METAL TO THE MASSES HEATS UP!
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RESULTS FOR SUNDAY 13 APRIL – Alternative Semi-Final

1ST – DIRTY SAM

2ND – ELEPHANT HEAD

3RD – P.O.S.51

RESULTS FOR MONDAY 14 APRIL – Metal to the Masses

1ST – DENOUNCE

2ND – FISTFUL OF NOTHING

3RD – JON COOPER

RESULTS FOR TUESDAY 15 APRIL – Alternative Semi-Final

1ST – CODES IN THE CLOUDS

2ND – TOKYO JOE

3RD – MDMA

Sarah from the 103.7 TGR Sound TakeOver Show speaks to the winners of the heats at the Drayman and the Bull and Vic. Tune in to hear exclusive interviews and tracks from bands playing the Darbex Band Quest on 103.7FM and at www.tgrsound.co.uk.

Sponsors:

DINGO JACKS MUSIC STORE | ELEPHANT MUSIC | DOGHOUSE MUSIC | ROADRUNNER RECORDS UK | MEDIA SOURCING | VICTORY RECORDS | DEMOLITION RECORDS

Partners:

BLOODSTOCK-METAL TO THE MASSES | ORE NET SERVICES | JIGGA JAM STUDIOS

Support from:

TGR 103.7FM | NEWSSHOPPER | BEXLEY COUNCIL | KN MEGA PIX | RICHARD MORRIS PHOTOGRAPHY

Hard touring rockers VOID ILLUSION play in Bexleyheath for the first time as part of a European tour while CITIZEN X hope to unleash some post-punk mayhem! COME HOME RICK are also on the bill. DJ LIFEGUARD BUNNY keeps the party going between bands.

Darbex Band Quest – Alternative at The Drayman in Bexleyheath every Monday. £2.00 for loyalty card holders – £3.00 for everyone else.

PLEASE NOTE: The Drayman is over 18s for Darbex Band Quest – Alternative.

What track would you really like to hear played by the DJs at the Drayman on Sunday? – Email us a request now!

The last of the heats before the next semi-final promises to be very close indeed. Local goth-metal favourites LUNTARA are back in the live arena. They come up against sluggers SEVEN YEAR KISMET who seem to tour for fun while Kent hardcore mob CIRCLE OF RAGE will not be there to make up the numbers. DJ GAMBLIN keeps the world metal between bands.

Without Remorse and Silent Descent are through to the final. Two more places are up for grabs! Follow the music, the drama and excitement at the Drayman every Monday to see who will grace the stage at the Bloodstock Open Air Festival in August.

Darbex Band Quest – Metal to the Masses at The Drayman in Bexleyheath every Monday. £2.00 for loyalty card holders – £3.00 for everyone else.

PLEASE NOTE: The Drayman is over 18s for Darbex Band Quest – Metal to the Masses.

What track would you really like to hear played by the DJs at the Drayman on Monday? – Email us a request now!

The Darbex Band Quest comes to Dartford. Indie kids HAZY SHADE are up against melodic rockers STRANGEDAY. Pop punkers SOUTH SIDE HEROES are also on the bill.

Darbex Band Quest – Alternative at the Bull and Vic every Tuesday.

£2.00 for loyalty card holders – £3.00 for everyone else.

WIN £20 bar tab at Bull n Vic each Tuesday if you are Loyalty Card Holder.

What track would you really like to hear played by the DJs at the Bull n Vic? – Email us a request now!

The Noisegate at the The Drayman in Bexleyheath every Thursday.

ROOM 1 – ALTA-SCOPE will concentrate on the lighter and eclectic side of the alternative music spectrum.

ROOM 2 – RUNNING WITH THE DEVIL will side with the heavier, sleazier, gothy and more extreme side!!

2 Pool Tables

Projection Screens, Lighting, Effects!

7pm-Midnight –The whole night (Lower Floor) and upstairs (8pm-11.30pm)

BBQ and Patio (on the warm nights) or stating subject to weather

Drinks Promo's inc, Vodka and Red Bull Mix £3, Fosters, Becks, Stella, Strongbow and selected house Spirits with Mixer £2.50, and '2 for 1 cocktails £5/£6 + More!

Staffed Door!

Special Promotional Feature Nights, with free stuff and Brand New Music!

Over 18's ID Essential

No entry after 11pm

FREE entry for loyalty card holders – £1.00 for everyone else.

4 years and 9 months after starting the first Rock Night at the Kings Arms, we finally get a venue to give YOU what you wanted.

What track would you really like to hear played by the DJs at The Noisegate? – Email us a request now!

Bloodstock Open Air returns in 2008 and is set to be the biggest yet. Three days full of pure metal and a little bit more at Catton Hall!

The line–up is far from complete but here are the bands confirmed so far:

• NIGHTWISH
• OPETH
• EVILE
• DIMMU BORGIR
• ICED EARTH
• HELLOWEEN
• OVERKILL
• SOILWORK
• AT THE GATES
• PRIMAL FEAR
• TYR
• AS I LAY DYING
• ELUVEITIE
• COMMUNIC
• MOONSORROW
• SWALLOW THE SUN
• KATAKLYSM
• CLOUDSCAPE
• CROWNING GLORY
• MOB RULES
• SAINT DEAMON
• ALESTORM
• PRO-JEKT
• KELTIC JIHAD

For more information on the festival visit the Bloodstock website.

