The power of Radio 1's younger, cooler sister station is mirrored in the burgeoning success of UK urban talent. But how much of that is down to the democratic process behind their playlist?

"I thought we'd have KFC," someone murmurs. With Domino's pizzas and MacBooks at the ready, the makeup of the far-from-glam third-floor boardroom at 1Xtra's London HQ isn't necessarily what you'd expect from the UK's most influential urban playlist meeting taking place. "Anyone for a cup of tea?" asks MistaJam, a DJ who also has a slot over at Radio 1. With the milk and two sugars sorted, it's down to business, even if it feels like the relaxed kind of business you'd engage in at the student union.

With a weekly listenership of 816,000 and urban music frequently making up for near-on 50% of the UK singles chart, 1Xtra is the first port of call for anything R&B, hip-hop, grime, reggae or dubstep related. If you're a plugger with an urban offering looking to the holy grail (otherwise known as the Radio 1 playlist), the approval of sister station 1Xtra is crucial to you. More often than not, it's their hits of today that become Radio 1's hits of tomorrow. Jessie J, Wiz Khalifa, Tinchy Stryder, and Chipmunk are all trump cards that demonstrate 1Xtra's unwavering reputation for giving both major label and unsigned acts the platform they need.

Playlist meetings are usually shrouded in mystery because they are the place where new...

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Giggs will be playing live at Kings College Student Union tomorrow night (Thursday 9th September)

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Fancy seeing Wiley jogging in the park? Arguing on the phone? Sitting around in a vest? He's been filming himself for the last few days and we can't take our eyes off it

"Your day will pass and you'll just be another person on the internet" â€' Wiley, on Ustream, two hours ago.

Right now one of Britain's most talented, eccentric and least appreciated musicians is broadcasting live to an audience of 192. He's been on-screen for the best part of the last two days and is â€' whether he knows it or not â€' helping to kill the practice of music journalism stone cold dead.

Wiley, a notoriously unpredictable grime producer and MC, has been filming himself for the last 48 hours and has provided more great quotes than you could squeeze into ten years of PR-led junkets. From advice on how to break the music biz ("Wiley's quite human, 'cos actually he puts his ear out and he listens to more than the others do. No-one don't show Skepta shit, because you know he don't give a shit and he won't listen.") to musings on religion ("Just wake up and live your life until you're dead. People get excited â€' 'We don't eat bacon. We don't eat that or this. We eat soya meat sausages. SOYA MEAT SAUSAGES'. Don't hype about bacon or beef or whatever. Fuck's sake bruv.") to his thoughts on hip hop today ("Eminem is the best battle rapper...

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If you've ever invested even a sliver of emotion in the Libs, then this show paid you back ten-fold. If not, well, there's always Ash

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Guns N' Roses fail to rock Reading

They don't half go on about Leeds at Leeds. You can't even sit in a long drop without someone shouting across the lagoon of human discharge how glad they are they're not at Reading. It's the only festival in the world plagued by sibling rivalry.

In fact, Leeds is almost exactly the same as Reading, just with better weather, worse clothes and more chips. Besides, it's not location that's setting the tone for today but the return of two bands who have a permanent place at the top of a generation's CD pile. For the Libertines, this could be the defibrillator that brings them back from the dead. For Arcade Fire, a headline slot provides the opportunity for them to take the next step to becoming a world-beating concern.

There's a whole day of delicious indie to be getting on with before that, with plenty of O2 Academy-type bands having their first crack at the big boy's stage. Mystery Jets do well in the lunchtime slot with hoedown set-closer Behind The Bunhouse achieving the difficult but hilarious feat of getting everyone dancing with a pint in one hand and a polystyrene burger box in the other. The Maccabees outshine them, though, their pained romance...

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Peckham rapper gets the crowd chanting at the Festival Republic Stage

Full video coming soon…

Plus rapper resorts to throwing fans free CDs following technical difficulties