BritRockArmy Band Services is born from the original beliefs of BritRockArmy. To help and support the unsigned/independent rock bands of the UK. Whether it be advice, or feedback on a new release, BritRockArmy is here to help.
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TBFM
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I've had the pleasure of meeting these guys in person, when they played at Scruffy Murphys on December 13th supporting Sinners Highway. They really are a great bunch of guys, put on a great live performance and have great interaction with the crowd.
The Sonic Revolvers come from Runcorn in the North West of England, and a lot of the tracks they performed live were taken from their 2nd EP, 'Suns of Mercury' which is a great showcase of their own brand of alt/rock.
Vocalist Darrell Tinsley and the guys certainly know how to put a great record together as each track on SoM is a solid, single quality song, with the stand out track for me, being Feverglass, which is also featured on the BritRockArmy album 'The Uprising'.
But as I mentioned, each track on SoM could quite easily be released as a single. The opening track, Gun Shot, is a loud, frantic, energetic, rock track. With Darrell kicking off the vocals as he intends to carry on, powerful, and edgy. Plastic Rock, the 2nd track continues in much the same vein. Great guitar work from Richy Jones, another great vocal from Darrell, it again shows off the class that this Cheshire 4 piece have. Blending elements of influences such as Nirvana, Manic Street Preachers, and Biffy Clyro, Suns of Mercury is a great piece of work. But as I said, and it is only my opinion, it's Feverglass that is the standout track. A slower pace, an acoustic intro, with guitars and drums only really kicking in halfway through the first verse. The vocals this time kind of remind me a bit of Suede frontman Brett Anderson. Although the track doesn't sound anything like Suede, lol. We return to a much more rocky feel with Sunset Bridge, with almost metal riffs, but an early MSP feel to it. March of The Millions, brings the EP to a fitting close. Again, a power performance on vocals, and also from Richy on guitar and Justin (sorry ;D) on drums.
Sunset Bridge by THE SONIC REVOLVERS
If you haven't yet bought, downloaded a copy of Suns of Mercury yet, then you really should. It's brilliantly written, well produced, and fantastically performed, by a band who are quite possibly under a lot of peoples radar. Bellieve me, that is definately gonna change, and sooner rather than later.
The Sonic Revolvers are:-
Darrell Tinsley - Vocals
Richy Jones - Guitar
Phil Mealing - Bass
Mike 'Bieber' Jones - Drums
OK, so I've not posted anything for a while! The last time I posted was just after the launch in November.
Well, expect that to change over the coming days and weeks, as not only will I endeavour to get more stuff back on here, but there will also be some post/press releases from 3rd party writers! Exciting times lay ahead.
There's quite a bit going on behind the scenes, not least getting gigs booked for the first quarter of 2013, and lets just say, there are some cracking line ups coming together nicely, check out the events section on the FB page for more details. I will try and get the info on here too.
Sunday November 11th will go down in history, as the day the first BritRockArmy live event took place. The event was an all day affair, with the doors of The Roadhouse in Birmingham opening at 3pm. The first part of the event saw 4 acts play an acoustic set, whilst in the evening, we would have some great full bands rocking us until 11 o'clock that night.
The acoustic set kicked off at 3:30pm with Tommy Graham, lead singer and guitarist of West Midlands Rock band The Blacklist Saints. He put on a fantastic performance, treating the crowd to all 4 tracks from the Saints EP, but also threw in some new songs too!! It was great to see another side to the rock riffs of the Saints normal sound.
Little did I know that we would be seeing quite a bit more of Tommy later that evening. The second act to play in the acoustic lounge were 2 members of Welsh band SoundStorm. They took the lounge, literally by storm, with a fantastic set of acoustic songs, with vocalist Jon really showing what an awesome voice he has. Next up were 2 members of Liverpool based Mod/indie band The Universal. Singer/songwriter Terry Shaughnessy and guitarist Piet Koehorst delighted the crowd with songs such as Shine On, Volcano, and a cover of The Beatles' Eleanor Rigby. They put on a fantastic set, and if half the crowd hadn't already been standing, they'd have received a standing ovation, I'm sure.
The final act of the acoustic session was Birmingham/Wales split duo King and Queen of Sorry. Their set included favourites such as Traffic Lights, One More Time, and 33 to 45. Throughout their set, Kathryn showed what an acomplished singer she is and Rhod equally acomplished on guitar. They finished their half hour set with Queen of Sorry.
