The Utopians sign to major label
Leicester indie band the Utopians announced today (12th August) their signing to major digital label Red Skin Records.
Three Utopians tracks will be released soon. The signing will enable the band to get their new tracks into the official charts and badge them as a signed band, allowing them wider access to airplay. One of the tracks "Don't Let Him Down" was recorded recently in Leicester at Deadline Studios. There is an official video of the new song on Facebook. The band will be appearing on BBC Radio Leicester on Friday 22nd August at 3.15 p.m.
The Utopians
Charlie Drew leaves Freefall Felix
Freefall Felix frontman Charlie Drew, announced tonight at the Shed that he is to leave the band.
The band plans to carry on without him. "These guys love what they do - they can't stop now", Charlie said of his band comrades. Charlie plans to develop his exceptional song writing skills and pursue a career as a solo singer. He has one of the finest voices around and having seen him perform a solo set (albeit with support from FFF guitarist Ed Bramford) it is easy to see him making a name for himself as a star singer/songwriter. Meanwhile FFF will find him a hard act to follow. They are however a massively good band and will undoubtedly continue their career. Well, afterall, Take That found their destiny without Robbie Williams! "My voice just can't take the strain of playing small venues where you can't hear yourself ", Charlie said. It was great that FFF ended their successful UK tour at the Shed. "Charlie has been playing at the Shed for the past eleven years", said Kevin, owner of the Shed. Several fans said that they thought it very likely that Charlie might well do one more gig with the band and like tonight it will be a sell-out event. Read our review of the Freefall Felix end of tour gig.
Screening release new EP
The Screening have released their brand new 6 track E.P. ‘888' which is available to buy directly and hear at the band's Myspace (link below).
The E.P can also be bought from Rockaboom Records, St.Martins Square , Leicester now. The Screening's next evening show here at The Charlotte is on Saturday 11 th October with The Fazed, Kalena and The Heroes with further acts TBA. Tickets are £4 advance and £5 entry on the door. Tickets available from Rockaboom and The Charlotte. This is a 14+ show. The Screening will also be playing a FREE show on Bank Holiday Sunday 24 th August at The Charlotte running from 3pm – 8pm. Full line-up TBA. This show is open to ALL AGES (under 14s with an adult)
The Screening
Will The Chairmen get signed?
Speculation that Leicester band The Chairmen will soon be signed to a record label is fuelled by an article in the Leicester Mercury, 17th July 2008.
Having won the Original Bands Showcase last year, they are now through to the final stages of the national Surface Unsigned competition. They are also playing the main stage of the Summer Sundae festival, known to be a hunting ground for the talent spotters from the record labels. Widely admired and respected within Leicester unsigned band circles, The Chairmen are the most likely local band to follow in the footsteps of The Displacements and Kasabian, to national success. The band is being recommended to labels by Leicester-based UK Rock Agency Get Your Band On.
Winning Leicester bands highlighted
Two Leicester bands have won through to the finals of national competitions, reports the Leicester Mercury (26th June).
Hinckley based band THE CHAIRMEN beat a strong line up of other bands in the Intel Studio Competition. They are in the final nine bands and if they win could walk away with a six-month record deal. The final show of the competition takes place in London on 3rd December. The Chairmen will be playing on the main stage of the Summer Sundae festival, in August, at the De Montfort Hall.
The Mile won through to the top four acts in the Global Icon competition. The band attended a four day boot camp in Manchester and played at the Ruby Lounge venue, where their set was filmed for Sky TV. If the Mile win the Global Icon, they will get a 17 date tour and a chance to get in front of top A&R talent scouts from record labels.
Leicester "Music Capital of the Midlands"
Our local paper has devoted a whole page to the news that Leicester has come out top on a national poll of musical cities (Leicester Mercury 24th June 2008.)
The paper draws attention to the top bands that grace our musical heritage: Kasabian, Showaddywaddy and international artist Englebert Humperdink
The article reports the result of the Arts Council poll to find the UK's most musical city. Leicester has come in 5th place behind Birmingham, Brighton, Bristol and Colchester (Colchester!!! where?)
But hey Lesta beat London, Manchester and Newcastle!
