News about bands
Page last edited: 13th October 2014
This page contains news items about Leicester bands and bands that have played in Leicester.
Also contains news about UK bands that are about to appear at Leicester venues.
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25th September
Young Bands
Leicester’s young bands and artists are featured in our review of the showcase gigs at The Shed
13th June 2014
Violet Cities wins Play@LMF
Leicester band Violet Cities tonight won the finals of the Play@LMF competition. Five bands played at tonight’s finals show held at Streetlife club in the city centre. Winning the finals guarantees the band a prime stage slot at the Leicester Music Festival, to be held at the Tigers Rugby stadium on 25th and 26th July. Show organisers said that this will give the band an audience of over 20,000 music fans.
See our report on the Play@LMF semi-finals.
9th June 2014
LEICESTER BAND FERRIS RELEASE ENGLAND WORLD CUP FAN ANTHEM – ‘A Love As Big As England.’
FERRIS, who are well known on the Leicestershire music scene, wrote recorded and mixed the track which is planned for release 09/06/2014 and features BBC Radio Sports Commentator John Sinclair.
The bands nucleus of Scott Grocock and Rob Bourgault have been song writing and performing since their early teens and as such have supported bands including Radiohead, Corner Shop, and Asian Dub Foundation.
The band’s ex drummer Justin Welch went onto form Elastica and also joins forces regularly with Suede. Both the lead singer Scott Grocock and lead guitarist Rob Bourgault have, in previous line-ups, supported & worked with big hitters including OMD and Crowded House.
The band influences range from Elvis Presley and The Beatles to Radiohead, Oasis and Kasabian.
A Love As Big As England will be available from 09/06/2014 as a digital single download from all the major online stores including iTunes, Amazon, GooglePlay, Spotify and Myspace Music. The track will also be available direct from the band and website in the form of a four track CD Maxi Single with acoustic and edited versions.
A Love As Big As England is currently under consideration for sync use by BT Sport Channel JJB Sports Stores & Midlands based brewers, Everards.
A Love As Big As England is currently streamed online at soundcloud as a listen only track & is being aired on rotation by radio stations across the country.
A Love As Big As England will be nationally promoted into UK radio stations commencing 28/4/14 with broadcast opportunities available – six weeks prior to release. This campaign is being handled by Matrix Promo.
The track will also be aired at regional football grounds on match days.
FERRIS are published by Sentric Music Ltd.
Website links:
Facebook | website | Ferris on Facebook | Soundcloud
Current Lineup:
Scott Grocock – Lead vocals & guitar.
Rob Bourgault – Lead guitar & BV.
Cam Favell – Bass & BV.
Nick Whale – Drums & BV.
5th May 2014
Neon Sarcastic go out on tour
Leicester’s Neon Sarcastic have announced their tour plans, They are setting off in August to hit some great venues and to play with some awesome bands.
10th February 2014
Skam signed
Powerhouse Leicester three-piece band Skam kick off 2014 in fine style with the worldwide release of new single ‘Rivers’ on February 24th. The track is taken from the forthcoming second album ‘Peacemaker’ – set for a July 28th worldwide release, via their new label deal with Off Yer Rocka Recordings. A killer live band, they will be hitting the road again on a run of UK dates in February.
4th January 2014
Resin gain new drummer
Hinckley band Resin is pleased to finally get back to full speed after a six month hiatus from gigging since the departure of drummer Mark last summer. After only one practice session, coffee, tea and beer, Danny Finch turned up, armed with our entire back catalogue nailed. The band tried to break him by throwing its acoustic arsenal at him and still he didn’t waiver!
So Resin is happy to say that drummer Danny Finch has joined its ranks and will be with them on the road and in the studio!
“Coming into Resin, half way through the writing session for our second album” Resin told us, “he will bring a fresh outlook and his ideas are already making themselves known in the practice room and his enthusiasm and skills have blown us away!”