DENOUNCE
FISTFUL OF NOTHING
JON COOPER

Fistful of Nothing started things off and it was obvious immediately that the four members were stretching away from the prog-focused direction of their previous band Equinox. The opening track took some of the progressive elements but these were overlayed with growling vocals and powerful direct guitars. The best thing they have ever done. Second track was a step into a looser and more punky sound and this to suited them well. A sort of metal n roll if you will. The remainder of the set contained multiple influences ranging from blues to Israely extreme metal! This may be a band looking for direction but it is going to be interesting watching them evolve. (6.5/10)

Jon Cooper standing in for a Vialate (who were involved in a road accident on the way to the venue) did well entertaining the crowd with his usual brand of comedy music. (6/10)

If Denounce were favourites beforehand they were virtual certainties to progress now. Solid, powerful and energetic death metal delivered with such ferocity that the other semi-finalist are going to have to go some to beat them. (8/10)

Review by Alan

TOKYO JO
CODES IN THE CLOUDS
MDMA

Codes in the Clouds were on form tonight. A performance which was far improved from their previous two at this venue saw them take the crowd and twist them into all sorts of musical shapes. The order of songs was spot on, never allowing the crowd the tire of the vocaless attack. At times the pauses in the tracks seemed to make the silence speak before finally relenting and giving us musical relief. (7.5/10)

MDMA on the other hand never reached those heights. The mix of funky rap rock failed to ignite the crowd and to a certain extent they sounded like a band from the late nineties. (5.5/10)

Tokyo Jo took the funk and funked it up like the Chilis wished they could still do. While some of the songs were better than others the set was delivered by a professional and confident band who are fit to grace any stage in the local area. (7.5/10)

Review by Alan

Metal Hammer have just announced their nominations for their Golden Gods 2008 Awards extravaganza and both EVERY TIME I DIE and MAYLENE AND THE SONS OF DISASTER have been nominated.

This years bash takes place at The 02 Arena in London on June 16th.

Vote for Ferret bands for Metal Hammer Golden Gods Awards.

EVERY TIME I DIE have been nominated for BREAKTHROUGH ARTIST.

MAYLENE & THE SONS OF DISASTER are nominated in the BEST UNDERGROUND BAND section.

GO VOTE for these bands and you could win tickets to the Golden Gods 2008:
www.metalhammer.co.uk/gods/

Calling all Bands in South East! Darbex is still open! Massive £7000+ of prizes and huge exposure. Nothing to lose! read more....

With bands that have not paid their deposits and other that cannot play the dates left we have just a few places left on the Darbex Band Quest 'Elevation of Creation' competition and related activity (Scratch the surface compilation CD and Altascope Magazine).

If you are interested now.. please read over the details at this link and ask any questions through darbex@rockmatrix.co.uk, we are looking to cover from late March onwards 5 slots in Dartford and 5 more slots in bexleyheath. All we need is the form here completed and a £25 deposit (not a fee) to assure you of a place. The METAL section is closed so we are looking for Indie/Alt/Rock bands as well as acoustic acts to play in darbex between March 18 and May 7th (Heats).

The Prize fund is worth over £7000 now and we are looking to award 33 prizes for the 99 bands we are looking to take part, min prize value is £99 as it stands and the max £1000 CASH!! Prize list here.

We will launch - this week the scratch the surface CD - Your chance to have a professionally released CD with over 1000 copies bieng distributed throughout the South East and Industry from May onwards in 2008.

Further more.....We are putting out 3 magazines to maximise your chance of exposure for you band and activity, this is being worked on now!

Dont miss this once in a bands lifetime chance to utilise this promotional vehicle and get yourselves into the local and national papers and many event listings all handled by rock matrix through out this project.

What ya got to lose?

Adam

The Rock Matrix

If you want to help make this a massive success come to any of the 3 events this Sunday / Monday / Tuesday.

4 alternative bands needed – we need more bands to 'confirm' their intent to play.

We are doing this:

- 1x A Battle of the bands with a twist featuring show case events!
- 2x 20 track cds called 'scratch the surface' one heavy one light!
- 3x Magazine called Altascope, featuring all acts taking part and more!

We have now got 99 bands interested with 82 confirmed, so we are now taking on a reserve list and back up list in case any bands that have committed drop out or decide not to take part for what ever reason.

Therefore we ask 3 things of thee!

1. If you want to have a chance in taking part complete this application form
2. If you want to help make this a massive success come to any of the 3 launch events this Sunday 3rd/Monday 4th/Tuesday 5th – events are here: www.eventmatrix.co.uk/events/
3. Or just wish us well, this really could elevate bands form our local scene to something much more promising. Help by adding graphics to your site etc or reposting bulletins. Thanks for anything in advance.

We are deep in talks with festivals and promoters about getting our bands playing for them. We have £7000 of prizes already committed and 1 in 3 bands will win something.

There will be:

- 100 bands playing by the end of this comp
- 2 x 20 track cds launched to support the quest
- 3 Magazines called Altascope covering ALL local music activity
- Around 400 playing musicians and 100 professional people involved in making this work
- 45 events with over 6000 people attending
- 20,000 flyers hand to hand
- 500 posters
- 33 prizes worth over £7500
- Media, Radio, Record label support and coverage
- And a bucket loads of bloody great nights in good venues!

All further enquiries and questions will be answered only through darbex@rockmatrix.co.uk

PS. We would love to know if you are in a new band or have left a band we thought you may be in.

For FULL DETAILS see the full details blog.

FACEBOOK:

Facebook group - The Drayman - Noisegate! The New Night With All Alt+Rock+Metal

Facebook group - Rock Matrix

Facebook group - Darbex Band Quest

Facebook group - Rock Matrix Loyalty Card Holder

Facebook group - Rock Night Live

Facebook group - Metal Mondays

Facebook group - Bloodstock

MYSPACE:

www.myspace.com/rockmatrix

www.myspace.com/rockmatrixpromotions