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Unsigned Heroes 2008: The Heats Are On!
Unsigned Heroes, the competition run by microphone manufacturer AKG to find the best unsigned UK or Irish band of 2008, continues to gather pace. The first live heat of the contest was held on Friday February 29th, pitting three unsigned bands against one another at Shoreditch's Comedy Café, London, during new music evening The Break. The winner, by unanimous agreement of the assembled industry judges, was Warrington's ska’n’surf trio Bill Davro, who won everyone over with their strong songwriting and energetic performance on the night. The three-piece band, whose fine qualities include having no members called either Bill, William or Davro, now go through to the final vote-off stage of the contest, which will be held in June. Those who missed the first night of The Break will be able to catch highlights of the evening on Sumo TV from March 26th.
Unsigned Heroes returns to the Comedy Café in Shoreditch with three more unsigned bands for the second heat of the contest on March 28th. Once again, the heat coincides with The Break, the new evening of new music and performances by up-and-coming bands sponsored by AKG and Strummerville, the charity set up to promote new bands in the name of late Clash frontman Joe Strummer. Following the success of February's debut event, this month The Break is bigger and better, with more performers: a total of nine great bands are signed up to play, including Leamington Spa's finest, chart-toppers Nizlopi, whose new album Make It Happen is released at the end of the month. At the third heat in April, London’s finest all-girl band The Veez will be appearing, fresh from their tour in Miami, accompanied by the angular, trumpet-tinged strains of lively five-piece punk outfit The Fool, who have just recently appeared at the Camden Crawl. Several more industry judges have signed up to rate the bands’ performances before The Break finishes in May: this month, Nizlopi themselves will be on the panel alongside the regular judges, while former percussionist with M People, Shovell, and ex-Big Breakfast/TOTP presenter Lisa Rogers will be brushing up their Simon Cowell impersonations to cast a critical eye over the competition entrants in the final round of the contest in May.
Nizlopi will be taking to the stage themselves on on March 28th as part of the show at The Break along with rootsy London-based purveyors of country Americana The Cedars, Brixton rapper Marvin, Twickenham bluesy rockers Marner Brown, Kent’s finest 'Rhythm & Roll' band Maker and a very special
Strummerville guest act, who will be publicly announced just before the night, but may be familiar to folk-loving readers of the March 4th issue of NME. On the night, proceedings will begin upstairs in the Bedroom Bar at the Comedy Club with the predominantly acoustic acts, and then move downstairs into the main Café shortly before 11pm, where the three Unsigned Heroes entrants will be playing.
In picture: Nizlopi to Play at The Break on March 28th.
14th March 2008
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