New drummer for Resin
Danny Finch:
Gear – (Beat’s and abuses): Mapex Drums, Sabian Cymbals, Vater Sticks, Roland Vdrums.
Previous bands – Various local Punk, Metal and Funk bands, The Defiled
Age – 28
Musical Influences – Sevendust, Nonpoint, Alice in Chains, Pop Evil, Twelve Foot Ninja, Ministry, Breaking Benjamin, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Anthrax, Tremonti.
Drummer influences/heros – Morgan Rose, Dave Ghrol, Chad Smith, Robb Rivera, Aaron Rossi, Animal from the Muppets, Josh Freese.
Follow Resin on Facebook | Read about Resin’s show at the Firebug
12th November 2013
Leicester band gets signed
Eden Avenue, formerly known as Vengeance, announced on their band’s FB page that they have been signed. On 28th October the band posted that We will be heading to the recording studio soon with MNA records! cant wait! On 20th October the band posted We are excited to announce that we are now signed to MNA records! We can’t wait to bring you lots of new exciting stuff over the next few months, thank you so much to everyone who has supported us this far, you guys are the best! – Eden Avenue.
Harry Pentony, guitarist with the band said “We are very pleased to be signed with MNA records. Next year will be a big year for us.”
See MNA Records web site | Follow Eden Avenue on Facebook.
20th October 2013
Midnight Wire announce second tour
Leicester band Midnight Wire announced today that they are back on tour for the second time this year.
The band has been busy recording their debut album (which is now finished) which is due to hit the shops in March 2014. The band will be releasing a track in preparation for this and will have the first singles from the album out in January. Tour dates booked so far (with many more to be confirmed) include:
31st October – Birmingham, Roundhouse
14th November – Leeds, Carpe Diem
16th November – Mansfield, The Intake
19th November – Sheffield, West Street Live
27th November – London, Dublin Castle
28th Novmber – Portsmouth, PLAY @ RMA
2nd December – Coventry, Kasbah
27th December – Camden, JUBILEE @ Camden Barfly
8th October 2013
Raptusound goes on tour
Leicester band Raptusound is currently on a 30-date UK tour playing both their huge electro rock set and chilled-out intimate acoustic set in some of the UK’s finest cities and venues, including Manchester, Newcastle, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Cardiff, Bristol and London.
On Saturday 23 November, they will be coming home to Leicester to play a very special and intimate acoustic show in the sublime surroundings of St Martin’s Tea & Coffee Merchants.
Imagine, if you will, the warming and rich fragrance of freshly roasted coffee on a cold autumn evening, candlelight, inspirational art on the walls, fine wine, and the very finest live acoustic music. Raptusound would like to personally invite you along to enjoy their homecoming show
Date: Saturday 23 November
Time: 7:30pm – 10:30pm
Venue: St Martin’s Tea and Coffee Merchants, St Martin’s Square, Leicester
Tickets: £5 (email: bookings@raptusound.com)
Find out more on the Raptusound web site | Raptusound on Facebook
15th September 2013
Former members of the notorious GayeBykers On Acid and Crazyhead combine to create Swamp Delta
Parts of the South Wigston Anarchist Media Project, Urgent News from the LA (Leicester Area) Swamp Delta.
Recently various members of two giants of Late 80s Urban Bastard Blues – The Gaye Bykers on Acid and Crazyhead, – met, drank deep from the well of the Swamp Juice, lit the fire to the Delta Goddess and a Musical Marsh Monster was born.
This numinous night time hatching precipitated a coalescing of the three Wigston troubadours into a new, ugly, deformed, Mutant Bastard Blues offspring called SWAMP DELTA. Ian Anderson – cover idol and bedroom trasher for Cult 80s Urban Bastard Blues Band Crazyhead growls at the front. Robber Byker, Mutoid Swamp Musician, bass player for the mighty Gaye Bykers crashed and thrashed on his Day glow Japanese guitar.
Renown for his twin deck spin Zombie punk disc destruction, RB suckles at the torrid teat of Techno as well as embracing the Swamp Queen’s Voodoo.
