Big Weekend: Luton grunge band set to perform alongside stars at Radio 1 music festival

The Britpop-inspired band from Luton, JW Paris, will be rocking out on the BBC Music Introducing Stage. Picture: JW Paris

A band from Luton will be back in their hometown this May, as they play at Stockwood Park’s Radio 1 Big Weekend festival.

JW Paris will rub shoulders with the likes of Coldplay and Vampire Weekend on Sunday, May 26, when they perform on the BBC Introducing Stage. The Britpop-inspired grunge trio say they are excited to return to the same park they played on in their youth.

They said: “We cannot explain how big this is and so humbling to be back in our hometown. Growing up in Luton had its ups and downs. And it’s so good to see these things happening for the town!

"It’s an honour to be playing on a massive stage at a massive festival in a park where we used to play football for our local club! LET’S GO!”

The band is made up of Gemma Clarke, a drummer who used to play for Pete Doherty's band Babyshambles and Adam Ant; Danny Collins; and Aaron Forde.

Check out our guide to the festival here, we will keep it updated when more is announced

Chris Hawkins, from BBC6 Music, described JW Paris as sounding like Joy Division where “gritty meets swaggery”, with BBC Radio 1’s Jack Saunders calling their riffs “face-melting”.

Their latest single, "Who Are You" was released earlier this month through Blaggers Records. The trio now has more than 90,000 streams on Spotify, and more than 30,000 views on their YouTube videos.

Also performing on the BBC Introducing Stage on the Sunday are Shehxna, Picture Parlour, Max Jones, Low Girl, Frozemode, Etta Marcus and Beth McCarthy.