Iggy Pop by Man Alive!

By James Drakeford: Sunday was more our bag of tricks, with a varied crowd of young and old present. It was only perhaps marred by the bizarre booking throughout the day.

We arrived at the festival on time only to find that the main stage had started early and we missed Tommy Scott and the Red Scarf, which was disappointing given that he joined us in the press pit during Shaun William Ryder and seemed like a genuinely nice guy.

The day started out with scouser Ian Broudie and The Lightning Seeds, followed by festival regulars Feeder who both generated far greater interest from the crowd than Manchester indie band I Am Kloot who was booked higher up on the bill.

This decision seemed to fester on the mind of Ian Broudie who referenced how early they were on numerous times throughout the set, but didn’t deter the crowd from getting there early enough in the Cheshire sun to enjoy it.

The Seeds’ ploughed through the crowd pleasers from the Greatest Hits album including ‘Sugar Coated Iceberg’ and ‘Pure’, but excluding ‘Three Lions’. This decision left some disappointed, while I was pleased by its exclusion with it being an England football song which is irrelevant given the time and place. Feeder followed with their back catalogue including ‘Buck Rogers’ and ‘Just a Day’, along with the single from the last album ‘Renegades’, which all in all got the crowd bouncing.

photo by Man Alive

Shaun William Ryder (pictured left), who was seen as a potential car-crash, impressed the crowd with his brand of ‘lazy rock’. The former Happy Mondays frontman was a mere spectator as he shrunk into the background with his face buried in his flatcap. He chipped in for the odd line as his band played all the big numbers from Happy Mondays and Black Grape.

Claiming Gorillaz hit ‘Dare’ as his own number 1 hit for the day, Ryder sent the crowd into frenzy before rounding things off with Step On (Twisting My Melon), and amusingly departing the stage with glass of wine in hand half way through the song leaving his band to finish the set themselves.

The mis-booking continued when The Australian Pink Floyd Show renowned for their great light work and laser show were booked during the day while it was still light. This did not prevent the crowd making the most of the fantastic covers and enjoying the numerous giant inflatable props they bought with them. The set seemed to fly through and the crowd were left wanting more as they drew to a close.

Bursting onto the stage next was headliner Iggy Pop and the Stooges, in an energetic performance which couldn’t contrast Shaun Ryder’s stage presence any more if it tried! The 70’s rock legend looked more and more like the crazy puppet from the car insurance adverts by the second as he bounced around the stage throwing the mic stand around like a rag doll, and causing havoc for security as he ventured into the crowd and also inviting a stage invasion.

In a less than rock and roll moment, security removed females from the crowd who decided to flash the ageing rocker, while the crowds only complaint from an otherwise superb set was the exclusion of Trainspotting soundtrack ‘Lust for Life’.

In an anti-climatic finish, Leftfield took to the stage to a mass exodus as the sun set over Chester Racecourse. Those that did remain continued to party into the night as the festival closed with the song from the Guinness advert, ‘Phat Planet’.

For a brand new festival Chester Rocks certainly impressed enough to warrant a return next year as we lived the ‘life of riley’ in the 30-degree sun enjoying a weekend of top class performances.

The Saturdays by Ikkin

By James Drakeford: If Carlsberg did music festivals… No, actually, if Pimms did music festivals it would probably be something a little like Chester Rocks.

It was something of a culture shock to exchange the sniffer dogs and security searches at student festival Beach Break Live in South Wales a couple of weeks ago in favour of Chester Racecourse where Cheshire ice cream, a Moet bar, and a Pimms stand greeted you upon your civil arrival for Chester Rocks on a glorious Saturday afternoon.

If the location didn’t give you an inkling to the ambience of this festival, you were assured upon arrival that this is modestly middle-class.

While the Sunday line-up consisted of ageing rockers, and ‘songs your dad would listen to’, Saturday kicked off what we called the ‘family day’ with the teeny-pop line-up attracting a deafening level of screaming 14 year old girls who were accompanied by their parents.

Stephen Langstaff and The Christians opened early to a small crowd who were still arriving or enjoying the stalls and the funfair, while Eliza Doolittle followed to draw the crowd in with her unique sound of folk pop.