Finally, the Legendary Porkbeast; Handlebarred Bass Bombshell for Crazyhead, leather clad Zombie blues master, Keeper of the Secret Source of Glene and Knight of the Wigston Delta, he strangled a solo out of his Vintage Valvetone Swampcaster. The Offspring? HEAVY WATER. These three 21st Century mass metal destructors have formed a new musical Collective SWAMP DELTA. All three were born and raised in the South Wigston Swamp Zone (an area perhaps best known for nurturing young pretenders Kasabian). Built on ancient marshlands next to the holy river Glene; a liminal-psychomagic sector where the Delta Queen is worshiped and the gift of music is granted. Lost tribes and swamp fauna fill their minds.
Read the full press release on the Excluded web site.
16th August 2013
ArtsIn plans roster of local bands
Leicester social enterprise company ArtsIn Productions has posted a page explaining why they are putting together a list of the top 30 bands in their local area. The statement explains: The company’s resources are limited. In order to reconcile our resources with the supply of artists and acts of all kinds, we have a roster.
The list has not been made public yet because not all the bands have agreed to be included.
See the page about how ArtsIn Productions supports bands, singers and artists
15th August 2013
Midnight Wire gets Radio 1 airplay
Leicester band Midnight Wire had their latest track Never Gonna Leave LA played by Radio1 DJ Huw Stevens at Midnight on 14th August.
BBC East Midlands tweeted: Congrats to @midnightwire whose Never Gonna Leave LA is @huwstephens pick on @BBCR1 (funnly enough, at midnight) tonight…
13th August 2013
New album and video from Ferris
Fans and followers of Leicester band Ferris been warmly greeted with the arrival of a new album.
The music video to the song Do You Mean It can be found on YouTube. Pathfinder is the group’s second album and follows last year’s debut Speak Up. The band’s nucleus of Scott and Rob have been song-writing and performing since their early teens and have supported bands such as Radiohead, Crowded House, Corner Shop, Asian Dub Foundation, Honey Rider, The Milk, The Alarm, Modern Faces, Turin Breaks and Menswear, to name a few. The time being right, the band now wants to move forewords under their own steam.
Having played various summer events in the County, including CosbyBigLove and Glastonblaby, the band has teamed up with German promoters Klangfieber Booking Agency, which is looking to tour the band in October and November this year, across Germany and Austria.
See Ferris’s Do You Mean It on YouTube | Find out more about Ferris
27th June 2013
Leicester’s By The Rivers will be performing on the BBC Introducing stage at the Glastonbury festival this year. They are one of a number of acts from the East Midlands that will on the festival’s stages. BTR is playing this Glasto this Saturday and also 20th July at the Rhythm Tree Festival, in Isle of Wight.
East Midlands acts appearing at the world famous festival this year include Jake Bugg, Izzie Marie Hill, Singer Ady Suleiman, from Long Benington, Lincolnshire, Indiana from Long Eaton, Siblings, from Ashbourne, Ruen Brothers, from Lincolnshire and Nottingham band Dog is Dead.
9th June 2013
By The Rivers were at a show in London last night. After performing in Germany over the weekend, the band will be supporting ska stars Madness at the Newark festival.
You can see the band on Saturday 22nd June at the Condoun Club, Coventry and on Sunday 23rd June at the Warwick Summer Party.
By The Rivers will be playing at the DeMontfort Hall on Saturday 27th July as part of the Simon Says shows. In September they play at Bestival in the Isle of Wight.
Check out songs from By The Rivers on Bandcamp
7th June 2013
Leicester band The Accidents played their last ever gig tonight. They performed at the O2 in a line-up headlined by Midnight Wire. The band had been active, playing at the Shed on several occasions and receiving positive reviews in Arts in Leicester magazine.
6th June 2013
Hinckley-based band Living Mystery announced that are to split up; after several years of playing the band announced that some of its members had decided to leave and they could not therefore continued.