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Feature article: Leicester at the Surface Unsigned festival 2010We follow the Leicester/shire bands as they take part in one of the country's leading bands contests.30th November 2010 Everything is ready to go! 2011 will be the first year for the Surface Festival abroad and it´s already hitting records. Over 1000 applications from independent and unsigned bands and artists from all over Spain have already been received, but only 300 can be chosen to play. Over the last five years Surface Festival has grown into the UK's biggest Festival for independent and unsigned music. Due to phenomenal demand from Spain the Festival is now expanding to Barcelona in 2011. Loads of Spanish collaborators are offering their support and a number of companies from the Spanish music scene have shown interest, such as Mondo Sonoro, Musikaze and the Monkey Week Festival, to name a few. Things couldn't be looking better for independent and unsigned bands in Spain! Surface Festival events won't be starting in Barcelona until February 2011,
but excitement surrounding all aspects of it is already growing. Pablo
Molinero Martínez, the Spanish Area Manager states: "We have received applications
from a wide variety of bands and I am impressed by the quality of many of
them. Barcelona is a beautiful, global city and Spain's most popular
tourist destination; we have a host of brilliant bands. Spanish press and
media are confirmed to assist the Festival all the way through. I am really
looking forward to the live shows in 2011." Surface Unsigned - the UK's biggest competition for unsigned bands draws to its close with the national finals at the Millennium Dome on 25th September.The 2011 season of the Surface Festival is already looking to be the biggest year on record. With over 8,000 applications from bands and musicians from all over the UK and Europe already registered, and still 3 more months until the Festival begins, industry hype surrounding the Surface Festival is spreading. In 2011 the Surface Festival will be doing 500 shows across 14 cities in the UK and Europe. Showcases will take place in London, Portsmouth, Bristol, Cardiff, Swansea, Birmingham, Nottingham, Oxford, Manchester, Liverpool, Newcastle, Glasgow, Barcelona and Budapest. Local industry guests are invited to shows in each area. The International Showcase takes place at the internationally recognized 02 complex in London , at which the best bands of the Festival perform in front of an invited industry panel. Alex Baker from the Kerrang Radio Unsigned Show , who sits on the panel, explains: " The Surface Festival gives bands a genuine opportunity to get their music in front of people in the industry that can help further their careers. The prizes offered for the winning band and runners up are just fantastic and the experience all the bands gain from playing larger venues is priceless ." A host of industry guests are listed on the Surface Festival website. Names include Jon Brookes from The Charlatans, Warner Music, Weekender Records and MAS records to name a few. Steve Stoker from 2010 band Twister describes his experience: "I would like to say that Twister have found the Festival this year as the highlight of their band career so far. We have been able to play at the some of best venues across the country and worked and met with some great people from the Industry." Jon Brookes from The Charlatans, who has been involved in the Festival from its beginnings, recently stated in his blog: "Surface continues to act like a giant music magnet finding exciting ground breaking new acts. It re-energizes the inner cities searching out new talent. The prizes and industry weight of the various associate sponsors shows the level at which this festival is now held in the industry." With some amazing venues booked for 2011, including the O2 in London, globally well-renowned sponsors giving the event credibility, and more prizes than ever on offer, this is an event not to be missed. For further info and to apply to the Surface Festival see www.surfacefestival.com In 2011 the Surface Festival will be organising over 500 shows across 14 cities in the UK and Europe. Shows will take place in London, Portsmouth, Bristol, Cardiff, Swansea, Birmingham, Nottingham, Oxford, Manchester, Liverpool, Newcastle, Glasgow, Barcelona and Budapest. The climax of the Festival will culminate with 21 bands playing the IndigO2 at the O2 Complex - a venue which has seen acts such as Jools Holland, Timbaland, Joss Stone and Estelle to name a few. Dominic Nicholls, music photographer, explains “Surface gives bands the chance to play the type of venues that most bands only dream of when they've 'made it' - add to the expertise Surface offers in terms of lighting and sound management, PR and exposure and you're looking at an opportunity that's too good to miss The main focus of a band should be live performance. The sweaty, loud and beer saturated venues across Britain are where bands are born This aspect that the Surface Festival is focused on keeping alive. Other venues Surface will be using include the O2 Academy Main stage in Birmingham and Bristol, the Dome in London, the Manchester Academy and Oxford Academy. Nights are set out by genre providing opportunities for bands and artists to gain exposure from new audiences, sell merchandise, promote networking opportunities and attract new fans. For a list of testimonials from bands that have played the Surface Festival check the website. The Surface Festival works in association with 24 international sponsors that cover all bases for a band. Marshall Amplification are extremely excited to be working with the Surface Festival for 2011. This event is truly inspiring for all involved - Marshall Amplification. For a further list of sponsors see the website. With a prize pot of £100,000 including a slot at Sziget Festival 2011, bands and artists get the opportunity to progress further in the music industry. The prizes offered for the winning band and runners up are just fantastic and the experience all the bands gain from playing larger venues is priceless - Alex Baker; Kerrang Radio Unsigned show. The Surface Festival Committee consists of a panel of music industry representatives who will have the privilege of seeing the very best acts from around the UK and Europe that will appear at the National Showcase at the O2. Judge Alex Baker says that the show this year was very hard to judge; amazing stage shows, amazing songs, amazing bands. Congratulations to Great Imitation who blew everyone's minds, a much deserved win! Surface Festival takes bands at grass roots level and brings them through a journey culminating in an industry showcase. The quality of the sponsors, judges and management lends colossal credibility to this event and should be a breath of fresh air to all bands and artists in the UK. In an uncertain time, where longevity and sustainability is rare in today's music industry the Surface Festival can be exemplified as a solid force for good, offering some amazing opportunities to bands. Working together with key industry bodies and organizations is paramount to developing a model that is fair for everyone: the promoters, the venues, the fans and most importantly the bands taking part and the experience and value they get from playing the live shows. The Surface Festival was a fantastic experience for us, an unforgettable journey through many rounds at different venues. The ultimate prize and ultimate goal was to perform at the IndigO2. The chance to play at this incredible venue gave you a real sense of achievement and a wonderful feeling that will stay with us for a long time. The Surface crew were helpful, friendly and always very supportive which made the whole experience just that little bit better. 1st October
