Rapture - Unknown Promotions, November 2003

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Unknown Promotions

	Unknown Promotions… Is a non-profit arts organisation promoting the work of unsigned and original artists. Bringing you news of all the latest musical happenings.
	NEWS, live review URBAN SWALLOW - We are sad to announce the demise of local legends US. After several years the boys have finally decided to call it a day, ending where it had begun with a packed out and emotional show in Bognor's Cheers Bar. US have been stalwarts of the Rox Festivals and have won the approval of crowds nationwide with their accomplished brand of piano led indie rock, the big breakthrough their music perhaps deserved remaining tantalisingly just out of reach. We wish Oli, Joel, Martin and Nathan all the best and thanks for the memories ROX FORUM - With the development of our new website still not complete, we have now arranged with The Rox Organisation to present a new discussion Forum on the The-Rox.com website. Here we will post reviews of CDs and gigs and hold interviews with local bands to which you can add your comments and ask your own questions NEW BANDS : KILL KENADA and GRRZLY are two more local bands who look set to make waves in the forthcoming months. The former have already been receiving video rotation on national satelllite networks and Grrzly have an album forthcoming on Holiphonic records - we will hopefully have reviews of both here shortly NEW YEAR GIVEAWAYS To celebrate our year long association with the wonderful Rapture magazine we are giving away 10 free copies of the 20 track compilation CD 'Origin Unknown' to Rapture readers. Simply email matt@unknownuk.com with 'Rapture Competition' in the title and your address and we will send the lucky winners a copy direct to their doorstep. Happy New Year!
	LIVE REVIEW, news Unknown Promotions Music Round Up By the time you read this, the winners of Airtight Studios and Kaos Promotions Battle of the Bands 2003 will have been decided. The competition began back in June, with bands from Southampton, Portsmouth, Brighton, Chichester and Bognor all involved. The bands were marked on Originality, Performance and Crowd Reaction by a number of Judges who are all involved in the local music scene - including Spirit FM, Rapture Magazine, Unknown Promotions, Cut & Groove Mastering House, The Rox Organisation, VIP Vinyl and others. There were a wide variety of bands on show and throughout the competition the quality has been very high. The bands have been whittled down to a final four - here is the cream of the crop:
	TICKLE THE PICKLE - The Pickles are one of the funkiest bands currently working on the South Coast. Led by Hammond Organ supremo Tim Hudson and ably backed by a variety of local musicians they tickled the crowd with an infectious and lighthearted groove. Wah Wah guitars, bouncy bass and plenty of percussion take you back in time to when flares were wide and afros were big - the essence of their sound captured in their cover of the Starsky and Hutch theme. They are not the most original of bands but the word on the street is that they score highly on performance and always get the crowd going.
	THE JOIN - At the opposite end of the spectrum are space rockers the Join. They were formed especially for this competition when Grifter where unable to fill their slot and represent something of a local supergroup with members of Grifter, Space Baby, Stone Cold, Cutlass and the Funkologists coming together to play a semi improvised psychedelic rock. What they lack in polish they make up for with daring and innovation - their sets taking the audience on a spaced out journey through sound. Underpinned by rock solid bass and drums, swirling keyboards and saxophones take on powerful guitars and with wild frontmen Tim Fox and Max Black leading the way its like a crazed Status Quo from a parallel dimension.
	IDESYNE - A four piece from Basingstoke whose talent belies their tender years. Winners of last years Teenage Rox competition the band have eagerly accepted the opportunity to hone their skills on the vibrant South Coast scene. They are accomplished musicians who put together a competent solid rock sound somewhere between Weezer and Nirvana, it is particularly pleasing that they strive for their own identity, playing all their own material rather than relying on standard covers. Exposure at this level will only serve to improve their confidence and experience and they will only get better and better - ones for the future.
	AUBREY LEMMON - The demise of Urban Swallow has allowed this Chichester based 3 piece to replace them in the final. They play an indie power pop that takes inspiration from the Beatles and the Who and comes across in the Stereophonics / Manic Street Preachers mould. They are no doubt one of the hardest working bands in the area and are dedicated to achieving success - they recently completed a tour of secondary schools in Sunderland in the build up to the release of their debut national single 'What In The World'. They are not the most exciting or original of bands but are one of the most polished and together - the Keith Moon style drumming of Jimi Roman is something to look out for. "Jimi, surely speaking for all bands involved, said that 'he was delighted to be involved in the final, and thought that the competition had been a real boost to the local scene and extremely well run by Airtight Studios' (creep)"
	Full results to be announced in the next issue - with a special feature on the winners - watch this space!
	Further news and reviews can be found at Unknownuk.com. The reviews and news can be discussed at the newly established ‘unknownpromotions’ yahoo group - http://uk.groups.yahoo.com/group/unknownpromotions - where you can also vote for your favourite band at Rox 2003. Until next time, …and more musical news and reviews……rock on Send any news, gig dates/event details or cd's to: – contact matt@unknownuk.com