HERE ARE THE ROCK MATRIX MAIN HEADLINES THIS WEEK
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MONDAY 10 MAY and BEYOND
BAND QUEST / UNIFIED SOUNDS EVENTS
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10/05/10 - Dish The Dirt
Acts playing: SPLINTERED SOUL, TRAINING ICARUS, MISCONDUCTERS + 1 more TBC
Venue: Dirty South, Lee, London
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10/05/10 - Live At The Lion
Acts playing: OXIDE, EMBRYON, MUDSTONE
Venue: Red Lion, Gravesend, Kent
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23/05/10 - Band Quest 2010: Kent Alternative Final
Acts playing: KYOTO DRIVE (special guest headliners), IN THE RED (2009 Band Quest winners - guests), COLT.44, CITIES FALL SILENT, TRASH MONROE, THIS BLANK PAGE, STRANGERS LANE, THE GRAFTERS, THE CONSPIRACY THEORY, EVERYONE'S STRAIGHT BUT KATE, ESCAPE FROM ALCATRAZ
Venue: Bull n Vic, Dartford, Kent
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30/05/10 - Band Quest 2010: Kent Metal Final
Acts playing: MAIN STAGE - DENOUNCE (Cutting Edge guest headliners), CURSED AS ANGELS, ZOCALO, CALLOUS, SANITY BURNS, KILL THE MACHINE, KARYBDIS, SPLINTERED SOUL, SEVEN, INNER FIRE, TRAINING ICARUS
SECOND STAGE - SANCTORUM (Cutting Edge guest headliners), INTO EXILE, AVENGE THEE + NAIME, 2ND2NONE, MISTIKSIN
Venue: Red Lion, Gravesend, Kent
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31/05/10 - Band Quest 2010: Essex Metal Final
Acts playing: MAIN STAGE - FOREVER NEVER (Very special guest headliners), SILENT DESCENT (Cutting Edge guests), NEAR DEATH EXPERIMENT, ECHOES FALL, THE FURIOUS HORDE, SILAS, BRUTAI, ERADICATION, IONISE, SNAKE EYES, MERCILESS FAIL
SECOND STAGE - KILLING WITH STYLE (Guest headliners), METAL CROSS, DISMANIBUS, SILICONE BULLET
Venue: Edge Bar, Romford, Essex
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For those with no access to Facebook all the above events and more can be seen in the eventmatrix gig guide.
MONDAY 10 MAY and BEYOND
SELECTED EVENTS BY OTHERS
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21/05/10 - Redeemer Club
Acts playing: DJ 69, THE MERCY HOUSE, NIGHT BY NIGHT + more
Venue: Scala, Kings Cross, London
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23/05/10 - Bulletfest 3 (London Metal Fest)
Acts playing: MAN OF KIN, 9BLIND, KARYBDIS, MAXDMYZ, AFTER DEATH, GLASS ARTERY, HOSTILE THEORY, PHYREXIA
Venue: Scala, Kings Cross, London
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03/06/10 - METABOLIC - PRE DOWNLOAD PARTY: 3rd night of New Massive Monthly Rock Night
DJs spinning: TBC
After the success of the first 2 events Metabolic is back on THURSDAY 3RD JUNE for its third instalment.
Venue: Ivory Lounge, Bexleyheath
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13/08/10 to 15/08/10 - Bloodstock Open Air
Acts playing: BAND QUEST BLOODSTOCK METAL TO MASSES WINNERS FOR KENT + ESSEX, SNAKEBITE, TWISTED SISTER, CHILDREN OF BODOM, FEAR FACTORY, BLOODBATH, DEVIN TOWNSEND, CANNIBAL CORPSE, BEHEMOTH, OBITUARY, KORPIKLANNI, DORO, GOJIRA, SONATA ARCTICA, EDGUY, GWAR, GORGOROTH, LEAVES EYES, SUFFOCATION, ROSS THE BOSS + many many more!
Venue: Catton Hall, Derby
Link to Eventmatrix event page
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NEEDED
Want to be in a band?
Click on image above to go to the Rock Matrix home page
Band: BAND NAME TBC
Need: VOCALIST
Details: Needs to be able to sing both clean vocals and some dirty metal growls! The band is based in Gravesend.
Contact: ryan_sedge@hotmail.co.uk or ring 07773240833
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Band: GHOST IN MIRRORS
Need: BASSIST
Details: Auditions end of may. Very good level of musicianship required. Preferably drives or at least has a license. Self motivated AND willing to help with promotion. Already one album out: ghost-in-mirrors-the-music. Tour in july. Album recording in winter 2010. Influences: king Crimson, genesis, tool, opeth, deftones, mars Volta, Bjork etc.
Contact: ghostinmirrors@hotmail.com or 07896 198 390
Link: Ghost In Mirrors myspace page
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Musician available: KEVIN EARDLEY
Plays: SINGER
Details: Classic rock singer looking to work with like minded musicians. Influences include everyone from Rush, AC/DC, Deep Purple to Mastodon, Alice In Chains and Dokken.
