May Ball Blog 2011

Gaga at John’s? Kanye at Queens’? There are a lot of rumours flying about, but don’t worry: The Tab is on hand to help you sort the wheat from the chaff. We’re fairly sure Gaga and Kanye won’t be coming to Cambridge any time soon, but we will be bringing you the latest confirmed acts from across Cambridge as well as the best rumours and gossip about all the Balls.

If you have any inside info that you want to share, or have heard any rumours, let us know at [email protected], and don’t forget to get involved in our comment section.

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Monday, 13 June, 16.17

Rapper Professor Green will be headlining Jesus May Ball.

Jesus announced their lineup to ticket holders via email this afternoon.

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=506ThtC-GI4

Professor Green – Before I Die

Professor Green will be joined by Simon Amstell, who became a household name as the presenter of Popworld of Channel 4 and BBC2’s Never Mind the Buzzcocks.

Jesus will also host performances by Scratch Perverts, David’s Lyre, and Clean Bandit.

Monday, 13 June, 12.05

The Mystery Jets will be headlining Magdalene May Ball.

The British indie band, who have released three hugely successful albums, will return from a US tour to headline Magdalene, as announced on the Ball’s website at noon today.

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K2Dl3VQ2K2U

The Mystery Jets – Two Doors Down

They will be followed by Jamie XX, a member of The XX who has turned solo.

Magdalene will also host performances by The Joker & The Thief, Clean Bandit, and touring DJs Itchy Feet.

Music Officer Mike Eason told The Tab: “We’re massively excited to have two fantastic British acts headlining our main stage for the centenary ball.

“We have a few little surprises up our sleeve to make this ball one of the most memorable to date, all that’s left to do now is buy the riders (I wish).”

Read The Tab‘s interview with The Mystery Jets here.

Sunday, 12 June, 21.29

Booty Luv will be first to take to Trinity May Ball’s main stage.

Ents Officer Alex McLeod revealed that the dance group will be appearing at Trinity on CamFM this evening. The double act, who were both originally members of Big Brovas, will be followed by singer-songwriter Labrinth.

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u98kNNtofFs

Labrinth – Let the Sunshine

Labrinth has previously collaborated with Tiny Tempah, and will be launching his album at Trinity’s May Ball.

Alex also confirmed that Cascada will be headlining, as reported by The Tab earlier this month.

Take our poll below to let us know who you think has bagged the best act:

Sunday, 12 June, 20.47

Radio 1 DJ Huw Stephens will headline Downing’s dance tent.

President Sophie Wawro appeared live on CamFM this evening, and also announced that The Lady Gaga Experience will be making an appearance. Sophie described them as “the best Gaga tribute act around.”

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qh_zU7lqjQc&feature=fvst

The Lady Gaga Experience – Bad Romance

Sophie also confirmed The Tab‘s suspicion that Chase and Status will be headlining, saying: “Well done, The Tab. You were right!”

What’s more, she confirmed that Darwin Deez will be playing, adding that his rider includes: vegan crisps, avocados, canned chick peas, two boxes of cereal, and local postcards with stamps. Obviously.

Sunday, 12 June, 16.00

Big Boi will headline St John’s 500th anniversary May Ball.

One half of Outkast and a solo artist in his own right, Big Boi will be supported by MOBO award-winning artist Chipmunk and, as we guessed, Patch William.

Atlanta rapper Big Boi released his debut solo album Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty last year, which spawned the international hit ‘Shutterbug’.

Big Boi is also booked to headline the West Holt Stage on the Saturday of this year’s Glastonbury, less than a week after appearing at John’s.

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rWsvkW6rKkQ

Big Boi- Shutterbug

Ents Officer George Johnston told us: “We didn’t want to book the standard British University act for our 500th anniversary. Big Boi is an international superstar who rarely performs in England and we jumped at the chance to get him to grace New Court with his Glastonbury headlining set.

“For any Outkast fans out there, Big Boi will be delving into his extensive back catalogue, and if even that’s too alternative for you, Chipmunk will be representing for UK pop while Patch William will be one for the indie fans.”

Chipmunk, whose single ‘Oopsy Daisy’ topped the Charts back in 2009, has recently released his second album Transition, while Patch William will release their debut album later this year, and boast Stephen Fry as one of their fans. The national treasure tweeted about the band: “Might Patch William be the next big thing? They seem rather wonderful to me.”

