Backstage gossip from Big Weekend

by Natalie Jamieson and Sarah Jane Griffiths in Maidstone, Kent
Radio 1 entertainment reporters

Adele kicked things off on the main stage on Sunday

The sun shone on Maidstone as thousands poured in for day two of Radio 1’s Big Weekend.

Adele opened the main stage to the biggest crowd she’s ever played to.

She said: “Amazing – I was really petrified before I went on. I was convinced that no one would come 'cos Black Kids were on and to be honest I was thinking of missing it myself and going to watch them!”

Backstage Day 2

Adele said she’d be sticking around though in the hopes of bumping into a certain someone backstage... the singer from OneRepublic.

"He’s really good looking and he’s an amazing songwriter," she said.

"So I’m going to go and chat him up and get him to write me a song.

The Kooks were planning a big night after their set

"He wrote Bleeding Love, if he can write me a song like that, I’ll love him for ever!”

The man himself, OneRebublic’s Ryan Tedder hobbled on stage on crutches to perform.

Apologise and Stop and Stare got the loudest cheers.

He said: “I tore my Achilles tendon so I can’t use my left leg for about three months. This is my first show on crutches. It’s slippery and a little dangerous. I can’t be on my feet all day so I have to get back to the hotel."

His bandmate Zach Filkins added: “We all have to go to take care of him…'Where’s my crutches, where’s my water, where’s my whiskey?!'”

Another injured singer was Pigeon Detectives frontman Matt.

He bounced around stage for their half hour set, leaping on and off the monitors and jumping from the drum kit.

Nelly talked Kelly Rowland into a guest appearance

He was doing OK until he fell over and was last seen having a paramedic look at his leg.

Nelly over-ran because he spent so long getting three girls from the crowd on stage to sing with him.

He said: “I love to do that man, because without them supporting me and coming out to the shows and buying the records, I probably wouldn’t be here.”

He also managed to persuade Kelly Rowland to come along to duet on Dilemma.

Kelly admitted it was a last minute decision.

She said: “Three o’clock this morning to be honest, which was when everything was (set) in stone.”

A bit later on, hunger nearly got Abby from the Zutons in trouble when she wandered into Nelly’s dressing room.

Abby from The Zutons had a backstage run-in with Nelly

Abby told Newsbeat: “I was hungry and the fella wouldn’t let me get a second dinner so I was like 'Where can I go?'

"So I was just looking round and this fella let me in and then I saw a pure spread, like a pure buffet, ran over went to make a butty and Nelly and the entourage come out!”

The In New Music We Trust tent was overflowing for the Wombats with one of the biggest crowds of the day.

Frontman Matthew said they’d set up their own bar backstage.

He said: “We’ve got our own bar, we’ve got 'Wombar' going. It’s powered off the side of our truck and it’s this big gazebo where all we sell is Strongbow.

"It’s all for free, all for the love basically. I think Lethal Bizzle and the Enemy are going to grace us with their presence later.”

After opening the In New Music We Trust stage last year, The Enemy were promoted to warming up for headliners The Kooks this time round.

Adele tried to hang out with OneRepublic

Tom from the band said it was “hot and sweaty but quite enjoyable."

He smiled: "The roar from the crowd was huge. We weren’t allowed to use all the lights though apparently. Madonna’s lot unplugged them after they left.”

But the band nearly didn’t make it on site: “We went to the seaside this morning, by accident. We put the wrong postcode in and ended up at the sea, which was a bit of fun.

"Thought about just getting some fish and chips but it seemed too good to miss so thought we’d better come.”

It was then up to The Kooks to close up the night, which they did with a set packed with a few new tracks but still included all the old favourites like Naïve.

Luke told us they’d had a few ciders before the show but the havoc was coming after hours...