With the crowd now sitting and enjoying the sun, Sugababes got the crowd onto their feet as they reminded us exactly how many chart topping hits we all know word-for-word with a recognisable 40 minute set, before The Saturdays and The Wanted exemplified our decision to call it ‘family day’.

The Wanted interacted with the crowd brilliantly and really came across as a bunch of down to Earth lads who were having a good laugh and enjoying being where they are as they pointed out a female police officer dancing along while patrolling the festival.

McFly by Ikkin

McFly wowed the crowd with their set complete with all their hits, an explosion of confetti, and a big fiery McFly sign on stage. The pop-punk Londoners biggest cheer of the night came towards the end of their set however, when they performed a unique cover of Tinie Tempah’s hit Pass Out.

Headliner Taio Cruz closed the evening with his chart-topping singles ‘Dynamite’ and ‘Break Your Heart’ in what proved to be a great day to sit out in the sun and enjoy the music and the accompanied family friendly atmosphere.

photo by Jacob Powell

By James Drakeford: Eight hours of motorway driving, counting endless sheep, and mind-numbing attempts at pronouncing the road signs passed by and finally we arrived at what could have been mistaken as ‘the arse end of nowhere’.

We had arrived at Pembrey County Park for the fifth instalment of Beach Break Live. The British equivalent of America’s Spring Break. 20,000 students raving it up at the Dragon’s Den endorsed festival which marks the end of the exam period and the start of summer; four glorious days of music, sun and sand in the South of Wales.

Instantly the flaws of this comment came to fruition. It doesn’t take a weatherman to tell you that South Wales is notoriously wet so come Thursday night, it was time to set the tent up in the pouring rain and gloomy darkness. But, like all good festival crowds this did not deter the short-shorts, the beaming smiles, and the late night partying.

As Friday rolled by, the weather remained consistent with its reputation. Regular festival goers were telling me that they felt under-prepared – only packing ‘shorts and summer stuff’ after being led astray by the word ‘beach’. The sports events on the beach remained deserted and the main stage had opened quietly. Not looking promising.

Then comes rising star Maverick Sabre. He did well to wake things up playing hotly tipped single ‘Look What I’ve Done’, and even put his own spin on Oasis anthem ‘Wonderwall’. Speaking to StaffsLive after his set, he said: “I played Isle of White festival last week and there were about 8,000 people in the tent and it went crazy. I thought it was going to be really tough for anyone to match that. Then today, I played to a quarter of that, and it went off the hook. They really got into it from the start.”

Ed Sheeran got the crowd singing with his acoustic prowess, and Professor Green followed to get the crowd dancing. All of this was warming up nicely for arguably the biggest act on the bill, Tinie Tempah, who was the first main stage headliner of the festival. If anything was going to dispel the rainy-blues the antidote was always going to be the Brit award winners energetic and charismatic set.

With everyone now well and truly in the party mood it was time to head over to Merlin’s Forest for Zane Lowe’s late night DJ set. It was a very hit and miss set that frustrated the crowd by teasing crowd pleasers only to cut them in favour of songs that didn’t quite gel (to the extent that the crowd continued to sing to the song before long after it was cut). But even still, the day was a success.

photo by Jacob Powell

Saturday had sunglasses and suntan written all over it (albeit with the odd attempt of rain just to remind you that you’re still in Wales). The masses flocked to the stages nice and early to enjoy Will And The People putting on a fantastic set with highlights including catchy tune ‘Mr Sketchy’, and Pixies cover ‘Where is my Mind?’.

Beardyman created a huge frenzy when he took to the main stage. The crowd began throwing colourful chalk in the air and before long the pit area looked like one massive tie-dye. Thousands of students roared with excitement with the exception of one or two who had greying hair and wearing thick raincoats as they shook their heads with bemusement as they ‘just didn’t get it’ (probably fellow press!).

The set was void of the beatboxing that was used as a platform for the former UK Beatboxing Champion’s career. Beardyman claimed afterwards that: “Beatboxing is a load of rubbish, its novelty.” He added: “I didn’t do any today, and I’m sure there will be a couple of purists who will be a little pissed off. But you can’t listen to purists if you have a dream and I have a dream to move forward.” Either way, the move seemed to pay off because the crowd couldn’t get enough of it.