Once the acoustic acts had done their bit, and they all did it fantastically!! It was time for the full band rock night to begin. Now, unbeknownst to a lot of people, there had been a bit of frantic substitutions going on whilst the acoustic acts were playing. Early on, I'd received an email from Zodiac N Black saying that due to their bassist having an accident, they were not going to be able to make the journey up from London. My heart first sank and then began racing as I frantically rushed around wondering what on Earth to do, this was, after all, the first event I had ever organised. Talk about a baptism of fire. While I was outside getting some air, Ian from Blacklist Saints, who had been there helping Tommy out during his acoustic set, was also outside. I jokingly asked how long would it take to get the rest of 'The Saints' there? Well, that was the catalyst for a string of texts, phonecalls, arrangements,and mercy missions from Blacklist WAGS.
Anyway, I'll carry that little story on in a while, lol. Kicking off the full band night, Collider performed some awesome tracks including Tree House, Snakes With Wings, and Dinosaurs. Now, these guys really proved what the launch event was all about. Showcasing the sort of music people may not normally listen to, and may not be to everyone's taste, but Bill and the guys were amazing, making full use of their little electronic box of tricks, a really great 30 minute set. They were followed on stage by local band Looca, who bought some really great support with them. Iain and the guys put on a dazzling show, that was so popular that they were persuaded to play an extra song. There was a switch in the running order next as Guns For Girls bassist had been stuck on the motorway, so they switched places with the awesome Crooked Dawn, a band who are featured on the BritRockArmy album 'The Uprising'. They performed the featured track, Poor you, as well as a mix of old and new songs, and as with the 2 bands before them, put together a great set. Guns For Girls, who have been featured on the blog before, were up next, complete with now arrived bassist. They had a crowd rocking to tracks including Vinegar Strokes and The Death of Rock and Roll, impressing everyone including members of some of the other bands.
OK, so next up should've been Zodiac N Black, but unfortunately the guys couldn't make the trip up from London, so their place was taken by the most quickly assembled, rushed to get there, none rehearsed or soundchecked Blacklist Saints!! Proving that they actually are Saints, the guys put on a great set, including some fantastic new songs and all the songs from their self titled EP. They finshed with Last Way Out, and by the time the last chord had been strummed, it was surprising Tommy could even talk. Don't forget, he'd alreadfy performed 6 hours earlier and dazzled the first people there, with his acoustic skills.
It was now time for the headline act. A band that I think some people were surprised to be headlining. Sister Shotgun hit the stage, Chloe in her trademark corset, and Martin sporting a cast on his guitar playing arm. The guys put on a truly great perfomance, proving why I decided to give them the headline spot, which incidentally was their first headline spot. With existing track Dirty Mind, and a mixture of covers and some amazing new tracks from their soon to be released debut EP, they had the crowd rocking from start to finish of their, sadly, shortened set. Again, as with Looca, they were persuaded to perform one extra song, which was greatly received by the fans.
It was an awesome day, with a bit of everything. Drama behind the scenes, great music, great bands, team work, and a great spirit between all the bands, all of whom stayed to watch everyone else once they'd played their part. I cannot say a big enough thanks to all the bands involved. But a special mention must go to the Blacklist Saints guys. For showing what this is all about, enthusiastic bands wanting to get their music out to the people. THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH!!
All the pictures below are used courtesy of LoveRockPictures and Alec King.
Hi all! Crazy times ahead this week. The compilation album is gonna be EPIC!! I already know this as I've heard the tracks that have been submitted! Although I think bands are trying to send me to an early grave, as just when I think I've got 15 tracks selected, my inbox tells me another band has sent a track and it's an absolute cracker!!
So, how its gonna work is like this. Of the 50+ tracks that have been submitted, I'm gonna select 15 to make up the first part of the double album. The rest of the tracks will go into the 'People's Choice' poll which will appear on the Facebook page sometime in the middle of this week. The poll however will be based on the bands and not the tracks as I want to keep the tracks secret until the selection process is complete. The 15 bands with the most like on the poll will make up the 'People's Choice' part of the Album. This is where the bands will need to be on there toes and try to persuade people to vote for them. No underhandedness will be permitted however, lol.
As you can see from the heading of this post, the album is tentatively titled 'BritRockArmy - Uprising'.