The article refers to the recent Original Bands showcase at the Shed, where the standard of all the entrants was extremely high. Rising star bands the Displacements and The Dirty Backbeats are mentioned as examples of the wealth of talented bands to come from Leicester. Our local range of musical talent is also wider than most comparable cities.
The article also acknowledges quite rightly that Leicester lacks the medium sized venues found in other cities, which is why we miss out on bands looking to play 400 to 800 capacity venues when on tour. They tend to end up in Nottingham where there is a large range of venues.
the Arts Council suggests that Leicester uses its success in the national poll to campaign for a new live music venue in the city - something that Arts In Leicestershire would wholeheartedly endorse.
Also in the article is "Val McCoy's guide to the best of Leicester's new bands". The OBS Organiser has picked out The Dirty Backbeats, The Displacements, The Dandilions, The Chairmen, M48 and the Codes as being the top 6 bands on the way up in Leicester.
She suggests that Penfold Gate, Just Norris and Autohype are following closely behind the leading pack!
M48 Wins OBS
Leicester band M48 won the 2008 OBS competition, with The Codes coming a close second. Read our report on the grand final
Surface Unsigned Competition
The 2008 Surface Unsigned competition has got underway and several Leicester bands have made it on to the Initial shows
Thursday 6th March - The Chairmen - got through to the next round
Tuesday 11th March - Messini Assault - got through to the next round
Saturday 15th March - Proud to Have Met You + The Kinells - Kinells got through to the round
Wednesday 19th March - Subjects of the City made it through to the next round
Thursday 3rd April - For The Record
Saturday 12th April - Jack of Hearts Band ( got through to the next round) + Stone Dogs + Skam (got through to the next round)
Monday 14th - Manchurian Candidate
Wednesday 16th April - Autohype - got through to the next round - Partizans of Loughborough got through to the next round
Saturday 19th April - The Buzzards
Wednesday 23rd April - Forty More Autumns
Thursday 24th April - Deride
Support your local bands - vote for them on
Surface Unsigned Competition
Gales rock Glastonbudget Festival
Literally everything rocked at this year's Glastonbudget Festival as a force 8 gale hit the open air show on Saturday.
The main stage of the new acts part of the Festival was blown to pieces and did not see a single band over the whole weekend. Fortunately, this was the first time that the festival's organisers had introduced a substantial marquee to accommodate what was planned to be a supporting line up of bands.
The main stage being inoperable, the bands were moved into the marquee and, after some shuffling round of lineups and locations, the new act bands show got underway and the crowd was able to enjoy the music, out of the wind and rain.
See our Glastonbudget Festival report
Futureheads gig cancelled yet again
Saturday 10th May 2008
When top Sunderland based band The Futureheads were booked to play at The Athena Theatre on Friday 21st March, with supporting DJ set by Pendulum, many promoters in Leicester were envious of this coup.
Music commentators were saying that this event could radically transform the live music scene in Leicester. The original date was to have included six of Leicester's most talented, young bands in the support line-up. Hopes were high that the Athena could become the much needed "Academy" of Leicester, bringing top bands into the city centre.
When news broke that the 21st March gig had been cancelled, there was widespread dismay. The show was eventually re-scheduled to Sunday 11th May and moved to The Venue at Leicester University (but without the Pendulum set.) The six young, local bands were also included in the new day.
Yesterday, the Managers of The Futureheads announced that the band would no longer be available for the May date and had re-booked for a date in October, to come back to play at The Venue.
Many student ticket holders will be disappointed as, by October, they will have left Leicester. The Utopians, the main support band, were saddened by the announcement of the new date; two of the band members will be starting at other Universities that week and will be unlikely to get back to Leicester to play the gig.
Managers at the Venue do not usually book our local bands to support bigger bands at The Venue. Local bands are disappointed at this lost opportunity.
New live music venue
Friday 9th May 2008
The Pavilion used to be the cafe on Victoria Park but now it has been transformed into a live music venue.
After refurbishment, the venue is putting on live bands on Saturday nights and attendance has been growing well. The management also plan a new acoustics night on Wednesdays.
What makes the venue attractive is its venue of hot food and snacks, well priced beers and lagers and patio where guests can relax outdoors on a warm summer evening (but still hear the bands playing inside.)
There is more information about the Pavilion on this web site | See our gigs list for all Pavilion events
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