Live on the Hill, arguably the biggest and hottest event of the Trevs’ calendar, is taking place this weekend on 21st and 22nd November. Being a black-tie charity event featuring music from ABBA to classic rock epics and a fabulous drink selection, it’s no surprise that it is received as a roaring success every year. Ahead of the highly anticipated event, News Editor Nicole Lau sat down with co-producers Dan Wattis and Oli Matthews for an exclusive look into the behind the scenes. 

Both veteran members of the Live on the Hill executive committee and in their final year of university, Dan and Oli speak with an air of unmistakable confidence that can only come from experience. They have been involved in organising the event for three consecutive iterations, Dan for four, and are now acting as co-producers to oversee the logistical side of the event.

Consistent dedication is perhaps the secret to their success

A lot of work is clearly put into perfecting the highlight and main attraction of Live on the Hill – its fantastic music. Oli revealed to HEX that preparations began at the end of the last academic year following exams, stating that “all the arranging happens over the summer holidays”. This consistent dedication is perhaps the secret to their success, although Dan and Oli humbly attributed it to the Victoria Inn as home to their planning sessions. The responsibility of music selection and arrangement is collectively undertaken by Musical Director Niamh Connellan and Assistant Musical Director Freddie Hagen, although the co-producers “contributed to that fairly significantly as well”, remarked Dan. When choosing songs, they do not limit themselves to a specific theme or genre; Dan commented that they found it to be “a bit restricting”, opting for “songs that are relevant” and that “people are listening to” instead. 

With an event of such high repute, there inevitably is comparison to previous years and a pressure to outperform and upscale. However, Dan did not seem to be overly concerned, asserting that this year’s Live on the Hill is “fairly similarly matched to last year”. They explained that the scale of the event had actually expanded because there were approximately 50 more tickets available this year due to the committee “increasing the number of tables and increasing the number of people per table”. Additionally, Dan suggested that compared to last year, the jazz band has become “much more streamlined” by means of removing the string section “to some people’s dismay”. One can look forward to two nights of wonderful music and fun, having complete faith that the band has been meticulously assembled through auditions and features some of the best musicians Trevs has to offer. 

There’s always the pressure to be bigger, better, bolder than last year

As always, all funds raised through Live on the Hill will be donated to Anthony Nolan, a charity that raises awareness for and supports those diagnosed with blood cancers and disorders. Oli spoke at length about the charitable cause, telling HEX that he “really liked” raising money for Anthony Nolan because it has the additional benefit of encouraging students to “sign up to be on the stem cell register” for a possibly life-saving transplant. As Oli noted, the charity “targets students” because donors “have to be a decently young age” between 16 and 30, making it the perfect fit for Live on the Hill. 

The co-producers’ charity-forward thinking only makes the upcoming event, a culmination of months of hard work, more meaningful. Oli and Dan both expressed their gratitude for their fellow organisers as well as the band members for all their efforts. As a sneaky preview for this weekend, Dan also stated that they were “a big fan of the piece that opens the whole show”. Similarly, Oli expressed his love for the performances, concluding that Live on the Hill is always “a really enjoyable night”, as it is indeed shaping up to be this year.

Those who have purchased tickets should collect their wristbands at the Trevs bar prior to 21st November.

Image: Dan Wattis