Elsewhere, London DJ and producer Erol Alkan will headline the Dance tent with support from TC and upcoming house producer Ray Foxx.

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IAS_9kOhzyk&feature=player_embedded

Erol Alkan on the decks

Erol Alkan was Mixmag’s ‘DJ of the Year’ in 2006 and Datatransmissions ‘DJ of the Year’ in both 2008 and 2009.

Cambridge natives will also be out in force for the ball. Truly Medley Deeply, Ellafunks, Staircase Band, Clean Bandit and ex-Cantab comic Liam Williams will all be performing throughout the night. Clean Bandit vocalist and Tab favourite Sseg told The Tab that this year the band would be “bringing visuals.”

See the full lineup on the St John’s Ents website here and make sure you tune in to Cam FM’s May Ball reveal show tonight from 8pm-10pm on 97.2 FM to hear an exclusive interview with Chipmunk, as well as finding out who else will be joining Cascada at Trinity.

Take our poll below and let us know what you think of the John’s line up.

Saturday, 11 June, 13.36

The Tab can exclusively reveal that King Charles and Gentlemen’s Dub Club will be headlining Robinson.

Indie up-and-comer King Charles will top the bill at Robinson, fresh from supporting Mumford & Sons on their recent US tour. His first album will be released later this year and Robinson reckon he will be “a festival sensation this summer.”

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JN_cOsjErDE

King Charles- Love Lust

Supporting him will be Gentlemen’s Dub Club, a nine-piece band from Leeds who play a combination of “dub, roots-reggae and back-beat ska”, according to organisers.

Ents Officer Josh Brookes told The Tab: “We are more than excited to be having two of the most promising upcoming acts on the UK live scene.

“Both Gentlemen’s Dub Club and King Charles have fast growing reputations as stunning live performers and we are sure that guests at Robinson will see why.”

Robinson have also bagged comedian Seann Walsh for their ‘Guardians of the Realm’ themed ball.

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k99Bv7ueBfA

Seann Walsh on ‘people watching’

Winner of Chortle’s ‘Newcomer of the Year’ in 2009, Walsh has appeared on Mock the Week and Michael McIntyre’s Comedy Roadshow, and has made a name for himself as a stand up.

The performers will appear alongside Jakwob, who we revealed earlier this term would be performing at the Ball.

Thursday, 9 June, 11.40

Jessie J has turned down not one but two May Balls.

Rumour has it that Jessie J was in negotiations with both Jesus and St John’s, but both negotiations fell through over price.

Jesus were allegedly close to sealing the deal in December, but Jessie J’s price doubled after she won the Brit Critics’ Choice Award, making her too pricey for them. Jesus wouldn’t confirm anything, saying they can’t comment on “confidential discussions with artists and agencies.”

Price tag too high?

Meanwhile, John’s found themselves in a similar situation earlier this year. Negotiations fell though after Jessie J’s single Price Tag went to number one, and her price went up as a result.

Ents Officer George Johnston told us: “We were in talks but unfortunately, after Price Tag went to number her price tag went through the roof. The agent didn’t seem to see the irony.”

Tuesday, 7 June, 19.10

Students perform at May Balls every year, but one performer has taken it to another level.

Singer/songwriter Kitty Norman will this year be performing at not one but six May Balls during May Week, including three in one evening!

Kitty, who is taking a year out from studying Theology at Sidney Sussex, will play Trinity, Clare, Jesus, St John’s, Magdalene and Homerton.

“To be honest I cannot wait for the challenge”, Kitty told us, “I am going to have to be very disciplined in getting enough sleep, which will probably mean having to become a little nocturnal. I would be lying if I said I wasn’t a tad anxious about that Monday Night!”

“I couldn’t say which balls I’m most anticipating because I have not yet performed at a May Ball”, Kitty said, “but judging by my experience of Sidney Sussex May Ball last year, I can’t wait.

“At the moment I’ve been playing around London, to quite intimate crowds in clubs and bars. Having a larger, younger crowd, with more people I recognise, will definately be a lot more intense and nerve-wracking, but way more exciting!

“I really can’t wait for John’s ball though, and have managed to bag myself a ticket for the evening. It’s all set to be amazing. No booze for me though!”

Check out Kitty’s Myspace to listen to her songs, there’s a good chance you’ll see her at some point during May Week!

Monday, 6 June, 20.01

If you’re curious to find out who’s playing John’s before you go-go, we’ve heard a rumour that John’s are in negotiations with Wham! to headline.

