Interview: Radio 1 DJ Rob Da Bank

This isn't just going to be your bog-standard festival - it’s going to be a really unique experience.

Alex Eckford grilled Radio 1 DJ and Bandstand creator Rob Da Bank about the event, and learning to drive in his dad’s Silver Ghost.

“My first ever driving experience was in my dad’s Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost.

“We were driving along one day when I was 17 and he suddenly said ‘OK Rob, you need to learn how to drive’, and pulled over into pub car park. I got in and we started driving around in circles round the car park. It was like driving a tank.”

Several years on, Rob Da Bank is involved in another car-related event. And he’s a busy man.

Not only does he have his own Radio 1 show, he also runs Sunday Best, the record label and promotions company which puts on Bestival on the Isle of Wight each summer.

He’s also getting ready for the first ever ‘Corsa presents Bandstand’ this Saturday at Old Billingsgate in London, a new event headlined by superstar producer and DJ Mark Ronson. On top of that, his wife Josie has just given birth to their second child.

But far from sounding tired and drained, Rob is full of enthusiasm for this weekend’s event.

So how did the Corsa Bandstand festival come about?

“It’s been a great collaboration,” says Rob. “We came up with the creative aspect of it, and needed some loot, and Vauxhall stepped in. It’s been a really good match, a good mix. We had to be careful about who we went with, and we’ve been really lucky.”

“There are going to be lots of crazy happenings - Morris dancers, mini marching bands, the English National Ballet. These aren’t just your bog-standard concerts - it’s going to be a really unique experience.”

What’s been the high point of running Sunday Best, your record label and promotions company?

“Still being around!”, says Rob. “Your audience grows up, so you have to keep changing and reinventing what you do, and the fact we’re still going strong proves we’re doing that.”

Rob’s car history has some unique moments too.

“My first car was a Citroen 2CV, and I used to drive around in a Mini Metro as well,” says Rob.

Rob’s current choice of car fits in nicely with his Bandstand partners.

“I’ve got a Vauxhall Zafira at the moment,” says Rob. “It’s not the sort of car my mates would expect to see me in, but we’ve got a growing family so it’s perfect.”

“I got it before we teamed up with Vauxhall, I swear!”

Corsa presents Bandstand

The first ever Corsa presents Bandstand takes place this Saturday, May 3, in an incredible grade 2 listed building in London’s Old Billingsgate.

Vauxhall Group marketing manager Richard Hughes explains: “It’s a perfect reflection of what the Vauxhall Corsa is all about,” says Richard. “We wanted to reach a 20-something audience, and Bandstand is the perfect event. We want to meet our audience one to one.

“This isn’t just another sponsorship deal - we really wanted to make something unique. There’s so much going on at the event which will make it stand out - I don’t think people will know what to expect.”

“And having Rob and Mark Ronson playing sets at the event makes it a must-have ticket.”