Once I've got this little corker out the way, I've gotta finish the prep for the launch event next Sunday at The Roadhouse. Now, whilst I'm incredibly excited about it, I'm also incredibly nervous, so I need as many of you out there to come along and help make sure the fantastic bands playing, are playing to a packed out venue.
I want to take this opportunity to thank all the acts involved in next week, you guys are fantastic and I really appreciate your enthusiasm and shared excitement for the event. I'd like to thank all the rockers out there that have given their support of the cause, and I'd also like to thank the people who have taken me seriously, and not just thought I was some flash in the pan that could be used for others gain. The BritRockArmy finally, officially launches next Sunday, and believe me, I'm here to stay!!
The Fireflys are a 3 piece alt/rock band hailing from sunny Runcorn in Cheshire, UK. They were initially formed in 2007, although the current line up only got together in October of this year. 'Cathedral For Your Ashes' is actually their second album, and was released in February 2012 on their own Canadia records label.
When you press the 'play' button, you are greeted with a great guitar riff intro to opening track 'Ashes (No Revolution)', the albums title is taken from the final line of the chorus. It's a great way to begin, a nicely worked, up tempo number with a great vocal from frontman Lee Wylding, who also proves he's pretty nimble with the guitar with a great little solo midway through. The band draw influence from the likes of The Smiths, REM, and Pearl Jam, the latter being evident in style in second track 'Talking to The Satellite' with great guitar work again from Lee. In truth you can hear references to all these throughout tyhe album. The pace is slowed for the third track, and 'Jenny, Play Your Guitar' takes on an almost bluesy feel, with some sweet bluesy guitar riffs going on inbetween verses. Next is another great example of the smoother side of the bands playing with 'Is He Hurting you' sounding like a hybrid of Eric Clapton-esque guitar hooks, plus, and this is gonna show my age, but it also reminds me a little of a band my mum listened to when I was small, Dr Hook, (think of that what you will, it's my opinion, lol). Throughout the 10 track album, we are treated to just what an acomplished guitarist Lee Wylding is, catchy riffs follow one after the other, and also his vocals show both smooth, bluesy tones, with an edge of rocky huskiness when warrented, 'Bottletop' is a great example of all the aforementioned qualities, and we are only half way through the album. 'Rolling River' and 'Pack-a-Punch' are both good ol' fashioned rock n roll songs with the latter doing exactly what it says in the title and smacking you with a great left/right combo. 'Little Bird' is one of my personal faves, it's got a much more alternative edge to it and is just a great track. 'Dear Emily', which was on the the 2009 debut release, 'Better to Burn Out' has been given the 2012 treatment and has a real bluesy/funk feel to it. And so we reach, sadly, the end, with the beautifully crafted 'Easel'. If ever a track was written to be plasyed live and acoustic, it was this one. With a gorgeous string arrangement in the background, the only way to describe it is EPIC!
Catherdral For Your Ashes, is a phenomenal piece of work. It's another fantastic example of what is wrong with the British music industry. When work like this goes unrecognised, and 'artist' such as 1Direction, get worldwide acclaim for singing other people's songs and taking all the credit!!
The Fireflys are:-
Lee Wylding - guitar/vocals
Stephen Roberts - the bass
Andrea Packer- the drums
Kent natives Ashes are no strangers to the music biz, Si, Steve, and erm...Steve have known eachother from other bands for over a decade. It wasn't until July 2011 that they got together to form Ashes, and they've not looked back.And why on earth would they! Their blend of metal/rock/blues is infectiously catchy one second, yet dark and eerily moody the next. The debut EP, Prelude, is a great example of this. Opening track Bad Boy Blues, with its catchy riffs, blended with some gritty guitar, crashing drums and darkly soulful vocal, is actually quite a catchy tune. You find yourself unable to stop your foot tapping along to.
Then we move onto Bad Hatter, and no, they're not singing of someone who makes oversized trilby's, but this is a somewhat darker take on the Alice Through The Looking Glass character. it's a much darker, moodier track than Bad Boy Blues, the quality is undeniable. There's some nice gritty guitar riffs going on, and the tyrack has a real edge to it. Mystery, takes a turn in another direction, on the whole not as gritty as the previous tracks, a far more bluesy feel to it, but with a vocal reminiscent of Talking Heads singer David Byrne, another belter of a track, showing off another side to the band. Then we move onto the final track, Bloodsucker. Now this track encompasses the three genres I mentioned at the start. A great bluesy intro, angry metal inspired chorus, and a rock-riff driven bridge. All in all, Ashes have put together a great piece of work, and it's no surprise they are getting more and more calls for gigs. It'll only be a matter of time before these guys will be on a stage in Birmingham for BritRockArmy, and then onto bigger stages, arenas, festivals, etc, these guys are gonna go far!!