Are Wham! go-going to John’s?

After early rumours of Lady Gaga, it now looks like George Michael and co. could grace St John’s New Court stage to celebrate their quincentenary. But the rumour seems a little far fetched; last year George Michael ruled out the possibility of aWham! reunion, and it would be a bit of a surprise if they launched their comeback at John’s. But you never know, it is the 500th after all…

A little more realistically, we’ve also heard rumblings about the possibility of Example taking the top spot at John’s.

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T9yGcKlYAiw

The London rapper, who releases his third album later this year, has had hits with songs such as ‘Kickstarts’, ‘Watch The Sun Come Up’ and ‘Won’t Go Quietly’. He’s also got a nice gap in his tour schedule on the 21st, could be making a stop in Cambridge to celebrate John’s 500th?

Saturday, 4 June, 19.05

American Indie kid Darwin Deez will play Downing. But don’t quote us on that.

Darwin Deez let slip in an email to fans that he’ll be coming coming to Cambridge on the 21st, but didn’t specify the college. St John’s, Downing and Queens’ are all holding their balls on the 21st this year, but Queens’ have confirmed that Deez won’t be playing at their Ball, narrowing it down to just two.

John’s and Downing are both remaining tight lipped about their line up, leaving us guessing as to where exactly he’ll be playing. Our guess is Downing, but we’ll just have to wait and see!

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8pbdLqTh_x4

After his initially slip up, Deez was also careful not to give anything away. He told The Tab: “It’s suppose to be a secret and I wasn’t meant to publicise it apparently!”

Darwin Deez released his debut self-titled album last year and was featured in the top 10 of NME‘s annual cool list. Read The Tab‘s interview with him here.

Friday, 3 June, 12.10

Drum and Bass producer TC will be appearing at St John’s May Ball.

The London based DJ made the announcement on his Myspace, and it’s likely he’ll headline the Dance tent.

St John’s Ents Officer George Johnston told The Tab: “We’re extremely chuffed to have booked one of the hottest d’n’b and Dubstep producers of 2011.”

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RWOFKy7sHX0

Johnston has also been whetting our appetite with clues about who else will be appearing on their line up. He told The Tab that 483 performers from 87 acts will perform over 9 stages throughout the night.

Johnston also dropped several hints about who will top the bill, saying the headline and support act are both multi-platinum selling artists who are playing at Glastonbury this year.

He also said that the 3rd band on the bill were last year nominated for an Ivor Novello award, played Glastonbury and have appeared on Jools Holland. By our reckoning that narrows it down to La Roux, The Leisure Society or Patch William, although according to this list none of them have appeared on Jools Holland.

Could it be Patch William at John’s?

Thursday, 2 June, 12.55

Earlier today, we revealed that Cascada will headline Trinity, but we want to know what YOU think about them topping the bill at one of Cambridge’s biggest May Balls. Take our poll below…

Thursday, 2 June, 7.30

Eurodance group Cascada look likely to take the top spot at Trinity.

Rumours that the German group will headline have been flying around Trinity for the past few weeks, but it became official when the band posted the gig on their French website.

Mon Dieu! Cascada let the cat out of the bag

Cascada are most famous for their hit singles “Every Time We Touch” and “Evacuate The Dance Floor”, and have sold over 20 million copies worldwide.

Last year’s headliners Wheatus and Alphabeat were a disappointment to some, so lets hope Cascada are more of a hit this year.

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-uDixD4tXXU

Despite confirming the gig, things might have fallen through. Cascada have recently cancelled all their UK tour dates in June due to “unforeseen circumstances.” Whether Trinity also got the chop is unclear. Keeping checking the blog to find out whether they’ll be there or not!

Wednesday, 1 June, 20.45

Some juicy behind the scenes gossip for you today. We’ve learnt that The Streets were booked to headline St John’s May Ball but had to pull out. The gig was confirmed at the beginning of Lent term, but in March The Streets’ managers reportedly sent an email to St John’s simply saying “this won’t work.”

John’s May Ball Ents Officer George Johnston told The Tab: “We were initially disappointed to have The Streets drop out on us, but fortunately we’ve been able to find a far more exciting and unique main act that will be in keeping with the prestigious nature of the 500th anniversary of the college.”