The new Surface Festival is moving away from the ‘Unsigned’ label and opening up access to further acts across the UK and Europe. Jay Mitchell, Managing Director of the Surface Festival explains, “The decision to relaunch was driven by bands themselves. More and more bands from small independent record labels and self-releasing bands were enquiring to take part. Unsigned bands already involved in the Festival commented that they didn’t feel that the word ‘unsigned’ was relevant in today’s industry. Bands aren’t necessarily looking to get signed anymore, more and more bands are moving away from the restrictions of a record label; they want to do their own thing. The way bands have driven things has made us rethink the way the festival works. It’s not about unsigned bands anymore, but about discovering new music.” The all new Surface Festival’s contacts and sponsors cover all bases for a band to move forward without necessarily getting signed. Their sponsor list includes a host of manufacturers, including Marshall, Ashdown, Zildjian; recording services; global distributers; promotion companies; band photography; band SEO (search engine optimization), touring services and more. Joel Manan from Marshall says: “We think it’s a great idea that Surface are rebranding and we’re looking forward to working with them next year.” In 2011 the Surface Festival will be doing 500 shows across 14 cities in the UK and Europe. Showcases will take place in London, Portsmouth, Bristol, Cardiff, Swansea, Birmingham, Nottingham, Oxford, Manchester, Liverpool, Newcastle, Glasgow, Barcelona and Budapest. With a prize pot of £100,000 and a shot at playing the O2 in London in front of a industry panel, all bands and artists should check out the Surface Festival website. In 2011 events will be held in cities throughout the U.K. and Europe. For band and artists that reach the final stages of the Festival, both Surface Festival and our sponsors will award with prizes and opportunities in excess of £100,000. The new Surface Festival web site News coverage of the national finals of 2010 29th August - final edition Leicester bands triumph at Regional FinalsResults are live now if you want to check the scores Leicester won three out of four places at the Regional Finals of Surface Unsigned. Charlie and the Martyrs (Leicester), Axis Mundi (Hinckley) and the Great Imitation (Melton Mowbray) will head off to the Millennium Dome on 25th September for the national finals. The four bands played today in a line-up of 16 Midlands bands that had a won places in the regional finals that took place on the main stage of the O2 Academy in Birmingham. The fourth band, Dirty Voice, were from Banbury in Oxfordshire. Coach loads of jubilant Leicester fans headed home tonight having seen their favourite bands get through a tough line up of the best live music in the region. Several members of winning local bands, from previous years, were in the audience to support this year's line up. Sadly, the other Leicester band to play at the O2, Formal Warning, failed to attract enough votes from the judges. Fans said they had put on a stormingly good set but unfortunately they failed to win enough marks from the judges. Putting four bands through from the same city - that would have taken some balls! The Great Imitation
Flamboyant hip hop rapper James Scott-Howes strutted on to the stage for a hugely theatrical set of his over the top songs, much loved by many Leicestershire fans who have followed GI since bursting on the local scene in 2008. Still on the stage were Ryan Albutt, Guitar and Vocals, now joined by Mark Connon, Bass and Joe Lambden, Drums. The floor in front of the stage filled with fans, cheering the wild artist James as he ran around the stage and jumped into the pit, like a child of Mick Jagger and Iggy Pop. A spectacular show biz act, GI have moved a long way since their duo early days, although James is till singing one or two of old raps much loved by his ever growing army of fans. The show contrasted markedly with previous bands on the Academy Stage for this year's regional final and after a grueling five hours of non-stop music, the hall came alive with the spectacular show of an act that won acclaim from both the audience and the judges. Charlie and the Martyrs
Well you couldn't have had a more marked contrast when singer Charlie Jones came on stage with her band to sing a set of engaging indie songs. Fresh from the main stage of yesterday's Strawberry Fields festival, Charlie and her band delivered a set laden with style and panache that clearly appealed to a wide cross section of the audience. One attractive and appealing song followed another, expertly backed by the four band members. A superb vocalist and song writer, Charlie has won considerable attention from fans and industry alike and wow 'd the judges to achieve a high score of 51 votes from them. It's clear that the judging panel comprised people with a wide variety of tastes, scoring hip hop rappers and indie singers alike, over metal and hard rock bands in the earlier line up. Axis Mundi
Hinckley band Axis Mundi took over the stage for an amazing show that got the whole room dancing. In the audience was a contingent of girls dressed in glam rock outfits who follow the band to all their shows. In a riot of a performance the band tore up the stage with their high octane set of classic hard rock songs, in a heady half hour of pounding metal riffs, adrenaline pumping punk speed songs and glam rock theatricality. As a strenuous mosh pit formed on front the the stage and the costumed girls flounced around the hall, the five piece band threw out one thrilling song after another bringing together all the elements of Rage Against the Machine raps, the sizzling vibrancy of System of a Down and the big band sound of AC/DC, blended together in a fizzing cocktail unique to Axis Mundi. They scored a hit with the judges who scored them back some high marks. All three Leicester bands are appearing at the National Finals in London on 25th September. Leicester bands have done well in the competition for the past two years; see our coverage of Leicester at Surface Unsigned 2009. Other pages you might like: Leicester at Surface Unsigned 2012 Leicester at Surface Unsigned 2011 |
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