Contact: 07891584862
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Band: FARADAY CAGE
Need: BASSIST
Details: Influences include Radiohead, DJ Shadow, Aphex Twin, Nick Drake to Jeff Buckley. We are 15 going on 16 we would prefer our bassist to be 14-16 (maybe 17). We also want someone who is devoted to practice quite frequently. We are from Welling and Abbey Wood and would prefer our bassist to be from around those areas.
Contact: faradaycageband@hotmail.com
Link: Faraday Cage Rock Matrix profile
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Band: COMETH OF SOLACE
Need: DRUMMER
Contact: andylittlebritain@msn.com or ring 07941865704
Link: Cometh of Solace Rock Matrix profile
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Musician available: TOM FITZGERALD
Plays: MULTI-INSTRUMENTALIST / SONGWRITER
Details: Based in Dartford with own equipment and studio, looking for others. Influences: A Perfect Circle, Soundgarden, Tool, Muse, Radiohead etc.
Contact: ring 01322 284 009
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Musician available: DARREN HOLMES
Plays: SINGER
Contact: dareneholmes@hotmail.co.uk
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GIG REVIEW
Matron @ The Gaff - 25/04/10
The venue was great, dark and atmospheric, plush leather button backed sofas and sturdy tables at the back of the pub bring a totally different feel to the place for those who want to sit and chill out away from the bands and crowds and the odd game machine for the antisocial. However the venue was definitely more of a rockabilly pub than all out death and black metal venue.
Regurgitate Life (8/10):
The first act of the night, gigging as a one man mission armed with only an Ipod and a guitar, Sammy Urwin displays sheer death growls and a charming stage presence an average seventeen year old metal fan should not possess. This kid is so death metal he only had to say "I want to see you guys move!" to which the crowd obeyed, one man picking up a smaller man and hurling him into the wall, his fall saved only by the promoter who he nearly crushed.
Regurgitate Life pulls the ham strings on music reminiscent of death metal from Dying Fetus to Gorgoroth.
In fact the only thing missing was a whole live band. An interesting concept to do and he does it well.
Well performed, well produced, Sammy Urwin, an interesting future awaits you sir!
Basement Torture Killings B.T.K (8):
A well thought out concept for a band. A theatrical and enthusiastic serial killer themed performance. Each member appeared suitably odd, donning rather fetching cardigans and masks.
A very good stage presence and a fun band to watch. For those who like near indecipherable lyrics consisting of death grunts and throaty growls and a creepy backing tracks to add an eerie atmosphere between songs.
This band were very entertaining and they played very well. Pleasingly blending grindcore with a death metal edge.
Matron (10):
The main act for tonight started with a suitably dramatic entrance, dressed as surgeons in medical overalls swathed in blood and followed by their enchanting 'nurses' The Dead Sexy Dolls, singer James Griffiths is delivered to the stage by being dragged through the venue in a body bag.
Unfortunately it was a great shame that it wasn't a full line up as keyboardist Marcus Andreas Matusiak had rather impressively taken on the role of second guitarist for the night. Having listened to the demo it would have been even nice to have heard the keyboards live also. A symphonic part of melodic death metal is not something that should necessarily be compromised, as on the demo it added a something special to their atmosphere. Regrettably on this day the band were forced to compromise.
Despite not being a full line up they performed extremely well given that they were lacking a member. This comeback gig had certainly provided the audience with all they had come for and more. A very clean sound and tight competent performance featuring some horrific gruelling vocals and some awesome duelling guitar solos set to scorch the eyes of their beholders.
The final song of the evening, the Dead Sexy Dolls came back and rocked out at the front of the stage prompting people to join in. Once it was all over, I for one hoped for an encore and I know I wasn't the only one in the audience who wanted more. Longer set next time please guys!
Review by Lucinda Dunn
PERFORMANCE REVIEW
Foxfest (Nocturnal Dance) @ Fox and Firkin - 02/05/10
Foxfest is an annual event that has occurred over recent years, growing in popularity and with fewer hitches each year. Running as smoothly as clockwork this weekend, only minor tremors in the path as too much lighting blinded the audience, sound wasn’t brilliant for the bands on the small stage and the fog machine was set to overkill. Other than that, it went very well and the Fox team should be very proud.
As in previous years the place was rammed this year however was a lot more laid back, still buzzing but not bursting at the seams, and none of that unfriendly "no you can’t come in until someone else leaves", which has happened to me on two occasions. The seating was arranged in a much better fashion, allowing people to move around freely and the place had recently been redecorated. This was definitely the most pleasant Foxfest so far.
A host to numerous acts, today I came to see the Nocturnal Dance girls shake their stuff. Amy Morgan, Vicky Sims and Siobhan Maguire opened the performance with a bouncy and down right cool set of choreographed moves to Jimi Hendrix "Cross Town Traffic" which blended nicely into a remixed version of the Korn song "Good God". The girls triumphed considering one of the girls had only five days to rehearse.