Emerging dance artist Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs was also booked to headline the John’s Dance tent, but had to pull out after he was offered a slot supporting Fatboy Slim at Ibiza Rocks on the same night. Johnston was similarly unfazed by the collapse of this booking, saying: “Obviously TEED is a great up and coming artist, but the headline DJ we have managed to secure is currently the most respected DJ in his genre internationally. There’s always the 501st for TEED.”

Tuesday, May 31, 17.50

No big names to reveal today, so we thought you’d bring you a round up of some of the supporting acts that are confirmed.

Psychedelic United Vibrations will be supporting Tinchy Stryder at Clare May Ball according to their Myspace, and Balkan brass band mavericks Orkestra Del Sol will be bringing their unique brand of ‘honkstep’ to Emmanuel.

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XYbSnOrDaWI

Up and coming drum and bass producer Culture Shock has also announced he’ll be coming to Cambridge on the 22nd, meaning he’ll be appearing at either King’s, Magdalene, Pembroke or Trinity Hall. Our guess is it’ll be King’s given their love of banging beats, but we’ll have to wait and see.

Meanwhile, reggae band By The Rivers, who are supporting The Specials on their UK tour, will be at Homerton along side Does It Offend You, Yeah?

Finally, Ayah, an up and coming vocalist who sang on Calvin Harris’ Flashback, will be playing St John’s.

Keep checking back to find out all the acts as they’re confirmed, and don’t forget that you can let us know any rumours you hear at [email protected].

Sunday, 29th, 09.14

Nero, the band not the emperor, will headline this year’s Trinity Hall June Event.

Dance act Nero announced they would play Trinity Hall’s ‘In Technicolour’ June Event on their Myspace page, and it is likely they will be the headline act.

Nero, the stage name of producers Dan Stephens and Joe Ray, and vocalist Alana, were featured on the BBC’s Sound of 2011 list and are releasing their debut album later this year. Nero make dubstep and drum and bass, and their recent single ‘Guilt’ debuted at number 8 in the charts.

June Event Pres James Bousher remains tight lipped about Nero’s exact billing. He told The Tab: “As is tradition, we will not be confirming any of our main acts yet. However, we can promise that guests will be treated to a brilliant night of some of the best music around.”

Ticket holders have reacted well to the news that Nero will be playing. Tit Hall fresher Max Nelki Gopfert said: “I’m pretty excited for Nero. It’s nice to have some dubstep at Trinity Hall rather than just hearing it from Clare Cellars.”

Richard Eggleston, a 3rd year geographer going to the June Event, said: “When I first heard the name, I was absolutely buzzing. I couldn’t believe that they managed to get a name that big at a June event!”

But he added: “Then, when I found out it wasn’t Ne-yo, I was pretty disappointed.”

Friday, 27th May, 22.25

Electro-rock band Does It Offend You, Yeah? are rumoured to be headlining this year’s Homerton May Ball.

Supporting act The Gin Riots tell their 4 fans the big news.

The rumour that the band will headline Homerton’s Camelot themed Ball has been circulating Homerton for the past few weeks, but organisers won’t confirm if its true. Ents Officer Josh Dale said: “Unfortunately at this stage we are unable to confirm any acts from our line up.

“We can, however, reveal that negotiations with Rebecca Black broke down due to the logistical impossibility of moving the date of our Ball from Thursday to Friday.”

Does It Offend You, Yeah?, whose name is a quotation from The Office, released their second album in March and it peaked at number 3 in the UK dance charts.

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qOHg-2ZtGl8

Does It Offend You, Yeah?- We Are Rockstars

If the rumour does prove to be true, students could be in for an eventful live show. At a gig in Hollywood in 2008, lead singer James Rushent broke his leg crowd surfing, but still managed to play an encore before being rushed to hospital.

Niall Quinn, a 2nd year engineer at Homerton, said: “They have pretty high energy tunes and I’ve heard they give pretty raucous live shows, but not really to my taste, more music festival less May Ball.”

Keep checking the blog to see if the rumour has any (broken) legs…

Wednesday, 25th May, 23.24

Heavyweight dance DJ Foamo looks likely to play this years King’s Affair.

The DJ and producer from High Wycombe listed the gig on his Myspace, and will be playing Ibiza just 3 days before treating the iconic King’s Chapel to some fidget house.

Jon Brown, one of the Music Co-ordinators for King’s Affair said: “As with any other may balls details of all acts are kept secret until the night of the event. Any details that are not released in an official King’s Affair statement should be regarded as speculation.”

