St Albans bands conquer 'In The City' On Monday October 6, 3 bands featuring musicians from the St Albans district performed at the UK's premier music industry conference and showcase, "In The City".
SAASH Arts set up the showcase as part of their Verulam Underground initiative, supporting the professional developments of artists from the St Albans district, and the attending acts were chosen by a panel of local promoters. The venue chosen was the award winning One Central, in the heart of Manchester's club district - lending itself ideally to a live showcase - complete with an over enthusiastic mouse managing to take perfect aim at the trouser leg of Scratch front-man Andy!
With the unenviable opening slot were punk-pop-glam stalwarts The Scratch who rose to the task with aplomb, delivering a raucous up-tempo set with big choruses, synchronised star jumps and a voodoo back beat. The band had arrived early at the conference and engaged in some top level schmoozing, attracting a BBC interview and the attentions of A-list alternative mavericks such as Clint Boon and John Robb. A good number of delegates arrived with an interested eye, along with a contingent of enthusiastic local fans.
Andy from The Scratch explains: "In the City is a bit like being a starving lion (all the bands), locked in a glass cage, surrounded by herd upon herd of juicy wildebeest, all dressed in masquerade ball masks (the mysterious people in the know) roaming tantalisingly just outside the locked door. Thanks to SAASH we are now in possession of more clues of where to find the key to open it. There is no live event like it, giving bands such opportunities of meeting the right people."
Next up were young mod-pop-rock pack The Culture who arrived with a Radio 1 demo of the week under their belt. The band proceeded to hit the previous night's showcase gigs with a big attitude and a fistful of flyers attracting a strong attendance, with a particularly keen interest from a large posse of female delegates! Their hook-laden, caustic and edgy set was well received with its distinctly contemporary and dance-floor friendly vibe.
Last up were Kerrang! And Rock Sound approved Verra Cruz whose distinctive and unique take on blues-rock had clearly caused a stir around In The City with a number of delegates ticking them off as a must-see for the event. Utilising lap-steel as well as regular guitar, front-man Jimmy attacks his strings with a passion and vitriol rarely witnessed, yet manages to draw both plaintive melancholy and angsty aggression from the instruments. Their sound is at once classic, taking in elements ranging from Howling Wolf to Led Zeppelin, and yet distinctly fresh. The rapturous applause between numbers was interspersed with studied jaw dropping silence as the audience unanimously observed with genuine awe.
As a whole, the acts provided an excellent example of the diversity and quality of acts performing in and around St Albans which will ultimately keep some keen industry attention focused on the area.
This opportunity was being provided as part of the "Verulam Underground" project which seeks to showcase and aid professional development for bands and musicians in the St Albans District.
In The City is the UK's premier music industry conference and showcase event which has helped develop the career of such bands as Oasis, The Chemical Brothers, Daft Punk, Coldplay, The Darkness, Nine Black Alps, Arctic Monkeys and many more. Set up by Manchester's top music entrepreneur, the late Tony Wilson, ITC regularly sees representatives from every corner of the UK music industry (as well as many international delegates) descend on central Manchester for 3 days of debate, and more importantly checking out new acts at the ITC Unsigned Showcase gigs.
This project is provided by St Albans City and District Council and managed by the Arts Team at St. Albans Arts, Sport and Health - the development arm of Leisure Connection.
Full details of In The City can be found at www.inthecity.co.uk
As well as www.leisureinstalbans.co.uk details can be found at the www.myspace.com/saasharts site. Also here one can find details of other music events and projects in the district.
.... it was defiantely a rat btw!
x
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