Followed by an outstanding performance from Bride of Bloodshed, performing to Marilyn Manson "Mister Superstar." Sadly though the lights behind The Bride were blinding and the front of the audience had to shield their eyes with their forearm and the crowd further back couldn’t see a thing. However what you could see was a beautifully passionate and poetic gothic style solo performance featuring themes of blood sacrifice and self harm.
The act that stole the show was the Nocturnal Dance version of The Rocky Horror Picture Show. An accurate re-enactment to "Sweet Transvestite." A brilliant performance by all taking part, Andrew Bond took on the role as Dr. Frank N. Furter, adding his own uniqueness to the part, he acted wonderfully right down to the shock-tactic finale of an intimate kiss between Andrew Bond and Shaun Grimsley, who played the role of Brad Majors.
Another fantastic performance starred Lily Laurmurs in a solo burlesque performance, she very professionally performed a sexy routine to a jazzy showgirl tune, enchanting all with her lovely smile among other things.
The Nocturnal Dance girls have done it again and excelled themselves on this second venture and even the punks in the audience were overheard saying "I really enjoyed that." Everyone was entertained, and the Nocturnal Dance girls had nothing but praise.
10/10
Review by Lucinda Dunn
METAL BLADE NEWS
AS I LAY DYING post studio videos 3 and 4 for The Powerless Rise!
Click on image above to go to the Metal Blade myspace page
Become a fan of Metal Blade on Facebbok
Click on band links below for info:
San Diego Metal Champions AS I LAY DYING have posted two more studio videos in the making of the new album The Powerless Rise! Surf over to www.metalblade.tv to check them out!
The Powerless Rise marks the follow-up to the band's critically acclaimed fourth album An Ocean Between Us (Metal Blade) which debuted at #8 on the Billboard Top 200 and #1 on the Rock Chart, earning the group a Grammy nomination for "Best Metal Performance" alongside metal heavyweights Slayer and King Diamond. For the new album, the group re-teamed with producer Adam Dutkiewicz of Killswitch Engage and mixer Colin Richardson who they'd previously worked with on An Ocean Between Us.
AS I LAY DYING have confirmed a couple of more festival and club shows.
LOCAL ALTERNATIVE MODEL NEWS
Ultra Vixen!
Click on image above to go to the Wink Hall profile page
Click on band links below for info:
Local alternative model Wink Hall is an Ultra Vixen for Bizarre Mag in issue 163! But it doesn't stop there.
Every month you must vote for your favourite ultra vixen to go through to fight for the honour of being crowned the ultimate Ultra Vixen of 2010! Plus, the winner will grace a special subscribers' cover of Bizarre!
Wink Hall says "this is something i've aways wanted beyond everything."
All you have to do to support Wink is to email the name GothicarnieWink to Vixenvotes@dennis.co.uk or text it to 82189*
*Texts cost 25p
LOCAL PHOTOGRAPHY NEWS
Jolie snaps!
Click on image above to go to the Jolie Swannack Photography website
Click on links below for info:
Local photographer Jolie Swannack has covered tons of this years Band Quest events. View just some of her photos here:
JOLIE SWANNACK PHOTOGRAPHY MYSPACE
FESTIVAL NEWS
Heaven & Hell cancel European dates!
Click on image above to go to the Heaven & Hell myspace page
Click on band links below for info:
Metal Legends Heaven & Hell have announced the cancellation of all planned appearances this summer in the UK and Europe, including their headline set at BLOODSTOCK's 10th anniversary festival. The band have issued the following statement:
"We have to announce that all forthcoming Heaven & Hell European shows have been cancelled as sadly Ronnie isn’t well enough to tour this summer. We hope that everyone understands and want to thank fans and industry colleagues for their continuing support at this time." - Heaven & Hell - May 4th, 2010
LINKS AND EMAILS
Podcasts, Links, Video and Emails
VIDEOS OF THE WEEK:
NICKELBACK - This Afternoon video
HATEBREED - In Ashes They Shall Reap video
KARMA TO BURN - Waiting on the Western World video
SOULFLY - Rise of the Fallen video
PRIMORDIAL - All Empires Fall DVD trailer
JOB FOR A COWBOY - Ruination video
DONTWAITANIMATE - It can only get worse before it gets better polictical broadcast video
FAD GADGET - Collapsing New People video
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PODCASTS:
Bloodstock Metal 2 The Masses:
Each week keep up-to-date with the build up to Bloodstock.
Click here for Bloodstock Podcast
Amped Rock:
At Amped Rock Sky London and Tazz Sander source the world to bring you the best of the best, in rock and metal. If you want to know before everyone else, or just keen to open your mind to new music be sure to listen every month. From the biggest bands to the best of unsigned it's all here.
On the 1st of each month we will release the next episode, so don't miss out on the podcast that the bands themselves listen to. Subscribe, follow, facebook and more importantly listen!
www.ampedrock.com
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EMAILS:
Gig booking: annika@unifiedsounds.co.uk
Newsletter queries: alan@rockmatrix.co.uk
Reviews: alan@rockmatrix.co.uk
General: adam@unifiedsounds.co.uk
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LINKS:
Facebook group - Band Quest/Unified Sounds
www.myspace.com/rockmatrixpromotions
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