Kev2012
FWU
Forum Founder
(“Premium Member”)
Registered:
06-2004
Location:
Vatican City
Posts:
19293
Helpfulness-Gauge
372 (+389/-17)
|
|
Reply | Quote
|
|
Montpellier Hotel Music: Newspaper Article
ShAdy Knights Promotions, the brainchild of Ady Hill and Shane Healey - two local music enthusiasts - are proud to confirm that Rock in the Park has officially been given the green light. Together Shane and Ady decided to embrace their collective love for music and form the aforementioned promotional company. But this isn’t just a pipedream of high-flying, but ultimately failing, dreams. What these two entrepreneurs have put into motion is an opportunistic company that is looking to tap into the music scene and find places for the musicians to perform. What they are doing still requires a tremendous amount of work, commitment, time and effort, but is already bearing fruit. With the Llandrindod Wells Victorian Festival on the Horizon the town will once again become draped in a picturesque vision from the past. Horse drawn carts, top hats, feathers, petticoats and performances at the Albert Hall or Pavilion are all wonderful entertainment, but most target an Adult audience. Street performers, Ferris Wheels, candy floss, puppets, rides and swings for our pre-teens. But what do we have to provide entertainment for the all too often neglected teenage population?
Well that question has just been answered. Stewarded by SaAdy Knights Promotions, a group of young people have put their heads together and come up with an event to entertain our forgotten teens during the festival. Hopefully bringing a unity and parity to the town and its people during the event. What so many are crying out for is a Victorian Festival that caters for all generations, if this happens, what could possibly be perceived as a fading celebration will be reignited by the townsfolk themselves. Everything is now in place to put on a one-day music spectacular in the Rock Park during the upcoming Silver Jubilee Victorian Festival. 10 local bands, the PA, the stewards, the staging and the enthusiasm are all confirmed. The swarming music loving crowds will be guaranteed. Rock in the Park….”A Glimpse into the future” is ready to Roll. Some of the best talent in Mid Wales will perform in the natural beauty of the park on the 26th August from 12.00noon until 11.00pm. How fitting that the one thing that made this town a Mecca for thousands of Victorians in the 19th Century and truly put it on the map, its Spa, will be the very place that the current generation get to express themselves.
Together SaAdy Knights Promotions and youngsters from the town have done well to obtain the best equipment to put on the event. The awkward and time-consuming process of obtaining a licence has been completed successfully. However, in order for things to run as safely as possible the help of professionals will be needed. The only thing left now is the need to raise money to cover costs and ensure their hard work will come to fruition, and not just become another “It was a good idea…but…”. They have already written to many businesses in Llandrindod to help them acquire the necessary funds and are hopeful that some may see this as a golden opportunity to give young people a stage on which to perform. If all goes well they will continue to seek suitable venues across Radnorshire in which to promote their music. Throughout the rest of the year it is hoped they can utilise the Llandrindod Bandstand and Amphitheatre for similar events, as both seem to be underused for the purpose they were built. It is also hoped that next year the “Rock in the Park” event can take an official place in the programme of the Victorian festival and continue as a showcase for local bands as well as a signal to young people that this is “your festival too”. Anybody who is willing to help by giving a donation to this extremely exciting project please contact Kevin Martin by Email Kev2012@gmail.com. Who will point you the way of Ady Hill of ShAdy Knights Promotions.
Already confirmed to perform at Rock in the Park is Last Chance For Day. The Screamo outfit were the recent headline act when the Montpellier Hotel once again hosted one of its now famous music evenings. The venue is affectionately referred to as “The Monty Basement” and is located to the rear of the Hotel. With its own bar separate from the main hotel it is a darkened paradise for musicians to perform. This would be a fitting time to give a word of note to the proprietor of this fine establishment, Graham Middleton. If it weren’t for the reasonable fee charged to rent the basement, and Graham’s liberal view regarding noise, then this would simply be another venue out of music’s reach. As it is, this has become the total opposite. A wide spectrum of bands and musicians regularly use the facilities and always they are the hosts of an enjoyable and entertainment filled night. Friday 21st of July was a Hardcore, Screamo and Metal kind of evening. To kick the tempo up a notch were the first band to perform, the aptly named Seven Head Scream, who hail from Llandrindod. The Monty was shaking from the foundations up, and the crowds descended into the basement, paid their modest entrance fee, and then let the performers do their stuff. Seven Head Scream did exactly what their name suggests, scream! With a curious furrow of the brow it was only five heads that I counted on stage, but we’ll not hold this blatant false advertising against the band as they deftly thrashed out track after track.
