TOP NI BANDS BATTLE IT OUT FOR ARTHUR'S DAY SPOTLIGHT
Guinness® & Co have announced the 6 lucky bands who have been selected for the Belfast regional showcase of the ‘Our Thursdays’ competition. As part of this year’s Arthur’s Day® celebrations, ‘Our Thursdays’ is on the look out for emerging talent all over Ireland to offer them the incredible opportunity to be part of the Arthur’s Day line up on September 23rd.
Since July, hopeful bands have been performing in pubs every week all around the country at the Guinness ‘Our Thursdays’ pub showcases where the public decided, via text vote, who would go through each week. The bands that received the most votes at the end of each pub showcase have been named as the official Arthur’s Day artist in that bar on 23rd September.
What's more, a team of music industry experts including members of Snow Patrol, have had the unenviable task of listening to all the pub showcase winners from around the country and have now whittled it down to the best 24, 6 of who will play at the Belfast regional showcase in The Empire, Belfast on 26th August.
The Belfast Regional Showcase Details:
Date & Location: The Empire, Belfast, this Thursday, 26th August
The 6 Bands:
- Bettylee &The Blonde (Limavady)
- Naoimh O'Hagan (Belfast)
- Picture the Sound (Ballymoney)
- Shouting at Planes (Cavan)
- Escape Fails (Belfast)
- The Empire Saints (Bray)
This event is open to the public and entry is free of charge.
From the regional showcases, four lucky bands will be selected to perform at the national showcase which will take place in Lavery's, Belfast on 9th September.
At this showcase, the team of music industry experts will deliberate and decide on the three bands that will play in Galway, Cork and at St James’s Gate Brewery on Arthur’s Day alongside amazing international artists including Snow Patrol.
As well as this incredible opportunity to showcase their talent in front of thousands of music lovers, these lucky bands will also receive studio recording time, a digital release and will find themselves on the cover of Hot Press magazine in a special Our Thursdays feature.
For detailed information about Arthur’s Day and Our Thursdays visit www.guinness.com
Our Thursdays events and Arthur’s Day celebrations are strictly over 18’s events.
Drink Responsibly. Visit drinkaware.co.uk
The GUINNESS and ARTHUR’S DAY words and associated logos are trade marks.
The Our Thursdays judges include;
- Snow Patrol band member
- Niall Morris, Booker, MCD
- David Harris, Head of Marketing, Universal Music
- Niall Stokes, Editor, Hot Press
- Matt Cook, Director of Talent, MTV Europe
- Mark Kavanagh, Music Editor, The Star
- Alan Steel, Arthur’s Day Talent Booker, Freud Communications
- *Subject to availability
Biographies of Shortlisted Bands for Belfast Regional Showcase:
Bettylee & the Blonde
Leanne and Ashleen have been playing together for years. In Jan 2009 they formed Bettylee and the Blonde with Don Reilly on bass and more recently Jonathan Lynn joining on Drums. After four weeks and two gigs booked, both Victory and Not Lookin For Love reached No.2 on NiChart.com. The Bettylee and the Blonde sound is pretty unusual and is influenced by far too many to mention. Bettylee and the Blonde made the final four bands of a competition trying to win a record contract and publishing deal with Belfast Label Audio Ill and made the live finals of the BT Sounds like Summer heats In 2009 and 2010.
Naoimh O'Hagan
Naoimh O’Hagan is a Northern Irish based singer songwriter. Naoimh finds serenity in simplicity; striking a fine balance between economical song-writing and melodic indulgence, she creates music that seductively weaves around you like a cool breeze, before permeating the very core of your heart. The whimsical life-affirming spirit of her music invokes the sensation of carelessly floating down the calmest of rivers. She has garnered significant praise from various high-profile local contemporaries, such as Cat Malojian and Grammy-nominated Ciaran Gribbin, A.K.A. Joe Echo. Naoimh has her ego firmly planted on the ground, but her ambitions are floating somewhere amongst the clouds.
Picture the Sound
Picture the Sound is five-piece live band from Ballymoney with a huge passion for music from all genres which they incorporate into their sound. The band is currently unsigned but active on the live circuit and has recorded four tracks: Lights in Space, Home, Cover It In Blue and James Dean which are all available to listen to on MySpace.
Shouting at Planes
“Shouting at Planes” is a group of young but established musicians, who've come together to define and develop an original sound that mirrors their considerably broad tastes. With influences from rock, blues, indie and jazz genres, this band has established a sound that peaks ears, turns heads, and never fails to draw a crowd. Having two lead vocalists who share the opportunity to bellow spine-tingling lyrics and harmonies and with the luxury of saxophone and trumpet as accompaniments, a performance big and bold enough to resonate beyond the highest flying aircrafts is guaranteed.
Escape Fails
Escape Fails are a five-piece metal, rock and pop act from Belfast. They are currently unsigned but are active on the live circuit and have recently recorded a new song Annexed, which is available to download and listen on MySpace.
Empire Saints
Empire Saints were formed in 2008 by brothers Fiachra & Uisneagh Treacy. Shortly after, long-time friend Noel Healy, drummer & co-songwriter joined the Saints along with Pete Cheevers. Empire Saints have headlined gigs in some very prestigious venues even at this early stage in their career including the Sugar Club and Whelan’s in Dublin and The Hope and Anchor in London. Empire Saints were also shortlisted in Hot Press’s “London Calling” competition with the top prize of playing in front of 20,000 people in Trafalgar Square at the St. Patrick’s Festival. The band was selected because of the video for “Float On”, which has been selected for the 2010 BORNSHORTS Film Festival in Denmark in August 2010.
