Newmarket: Safe bet The Saturdays and Lawson will rock racecourse

Lawson are joining them on the line-up. Picture: Pip/Polydor (Image: Pip / Polydor)

Una’s had daughter Aoife Belle, Rochelle’s just had daughter Alaia-Mai and Frankie recently announced she’s expecting her first child. Is this part of a plan to create a chart-challenging Mini-Saturdays?

“As much as everyone would love that, unfortunately I definitely won’t be popping (out a baby) anytime soon, I’m letting the side down,” laughs Vanessa. “I can’t even look after myself.”

When we spoke Rochelle was just expecting and news of Frankie’s pregnancy hadn’t broke. The rest of the group love playing the doting aunt.

“Oh my God I love it, it’s so nice and exciting. Rochelle’s little one is coming along very soon and Aoife Belle is just amazing, we’re all obsessed with her. it’s lovely when she comes to work and she gets really spoiled. Our band is so family orientated it’s so nice.”

“I’m just sorting stuff out at home, so nothing glamorous,” she laughs when I caught up with her on a rare day off.

Since forming in 2007 The Saturdays have become a household name, with 12 top ten singles and several top ten albums. They recently scored their first number one single in the UK with What About Us featuring Sean Paul.

“To be honest we haven’t been expecting it, it’s gotten to the point now where we were like we don’t want to jinx it, we love the single whatever it does we. We were extremely happy when it made number one.”

There was no one else they wanted for the collaboration apart from Paul.

“It has that reggae vibe and it just felt right from the beginning, so we asked him and luckily he loved it and said yes. He’s such a gentleman, you wouldn’t believe how lovely he is, honestly he was just a joy.”

The video, shot in Los Angeles, looked fun.

“It was, the only downside was it was literally the hottest day of the year and everyone was just sweating. We had umbrellas just to try and keep the sun off us for once.”

Known for their energetic live performances, they have also been a hit in their own fly-on-the-wall TV shows The Saturdays 24/7 and Chasing The Saturdays on E!.

“It’s just so busy now. We’ve been doing stuff in Australia, just going back and forth from a whole lot of countries... Germany also. It’s really exciting. Shooting the E! show was amazing... we got to spend three months in LA and we love it there, it’s ike our second home now.”

A Christmas special is supposedly planned, although it was reported recently the show sadly hadn’t been renewed for a second series with media quoting a source as saying the reason it suffered it the ratings was because US fans like drama and conflice and The Saturdays actually like each other.

Vanessa, Una, Frankie, Rochelle and Mollie can’t wait to play Newmarket.

“It’s going to be a whole set so we’re going to be doing all the hits, a few acoustic numbers, lots of dancing and it’s an excuse to do a bit of gambling, you can’t not,” laughs Vanessa.

“Whenever we do a big show like this we just want everyone to have fun with us and make sure that everyone’s having a good time. As long as they are then that’s good enough for us.

New single Gentleman is out on June 30 with an album at the end of the year.

“We want to say thank so much for the fans’ support and expect to have a massive party with us because that’s what we want to do. We want to see everyone up dancing and when we’re on stage we always point out the people who aren’t so make sure you are,” she laughs.

And if anybody’s got a horse tip?

“Let me know because I tried for the first time at Aintree and I failed miserably.”

Meanwhile,if Lawson are a little late to the stage, blame actors Damian Lewis and Claire Danes.

“The amount of movies and TV you get to watch while you’re on the road, it’s insane,” says the band’s bass player and singer Ryan Fletcher.

“At the start of the year we did a radio tour and Homeland... both seasons we just smashed it, it was amazing. All of us were on separate laptops watching it at the same time. Actually Joel didn’t, he missed it and now he’s refusing to watch it because he feels like he’s missed the boat. Breaking Bad as well, that was a massive one for us.”

Lawson broken into the mainstream when supporting The Wanted on tour two years ago. Last year they notched up three top ten singles with their debut album Chapman Square reaching number four in the charts. It’s gone on to go gold in the UK and Asia.

“It’s incredible; last year was amazing and this year is starting to be even better. We’re very lucky and we’re just loving it. We just came back from Asia, Australia... it’s gone crazy over there, I can’t even tell you. None of us imagined it’d be like that ever. Asia is definitely the highlight, we have to have police escorts everywhere, it’s crazy; the fans over there are just amazing. We’re starting to see our hard work pay off. It’s everything we ever wanted and more.”

They’re looking forward to their gig at Newmarket with The Saturdays.

“We go back a long way with those girls, we’re really good friends with them. It’s going to be one of the highlights of the year, such a great event and then topped off by us getting to do a gig at the end of it.”

The band - Ryan, Andy Brown, Joel Peat and Adam Pitts - have been busy recording additional tracks for a re-release of Chapman Square.

“We’re excited to get the album back out there. It came in at number four and stuck around for a little while and we think it’s got more legs in it. It’s been our baby for the past five years; we’ve done probably 100 songs and then narrowed it down to these ones. We’re just going to keep plugging away at it and keep touring it around, get it to as many ears as possible,” he says.

Fans can expect a new album next year, in the meantime Lawson are concentrating on gigging.

“As a live band that’s what we’re all about, touring and live shows. Expect as many live gigs as possible from us. Newmarket can expect a live rock show, that’s what we bring to the table, that’s where we’re most comfortable on stage. It’s going to be a lot of guitar solos, huge drums, stuff like that, it’s going to awesome.

“We’ll quite possibly debut some new tracks but I’m not entirely sure,” Ryan teases.

Summer Saturday Live featuring The Saturdays and Lawson, on June 8, is in addition to the Adnams Newmarket Nights at Newmarket Racecourses. Playing over the coming months are Simply Minds on June 21, 5ive, Blue and Liberty X on June 28; Madness on July 19, Labrinth on July 26, Kaiser Chiefs on August 2, Keane on August 9 and Meat Loaf on August 16. McFly will also be in concert for the second Summer Saturday Live on August 24.