As a hectic Autumn Term draws to a close, we bring you the hotly anticipated line-up for Refreshers 2020!
We miss you when you’re gone on. That’s why every year we host Refreshers – a week packed full of events and good times to welcome you back to campus.
To ensure you kick off 2020 in the best possible way, we’re bringing you live performances from Becky Hill, Jaykae and Queen Will Rock You, with comedian Simon Brodkin also thrown in for good measure. You can guarantee entry to all of those events (and more) with our all-in wristband package – available for the early bird price of just £27 until 31 December.
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Becky Hill
Blending fast pace electonic beats with powerful vocals, get ready to lose control as Becky Hill sends the SU into overdrive!
With her highly resonant voice and R&B-influenced style, Becky Hill first came to the public's attention competing on series one of The Voice. Ultimately reaching the show's semi finals, Hill emerged a fan favourite and became the first Voice UK contestant to score a number one single when Gecko (Overdrive), her collaboration with Dutch EDM star Oliver Heldens, topped the UK singles chart in June 2014.
Born on February 14, 1994 in Bewdley, Worcestershire, England, Hill was no stranger to music when she first auditioned for the then new The Voice in 2012. As a teenager, she had sung with the acoustic rock and soul group Shaking Trees, which created some local buzz and received several plays on BBC Radio. On The Voice she made it to the semifinal with her powerful renditions of R&B songs by the likes of John Legend and others, before being eliminated. By her own admission, she was a novice in the music industry game and it took her 18 months to finally get a record deal. In the meantime, however, her sultry, soulful, older-than-her-years voice was highly sought-after by dance artists looking for feature vocalists. Her first recorded appearance, on British drum'n'bass artist Wilkinson's single Afterglow, went to number eight on the UK singles chart. She then appeared on Rudimental's single Powerless, singing with them at several UK festivals in 2013, including Glastonbury.
Following her success with Heldens, Hill worked extensively with London-based dance producer MNEK and issued her debut solo single, Caution to the Wind. It showcased a shift toward a more electronica-influenced sound, with twinkling melodies and production reminiscent of Four Tet. The Eko EP appeared in 2017, and included the singles Unpredictable and Sunrise in the East.
2019 has seen Hill feature on a trio of smash hits - I Could Get Used to This, which featured Weiss, Wish You Well, featuring Sigala, and most recently Lose Control with Meduza and Goodboys which peaked at no.11 last month.
Jaykae
It wouldn't be Refreshers without Flawless and we're welcoming you back with a performance from grime MC and rapper Jaykae.
As one of Birmingham’s veteran MCs, Jaykae was catapulted into the upper echelons of grime thanks to the release of his EP Where Have You Been?, elevated by a string of high profile and higher octane features. When he’s not trading shots with former EDL leader Tommy Robinson and treating fans to Nando's, Jaykae has been busy cementing his reputation as not only one of the best MCs in his ends but in the country at large, collaborating with the likes of London Grammar, Skepta and revived Birmingham icons The Streets.
Known for his ferocious and dynamic flow, as well as a gift for lyricism, Jaykae’s take on grime is one built on the blueprints laid by East London pioneers like Ghetts and Skepta. Thanks in equal measure to his distinct Brummie accent and to the work of his go-to producer Bowzer Boss, Khan has carved out a unique space for himself. Four years since German Whip made grime cool again, the genre’s influence has birthed new scenes and helped shine a light on other kinds of rap music in the capital.
More recently, Jaykae has also spawned tracks such as Heartache, On the Way Home with Aitch ft. Bowser Boss, while also featuring on Tom Zanetti's Wicked and Bad and Ed Sheeran's Take Me Back to London (Sir Spyro Remix) which also features Stormzy and Aitch.
Simon Brodkin
Untameable prankster and acclaimed character comedian, Brodkin has hit global headlines multiple times for his high-profile stunts. Most famously he handed Prime Minister Theresa May a P45 form during her keynote speech at the Conservative Party Conference, and showered disgraced FIFA President Sepp Blatter with hundreds of dollar bills in bribe payments "for the North Korea 2026 World Cup bid".
Appearing multiple times on BBC One's Live At The Apollo, as guest and host, Brodkin has also showcased his talents as writer, star and creator of BBC Three's ratings smash Lee Nelson's Well Good Show, Lee Nelson's Well Funny People, and the 90-minute special Jason Bent's World Cup's Best Goals, Ever!
Other TV and radio credits include Sunday Night at The Palladium (ITV), The John Bishop Show (BBC One), Absolutely Fabulous (BBC One), Children In Need (BBC One), and a highly anticipated return to BBC One's Let's Dance for Comic Relief, reaching the final with an impressive hip-hop ballet performance of Swan Lake!
Fresh from a critically-acclaimed sell-out run at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, we're delighted to welcome Simon to the SU before he takes his debut stand-up show 100% Simon Brodkin on a nationwide tour from February 2020.
Queen Will Rock You
Queen Will Rock You are well established as one of the world’s most authentic tributes to the legend that is Freddie Mercury and Queen.
This electric theatre production fully imitates the enthralling appeal of rock’s most ostentatious front man, faithfully and accurately recreating the unique Queen experience, from the movements of Freddie to the same equipment Queen used themselves to create their distinctive sound.
The extraordinary vocal range and outstanding delivery of Dominic Creighton as Freddie Mercury and the intricate guitar work of John Mcalpine as Brian May are backed by superbly crafted harmonies, a driving rhythm section and state-of-the-art production. This show is a carbon copy experience of Queen’s famous 1986 Wembley Arena concert.
Including performances of the most popular Queen hits, such as Bohemian Rhapsody, Radio Ga Ga, We Are The Champions, We Will Rock You and many more, this show will captivate any audience - from die-hard Queen fans through to new generations of music lovers in a way that Freddie and Queen themselves would be proud of.