Intro Chart Toppers
Middlesbrough’s Intro Festival has bagged another fantastic scoop – after three of its Main Stage acts stormed right into the top of both the UK official top 40 singles and album charts this weekend. (Sun 24 April).
Wretch 32 and Example have slammed straight into number 2 as a brand new entry in this week’s singles chart, while chart-topping rapper Chipmunk has gone straight in at number 10 in the album charts.
Wretch 32 and Example’s new single Unorthodox features an irresistible sample of the iconic Stone Roses classic Fools Gold – and is Wretch 32’s second huge hit of 2011 after top 5 debut hit Traktor justified the hype surrounding his inclusion in the top ten of the BBC’s Sound of 2011 poll.
Chipmunk’s new album Transition already boasts massive hit single Champion (ft Chris Brown), and follows his huge 2009 debut album I Am Chipmunk, which sparked 5 hit singles including blockbusting number one Oopsy Daisy.
Intro fans have also being seeing and hearing a lot of some of the newer emerging acts on the bill, with the Agitator storming last week’s Later with Jools Holland, Miles Kane and We are the Ocean playlisted on Radio 1, The Chapman Family and Alice Gold enjoying dedicated 15 minute profile slots on Channel 4, and Benjamin Francis Leftwich playing a 5 song live set on Zane Lowe’s influential Radio 1 show.
The news comes hot on the heels after a record number of Intro bands were also confirmed for this year’s Glastonbury – and comes with less than a week to go for music fans to snap up festival early-bird tickets for less than £10!
Delighted promoter Graham Ramsay of Ten Feet Tall said: “It’s absolutely fantastic to see so many of our bands all over the radio and telly this year – I don’t think we’ve ever had so many acts starting to break in the run up to the festival.
“The festival’s always had a strong emphasis of providing a platform for new bands, and all this activity just goes to show how hot some of these bands are right now.”
Judith Croft, Festival and Events Manager with Middlesbrough Council, said: “This is great news. It looks like the charts will have Intro stamped all over them in the run-up to the festival and right through the summer.
“There’s only a few days left for people to snap up the last early-bird festival tickets for less than £10! But even if people prefer to leave it a bit later, the full price tickets still work out at around 20p per band. And that is absolutely fantastic value for money!”
A tasty Intro line-up of around 80 acts across a dozen stages right in the heart of the Town Centre also sees indie legends Feeder, cool New Yorkers the Fun Lovin Criminals, former Specials frontman Neville Staple, and anthemic indie-fave Jon Fratelli all heading for Boro this summer.
Event information
Intro is taking place Sunday, June 5, 2011 in Middlesbrough Town Centre. Stay tuned for info on warm-up events in advance of the big day.
Ticket information
On sale
Tickets go on sale from 10am on Saturday 2 April
Early bird tickets
General Early Bird tickets are priced at £9.50 and Family Early Bird tickets are £13.50 (for one adult and up to two children aged 7-12).
The reduced prices will apply to the first 5,000 sales, or until Sat 30 April, whichever comes first, and organisers are urging people to buy early if they want to bag a bargain.
General tickets
After that [either after first 5,000 tickets or after 30 April] general tickets will be priced at £15.00, and those for accompanied Under-13s will be £5.00.
These prices are valid until Sun 29 May, and may rise in the week leading up to the event.
Children at Intro
Accompanied under-7s go free (no ticket required).
Unaccompanied children aged under-13 will not be allowed on site.
Booking fees
Booking fees will apply through some ticket agents. There are no fees for cash sales at Middlesbrough Town Hall Box Office.
No tickets available for sale on the day
There will be no tickets available for sale on the day itself.
Ticket outlets
Tickets available from Middlesbrough Town Hall Box Office: 01642 729 729, online at www.seetickets.com (tel: 0870 264 3333), www.ticketweb.co.uk (tel: 08444 771 000), or simply walk into any HMV store across the North - including the Middlesbrough branch in the Mall.
Event sponsors
Event sponsors confirmed so far include Game, TFM Radio and Darlington Building Society. Arriva are official transport sponsors for the festival.
Further information
Preparations for this year’s INTRO festival on Sunday 5 June are now in full swing. Further details and announcements will be made throughout the coming weeks. For further information and updates, visit www.introfestival.co.uk