King’s are renown for securing top dance acts to bring big beats and heavy basslines to the college. Last year zeitgeist dubstep producer Joy Orbison was joined by Cambridge’s very own drum and bass pioneer Logistics.

This year’s line up looks equally solid. Along with Foamo, hipster DJs xxxy and Girl Unit have also both confirmed on their websites that they will play.

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tqAB8kAUrrM

xxxy – Ordinary Things

Meanwhile, will up and coming indie bands Joy Formidable and Everything Everything be playing King’s Affair? Belfast band ‘A Plastic Rose’, who are booked to play the event, listed the two bands as also appearing at the event.

But Patrick Kane, King’s Affair’s Music Co-ordinator, told us: “I can categorically deny that Everything Everything and Joy Formidable are performing at the King’s Affair 2011. We have a damn good lineup covering all tastes in music, and all will be revealed at 6pm on the day of the King’s Affair.”

We don’t know what to think. Either A Plastic Rose got their wires crossed, or a deal with Everything Everything and The Joy Formidable fell through. Or maybe King’s are just bluffing us!

Tuesday, 24th May, 12.03

Queens’ students have shows mixed reactions to the news that Bombay Bicycle Club may be headlining their ball.

Upon hearing the rumour, third year student Steph Edwards told The Tab: “I’m so excited if it’s BBC. The Ents team has a hard job to live up to Florence and the Machine last year, but I think they’ve got it under control. Disappointed it’s not Kanye though…”

But, fresher Sophie Hoare hasn’t heard of the band before hearing the rumours: “I hadn’t actually listened to the band before!” She added: “But I know Queens’ is famous for getting up-and-coming acts, so I have high expectations. They sound good.”

Keep checking back for more May Ball updates…

Monday, 23rd May, 18.00

Bombay Bicycle Club are rumoured to be headlining Queens’ May Ball, according to sources close to the band.

A source close to BBC confirmed that the band are set to play at Queen’s on 21st June, before saying: “Oh shit, I shouldn’t have told you that.” The Queens’ May Ball committee refused to confirm or deny anything.

Queens’ have a reputation for booking big acts, with previous performers including: Florence and the Machine, Klaxons, and Kaiser Chiefs. And the BBC boys are certainly no strangers to the university scene, having headlined Bournemouth’s Summer Ball last year.

BBC’s second album Flaws entered the official album chart at number eight, and the band were named ‘Best New Band’ in 2010 by NME, beating La Roux and Mumford & Sons. The boys are set to release their third album later this year.

Their appearance at Queens’ will follow a tour of Europe, which culminates in Amsterdam just two days before the ball.

READ: The Tab’s interview with Bombay Bicycle Club here.

21.57

Rumours are flying around and The Tab comments section seems to be the place for them. Here are some of our favourites so far:

18:30

Corpus Christi released 100 extra tickets to their ‘Distant Shores’ themed May Ball this afternoon.

Corpus’ May Ball Pres Will Cook told The Tab they: “always planned to release more tickets if possible after finalising final numbers of workers and performers, and we’re delighted to be able to put 100 more tickets on sale.

“The first release sold out in minutes back in January, so this really is the last chance to get your hands on some of this year’s most sought-after tickets.

“This year’s Corpus May Ball promises to build on the successes of previous years. Not only will it prove that small really is beautiful, but you can also look forward to entertainment, food and drink to match the biggest May Week events.”

Click HERE to get yourself a ticket before they’re all gone again!

Sunday, 22nd May, 00:05

The final results are in. LOT 3 sold at £1600 to a student from Christ’s. ‘It will be an unforgettable night’ he says.

EACH – East Anglia Children’s Care – describe how £328 funds an in-house Day Care session in one of their hospices lasting 8 hours. That’s a few of those then.

The total sum raised by the auction is an impressive £6200 – over twice the amount any ball has ever donated in the past. Now John’s just has to make these huge sums worth it.

Keep checking The Tab for all the news on line ups and committee fuck ups.

12:16

Unbelievable. The auction was under £1000 with ten minutes to go, and then, whoosh. Four bidders battled it out, with the tickets changing hands multiple times in the last minute. It finished on a staggering £2050. We reckon that’s the first time in history a May Ball ticket has sold for over £1000.

The winner, who wants to remain anonymous, fills us in on her motivations for bidding: ‘I didn’t really have a figure in mind’, she says.

