days full of meetings and days when I’m not doing anything so I’m at home doing whatever, but there’s always something I should be doing. It feels strange when I’m not doing something to be honest. I try filling up my day as much as I can with going to all meetings and auditions. [Twin B] I do loads of bits. I’m an A and R director at Atlantic. I’m an artist developer, over see project that are going on and other little bits.
Radios like one of those things where it’s not as easy as it looks. What advice would you give to some one wanting to become a radio host?
[Twin B] 1st thing it’s not as easy as it looks correct, because you really need to take it seriously you got to really have a passion for it. Passion for the music and a passion for broadcasting, A lot of people come up to me and are like I want to do radio like they think its easy just coming on air and talking it actually takes a lot. The best people in radio are the ones with the longest careers in the industry they have the passion for talking about music and very driven or they love the atmosphere of just being on air like Chris Myles he’s not just about the music but when you watch him in the studio your like wow he’s just like a brilliant broadcaster. He’s very quick and knows how to use the tools around him. One thing I love about 1Xtra is most of the DJ’s here would do it all for free . Its all about being your self and finding your radio voice.
What would be the best thing about working on the radio?
[Twin B] The Music [Yasmin] The music. It’s all very inspiring working along side the people that we work with like the producers the other presenters and the guests. Always someone you can talk to and something you can gain.
Who’s your favorite artist when it comes to best in style, Creativity and most influential and why?
[Yasmin] when I think creativity I think a producer more than an artist, I’ll say Azalea banks when talking about style, although she’s over the top I cant stop watching her. I think a lot of artists are influential in their own way if I had to say someone it would be Tinie Tempah only because when we had Wiley on the show he was very interested in Tinie Tempah’s style and actually said, “ You know what, when Tinie started the whole skinny jeans and Jordans I sat there and told my manager I need to start rocking skinny jeans and Jordans!” It was so funny.
[Twin B] I would say Kanye West for Creativity only because he brings real life to his lyrics and UK wise I’ll say Ed Sheeran considering the type of music he does and what he started doing he was able to fuse UK Mc’s into his music he’s able to adapt to other peoples styles, pretty brilliant to be honest. I would choose Willie as most influential because people are influenced by what he says and how he comes across, like he has every one in east London talking like him and now everyone’s says “to be fair and to be honest” that was Willie. As for style its all kind of all filtered stuff now no originality and just over the top so I wouldn’t say any one.
Rapid fire questions time! What the first thing that comes to your head when I say
Millie Cyrus, [Twin B] Twerk! [Yasmin] flipping nuts!
Rihanna, [Twin B] Hot [Yasmin] Attractive (question mark) some times she is and some times it like no.
Kanye West, [Twin B] Genius [Yasmin] Crazy
Pink, [Twin B] jeans, I got a pair of pink jeans [Yasmin] Pink the artist and I’ll say strong.
As announced by Twin B and Yasmin Evans on the Radio 1Xtra Breakfast show this week, 1Xtra Live will be visiting Bournemouth on Monday 7 October; Hammersmith, London on Tuesday 8 October; Liverpool on Wednesday 9 October; and Leeds on Thursday 10 October.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/latestnews/2013/1xtra-live-line-up.html