BBC ‘explainer’ newsreader Ros Atkins on how his Glastonbury DJ set came about
19.06.2024 - 13:13
/ nme.com
Glastonbury has caught a lot of people by surprise, so the BBC newsreader has explained how it all came about on X/Twitter.Atkins, who’s known for his ‘explainer’ videos, announced last month that he was “astonished” to be on the line-up for this year’s festival, and it seems as though he wasn’t the only one.“As I may have mentioned a couple of times, in an unlikely development, I’m going to be doing a drum’n’bass set at Glastonbury,” he began on Twitter/X. “And, not at all unreasonably, quite a few people have asked me variations on ‘How did that happen?!’ Well, there’s a bit of a story here.”It started in 2022, when he discussed his past DJ’ing in an interview.
He was then asked by BBC Radio producer Matt Tasker if he’d like to do a set, while Soho venue The Social also asked him if he’d like to do a gig.THREAD 1/15: As I may have mentioned a couple of times, in an unlikely development, I'm going to be doing a drum and bass set @Glastonbury. And, not at all unreasonably, quite a few people have asked me variations on ‘how did that happen?!’ Well, there's a bit of a story here.
pic.twitter.com/Po5lLsPXaU— Ros Atkins (@BBCRosAtkins) June 17, 2024Some of his Atkins’ drum’n’bass “heroes” got in touch, too, including Ray Keith, who gave him a lesson. He said, alongside a photo of the two together, “For two hours, Ray ran me through everything from the kit, to mixing techniques, to tune selection.
I soaked it all up, taking notes as we went along. In this shot, I’ve the look of a man who can’t quite believe what is happening.
Which was very much the case.”He explained that he worked with Keith to figure out what equipment he needed to practice at home, and they decided to play at The Social together. He added, “I think I
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