‘My funds are not limitless but I have saved my 21st birthday money in order to buy these! I’m actually a student: it’s more than I’ve ever spent in my life, but I wanted to thank my boyfriend for helping me through a tough few years, and to end my time at Cambridge on a once in a lifetime experience.

‘I don’t think I can justify spending so much again when I’m working. St. John’s is a beautiful ball anyway, and one that I have watched from the river for the past two years.

‘It might be perceived as stupid to spend so much on one night but if what happened in first year has taught me anything, it’s that seizing the moment is essential.

‘The fact that the money goes to charity is, I’m afraid, not as big a priority. It’s an added bonus of course, but if I’m being completely honest this is a selfish purchase, otherwise I’d just give the money to charity! That sounds bad right? It’s true though.’

Congratulations to her. More later.

Saturday 21st May, 10:55

Morning. LOT 2 ends in just over an hour – it’s currently at £840. We’ve heard from the committee that they expect it to make at least as much per ticket as last night’s auction. We’ve also got a teaser from President Dom Collingwood: ‘We’ll be serving 27,264 portions of food, over 40,000 drinks, and a Cambridge eatery favourite are setting up a restaurant on the Backs’. Obviously pretty exact on the portion control then.

Your guesses last night left a bit to be desired. ‘They’re going to sell for £4025. Don’t ask how I know. Over and out’, said Astrologist. Thom via email reckoned £3000. That bottle of Lambrini champagne is still up for grabs.

00:15

It’s all over. LOT 1 has sold for a tidy £2550 – over £600 a ticket. We’ll hopefully be talking to the winning bidder in the morning, as well as reaction from the committee.

23:45

We’ve got another new bidder at £2150. ‘I will pay a lot of money for these tickets’, he says. Gulp.

23:29

Wow. The price for the pairs have just leapt to £2050. More importantly, one recent bidder’s past items include a ukulele, a golf glove (left), and a darts trophy (engraved). We’ve got no idea either.

Any guesses of the final price to [email protected] in the next half hour. Anyone within £50 wins a bottle of champagne (warning: may not actually be champagne).

23:15

BOOM. We have a new high bidder for LOT 1. He’s new to eBay, but he ain’t messing around: it’s now at £1400. This is going to go big.

22:25

Only £40 has been added. SOS Education Coordinator, Helen Elmerstig gleefully encourages you all: ‘Dig deep everyone! It’s not just a fun night for you that you’re bidding for, but also the futures of children, families and communities in Zambia!’ Motivational stuff.

19:59

LOT 1 has had a lot more interest and has now reached £1240 for the 2 pairs of tickets. With 50 now watching the auction it’ll be an exciting evening.

For charity £1000 would cover income generating activities for 10 families in the nearby communities for one year. An extra £500 would provide medical care for 10 SOS families in the Children’s Village for one year. It’s exam term anyway, you’ve been saving money for weeks now.

Friday 20th May, 16:40

Big spenders, welcome. We’ve got plenty of May Ball action coming up over the next few days, but for now, a quick re-cap of where we’re at with these auctions.

For the next 48 hours, we’ll be covering the end of the John’s charity auction, which looks set to raises thousands of pounds for a number of worthy causes. The items up for sale are:

LOT 1: 2 pairs; ends 21st May 00:13, supporting SOS Children

LOT 2: 1 pair with fast-track entry; ends 21st May 12:03, supporting Chernobyl Children’s Lifeline

LOT 3: 1 pair with with formal breakfast; ends 22nd May 00:03, supporting East Anglia’s Childrens’ Hospices (EACH)

LOT 1, which ends at midnight tonight, is currently at a cool £920, with LOT 2 at £770, and LOT 3 at £750. We make that to be £2440, although maths isn’t our strong point.

Bidders so far have been a mixture of students and shadowy proxy bidders, who refuse to be identified (no joke). The current highest bidder for LOT 2, however, told us she was buying them as an ‘extravagant gift’ for her boyfriend’s birthday. Bless her. It’s currently being watched by 38 people, however, so it could end up being very extravagant indeed.

In other news, here’s what we’ve already told you regarding line-ups: Tinchy Stryder looks likely to headline Clare’s “Curiouser & Curiouser” themed Ball, while one of Chase & Status will perform a headlining DJ set at Downing’s “Olympus” themed event. Jakwob will also be playing Robinson’s “Guardian’s Of The Realm” May Ball, but will not be headlining.

We’ll be releasing a couple of big stories some time tomorrow. Be sure to check back then.