With Ms Dynamite’s flight being delayed; We Are Scientists, Example, and White Lies rounded off the strong line-up on the main stage, before dance acts Nero, Shy FX, and Sub Focus joined Ms Dynamite in Merlin’s Forest to keep the crowd buzzin’ well into the early hours of the morning. It makes you wonder how they can afford to get so much on for just £100 a ticket.

Before you know it, it was already Sunday. We learnt that festival favourite Newton Faulkner enjoys chilling backstage playing guitar hero in the Jagermeister tent, having skipping competitions, and just jamming acoustically for us all to enjoy. A great laugh which was almost as good fun as his solid set on the main stage which included his own acoustic rendition of ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’. Who could’ve guessed that one man and a guitar could grip people’s attention so avidly?

The main stage then went out with a bang as Katy B warmed up the punters before dub-step super band Magnetic Man blew them away. The perfect combination given that the two acts have collaborated so frequently.

And then the big finale, if you’re going to start the festival strong, the key is to end the festival in an equally memorably fashion. Cue Mark Ronson. Following DJ Yoda in Merlin’s Forest, Ronson ensured that everyone would be returning to the real world the following day craving more.

It’s a shame that the weather was so hit and miss because this unique blend of holiday/festival could never reach its true potential. Then again, strolling down to the acres of beach to watch the sunrise in the morning after a heavy night was the perfect way to cap off a remarkable festival. Overall; a fantastic value for money, and I’m definitely looking forward to 2012.

Click here to view our photo gallery from Beach Break Live.

By Holly Ranford

The 20-year-old was travelling along the A522 Leek Road in a blue Toyota Yaris when he collided with a tree near the JCB site at 7am on Monday morning (May 16).

His two passengers, an 18 year-old man and a 19 year-old man, were taken to the University Hospital of North Staffordshire where they were treated for minor injuries.

John Parrott

By James Drakeford: John Parrott has been crowned Stoke’s Snooker Legend.

A packed crowd at Hanley’s Victoria Hall watched three world champions and a six-time runner-up showcase their talent in a two-frame tournament as part of the Snooker Legends tour.

Parrott came agonisingly close to a century break in the opening frame of the first semi-final against Jimmy White when the black fell millimetres short on a break of 94.

Putting on a master class in a high tempo game, Parrott defeated Jimmy White 2-0 before the more tactical and cautious approach of  ‘The Grinder’  Cliff Thorburn overcame 1985 World Champion Dennis Taylor 76-40 and 99-0 in the second semi.

In a battle of speed versus caution, the former Question of Sport team captain Parrott came from behind to win a tense one frame decider in the final against the Canadian, Thorburn.

The legends tournament harks back to the glory days of snooker when more than 18 million people tuned in to see the likes of Dennis Taylor, Cliff Thorburn, and Jimmy White.

Now the trio join Parrott on the Legends tour, along with glamorous referee Michaela Tabb, and the  host John Virgo.

Virgo kicked the night off with his famous trick shots and impersonations.

Tony Pulis

The Potters were beaten 1-nil by Manchester City in their first ever FA Cup Final.

Yaya Toure did the damage with a late goal at Wembley but the Britannia Stadium outfit can be proud of their cup run, according to Pulis.

”I am very proud of what the players have done this season and they can hold their heads high, even though they are desperately disappointed.” said the Welshman.

Stoke made their first final in 39 years and have secured a place in the Europa League next season after their cup exploits.

But he gave credit to their final opponents and conceded that they were well beaten: ”There are no arguments that they were the better side on the day and they deserved to win.”

Few would argue with Pulis’ opinion as Roberto Mancini’s side were kept at bay by an inspired goalkeeping display from Stoke’s Thomas Sorensen.

The Danish international ‘keeper broke down in tears in the dressing room after the final whistle as Stoke’s dreams were shattered.

The 34-year-old second choice stopper said it might be the last chance he gets to lift any silverware: “There was a stage in the second half when I thought it could be our day,”

He added: “I’ve been looking forward to this game all my career, I wanted to win it so desperately, but I don’t think I could have done anything more on the day.”

But a dejected Sorensen still reserved praise for the ”tremendous character” of the club.