Sheffield rockers Abandoned Faith, have until now sneaked past many ears, keeping below the radar. Well that is no more. They can hide no more. Founded in 2011, they have focused solely on writing and releasing original material. This is what makes it hard to compare them to anyone else. Sure you can here snippets of the likes of Metallica, Foo Fighters, Nirvana, etc, but the AF sound is like no one else's. Their track Defamation is a great intro to their style, with cracking guitars, including a wicked solo. Reform is much of the same, with throw backs, intrumentally to early Metallica, but vocally more like Linkin Park. I know this is said a lot about unsigned bands, but these guys really are gonna be ones for the future.
Here we find out a bit more about the guys, in our BritRockArmy Q&A
1 Please introduce us to the members of the band. Jay: Hey, I’m Jay I am the vocalist in the band Rich: Hey, I’m Rich I play Lead Guitar Steve: I’m Steve, I play guitar Roman: I’m Roman, I Play bass Aaron: I’m Aaron, I play drums
2 What musical genre would you say you fit into best? All: Heavy rock
3 Who are your musical influences? Jay: Iron Maiden, Five Finger Death Punch and Alter Bridge Rich: Jimmy Page, Slash, Tom Morello Steve: Tremonti, Slash, Alter Bridge, Hendrix Roman: Metallica, Dream Theatre Aaron: Killswitch Engage, Sixth, Decapitated
4 How did you get together as a band? Steve: I placed an advert on the internet looking for a guitarist to start a new band and Rich responded, we met up and hit it off. We just seemed to musically complement each other well. Jay was introduced to us by our original drummer. Roman and Aaron were brought in a bit later when it became apparent that they were available. I knew them both from a band that they had both played in previously. The rest as they say…
5 If you could collaborate with anyone, past or present, who would it be? Jay: Myles Kennedy Rich: Robert Plant Steve: Jim Morrison Roman: Metallica Aaron: Jesse Leach, Adam Dutkiewicz
6 Would you rather play arena gigs, or smaller intimate gigs? All: Smaller venues, they just seem more intimate and the atmosphere can be electric. Not that we have had any experience of playing arenas!
7 If you could play any venue in the World, where would it be? Jay: Rock in Rio Rich: Whisky A Go Go Steve: Glastonbury or Download Roman: I don’t know Aaron: Red Rocks
8 Where do you see the band in 5 years’ time? Jay: I’d like to be playing in America Rich: Loads of songs, a couple of albums a good following. Steve: I’d love to have a couple of albums out and be playing bigger gigs all over the UK and maybe Europe and the US Roman: It’s too big to see ;) Aaron: Eating ready meals!
9 Signed or independent All: Signed
10 What's been favourite gig you've played, and why? All: We all agreed that our gig at Corporation, with one of our favourite local bands Doused, was the best gig due to the atmosphere and audience interaction. However, we have since played a gig at the O2 Academy in Sheffield supporting Benny Marchant that was just off the scale. Our fans, ‘The Faithful’, went proper nuts and blew the roof off the place. Following the gig we have been offered a slot on a music industry showcase event in London so all in all that has to be the best gig by far.
11 What has been your worst gig experience? All: We won’t name venues but we had a proper rough night in Leeds where we played to the two people that we had taken with us and the sound engineer. Still, nice sound system for what was effectively a rehearsal.
12 If you could cover any song, what would it be and why? All: We don’t do covers; we tried one once and we just couldn’t get emotionally involved with the song. It’s just not the same as playing your own stuff which is personal to you. We all contribute our ideas to every song we write so all feel some form of attachment to our music.
13 What song would you like played at your funeral? Jay: Bob the Builder or our own track Buried. Rich: Ramble on by Led Zep Steve: In Loving Memory – Alter Bridge Roman: I don’t want music at my funeral Aaron: Element of One by Killswitch
14 What song would you/did you have as your first dance at your wedding? Jay: Affirmation – Savage Garden Rich: We didn’t have a first dance; we went for a fry up instead Steve: With Arms Wide Open – Creed Roman: Some pop shit stuff
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