Interestingly the small mountain town of Talgarth sits in the shadow of the Black Mountains, lurking in this shadow you have A Tragedy in Progress, not literally, but in the form of four guys who have picked that name for their Post Hardcore band! It was these entertaining performers who graced the basement stage next. Again it was high tempo Screamo, but also an added synthesised element gave this band their own uniqueness, particularly in the track One Guy, Two Girls, I Like The Odds. Lead singer Ki Picton donned some interesting body art, and he growled and screamed with worrying ferocity, but for me it was Andrew Graham’s synthesised sample mastering which made this band stand out. The only slight negative of the performance was the mobility of the band, who at times looked statuesque. But musically and technically they couldn’t be faulted and seem sure to go places.
Something that further highlighted the mobility issue of A Tragedy in Progress was the fact they performed directly before Last Chance For Day. When you have an energised James Cox to contend with maybe they can’t be blamed for looking statuesque. Mr Cox roamed around the basement like a demented dog looking for a bone that simply didn’t exist. He was everywhere, his energy spread to the audience, who also started to roam and before long you had a merge of band and crowd that made the Last Chance For Day set fly by. Ropes of Water is a quality track where Sam Steele gets to show off the fact he is a bass playing extraordinaire. “Alone with the screaming”, how true, Last Chance For Day really did send the audience wild. But it was not just the Mighty Monty that felt the LCFD factor. Last Chance For Day have just completed a monster tour that took them to Wrexham, Wakefield, Manchester, Taunton and concluded in England’s capital, London, where I hear the accommodation was first class, venue a beauty and the LCFD brand spread all the way to the steps of the Queen Victoria Memorial! The Monty Basement performance was sandwiched between two other gigs. But that didn’t stop the band from delivering another headline grabbing and thoroughly enjoyable set. Reputation successfully enhanced! The line-up was completed by Pilot the Skies, who sight one of their influences as the Channel 4 News Team, it is no surprise therefore that their hottest track was called Mortal Kombat! Pilot the Skies looked the part, were very skilled in their deliverance of a screaming, all action and totally fitting finale to the evening. More bands will be filling the Monty Basement in the future, but I can’t imagine them taking it on such a macabre tour of music!
Another band in action on Friday 21st of July were The Hostages, who rocked The Groe in Rhayader. And Rhayader Football Club was the venue for the following days gig, which gained widespread acclaim. It was also where they first unleashed a new cover of The Automatic track, Monster. The next Hostages gig will see the official unveiling of Simon Boss-Johnson’s change of hairstyle, rumour has it that his signature fiery locks have been removed in a moment of makeover madness! And finally, a massive thank you should go to Ady Hill of ShAdy Knights Promotions for providing a vast chunk of information that has appeared in this review. We continually appreciate her pictures of events and gigs, her passion for helping others and drive in wanting to move Mid Wales music to the next level is a joy to behold.
Copyright of Kevin Martin 2006
Published in the Brecon & Radnor Express 2nd August 2006
Post Edited By Kev2012, Jul/30/2006, 11:36 pm
|
|
Jul/30/2006, 11:35 pm
|
|
Powered by AkBBS 0.9.5b - Link to us
- Blogs
- Hall of Honour
- Chat
Click here to get your own free message board
|
****Copyright 2004-2007****
All stories, articles, pictures and posts on this site are the copyright of the author (unless stated otherwise). If you wish to reuse any material that falls under the aforementioned categories, and reuse away from the forum/website, please seek written permission from the author beforehand. By agreeing to post your stories, articles, pictures and general writings on this forum, you agree that FWU Forum can showcase your stories, poems, articles, pictures and posts on its website/forum indefinitely.
|
|