The Potters have the opportunity to bounce back tomorrow night as they play their Cup Final conquerors again at Eastlands in their rearranged Premier League game.

Thieves have targeted donation bags left on doorsteps by shops and from clothing banks in the city.

Hanley’s British Heart Foundation shop manager Julie Howell told Staffslive: “Incidents of theft of charity donations is well known in the area.

“We get a lot of bags stolen and it is on the rise. We are getting an increasing number of phone calls each week from the public alerting us.

“Our drivers must go out earlier and are extra vigilant.”

Last year the branch bought eight new defibrillators with the proceeds from the shop, but fear what future help they will be able to provide.

Donations have declined by 25% and theft is seen as the key reason. A new appointment-based collection service shows Stoke-on-Trent residents are still giving to charity, despite tough times.

Julie warned: “All our drivers have high visibility vests, ID and vans with logos on them, all other charities operate in the same way. If they don’t have these, don’t give your donations to them.

“It’s robbing people of the treatment and care they deserve.”

Staffordshire Police are currently working with charities to crackdown on donation thefts.

Watch the full report:

Presenter Kevin Angel broadcasting at Cre8 Radio.

Cre8 Radio will begin its FM broadcast on May 21 and will be run entirely by volunteers from the local area.

The community station status means revenue does not come from commercials and the station is instead funded by Government grants and public donations.

Due to Ofcom regulations the station can only transmit for two weeks but it will be available to listen to online and on 87.7FM.

Project Manager, Jules McCarthy told StaffsLive that community radio has an advantage over the commercial networks:

Volunteer Chris Edwards added: “I want to get better at presenting, obviously I’m looking to do a bit more production work that goes into the show.

Station Manager Charles Ballard believes the presenters will benefit from working in this environment:

Stoke playing earlier this season

Wayne Dicken and Simon Price both scored for Stoke, who managed to go one better than their footballing counterparts and come back from London with silverware.

Despite being down 5-3 at half-time, Stoke fought back with a penalty from fly-half Steve Talbot and tries from Price and Dicken.

Price bundled over from close range to make it 11-5.

The Bulls set up a tense finish by scoring on 75 minutes.

However,  it proved to be too much for the team from Kent, as a last minute attack from behind their own line threw up the ball for Dicken to dive on and secure the win for Stoke.

Stoke RUFC: P White; G Joss, S Price, W Dicken, R Spruce; S Talbot, C Rowley capt; R Brown, S Yorke, J salt, J Grmshaw, D Bennion, B Cornwall, R Meredith, J Cordall
Replacements all used: P McPherson, P Ramage, J Bricknell, M Hulme, S Currie, P Wilshaw, C Robb.

Aylesford Bulls: A Sutherland; B Summers, E Johnston, M Henry, S Stewart; D Harvey, L Cherrington; R Nanson, R Weir, S Ireland capt, P Webdale, E Finley, J Stringer, S Carroll, T Sullivan.
Replacements all used: D Baker, S Hollister, T Vereivalu, M O’Neill, A Martyn, L Woodger, A Takala

Referee: N Cockburn (RFU)

Toure gave Manchester City the lead in the 74th minute after Stoke failed to clear their lines. Potters’  keeper Thomas Sorensen stood no chance as Toure’s left foot shot was rifled into the back of the net.

Stoke’s first clear cut chance came just after the hour mark after Kenwyne Jones was put one-on-one with keeper Joe Hart but the England number one stood up tall to save Jones’ shot.

Stoke grew in confidence compared to the first half but Man City were also dangerous going forward. However Toure’s goal was a sucker-punch.

Despite dominating the first half Manchester City just could not find the breakthrough. Tevez and Kompany forced Sorensen into some good saves but David Silva wasted the best chance when he fired over.

Stoke chances were and far between with Joe Hart rarely tested.

Robert Huth was lucky to stay on the pitch after elbowing Balotelli in an off the ball incident which was not seen by the officials.

However, Huth did receive the first yellow card after a foul on Micah Richards.

Stoke’s loyal fans sang their hearts out all game but it was Blue Moon that truimphed over Delilah at the final whistle.

Despite losing, the Potters will play in the Europa League next season but Stoke City’s long wait for another major trophy continues.