The Shoots......don't eat and leave 'till you've heard them play

So there I was waitin' for the virtual postman 'cause I was promised momentous news of gigantic proportions when bugger me but didn't this juicy piece of info find it's way in to me inbox.

 Dear Ralph

It’s been a busy week for The Shoots, we have booked ourselves into a recording studio to lay down our as yet untitled EP. We’ve also returned to Buffalo to play a midweek gig with some outstanding local bands (now I thought there's commitment flying out to America but it's a venue in Cardiff...so much for the rock n roll lifestyle). Now our attention focuses on The Surface Festival 2012. It’s a just over a week until The Shoots take to the stage at CF10, the Cardiff University showpiece Live Music Venue, to compete in The Welsh Final of The Surface Festival. 

It's a European wide battle of the bands where 20 cities host the various stages of the competition and out of thousands of bands 23 make it to the showpiece finale in the 02 Arena London. Thousands of entries have been received for the 2012 incarnation of Europe’s largest musical battle royal. Progression through each of the 5 stages of the competition 

depends on three voting totals made up of text, audience and judges; with the early stages also requiring band votes. Within Wales, only 8 bands remain, and one of these bands so happens to be us so I suppose the big question when we entered the competition was ‘what do we want out of it’. The answer to that question was very simple: more gigs, a chance to meet and interact with new bands, a chance to play bigger venues and more 

than anything else a chance to get our music heard. 

We didn’t know how far we would get or what to expect, 

but so far we have won each of the first two rounds and 

had an incredible time along the way. The final promises 

to be an outstanding opportunity exposure wise for the band, 

with the carrot of a gig in Brixton 02 Academy to follow where 

the judges will decide the line up for the 02 Final. Through the 

process the band have been amazed with the support received 

and the crowds and votes that have come in for each gig has 

been amazing. Whether we make it any further in the competition 

or not, to everyone that has and continues to support the band we 

just want to say a huge thank you. Progression in the competition 

will lead to more and more exposure for the band with media interest already starting to come through. Win lose or draw, the future is looking bright for us. If you want to support the band progress through The Surface Festival then please contact them on theshoots@ymail.com for details!


                 


As for this wee bit of musical niceness 'Barrel of the Gun', it's kinda The Buzzckocks meets The Rezillos (according to ma old man who happened to be passin' when I had it on) and it makes my head nod so I'm happy!


My advice to The Shoots is get youself together with a couple of other bands and come up to a venue in the North West like The Zoo Bar and make a name for yourself!  Their stylee would fit in nicely with the local scene here as there's a great love of Indie bands and there's an unsigned hole here now Slydigs are signed with Flicknife Records...hope to see you soon if those bastard bouncers would relax their No Jack Russell policy!

Keeno smashing it!!!!!

Voyley - Supersonic

And here's the guys givin' it some 

at one of the earlier stages of the competition.....press play now!!!

      


                                                      BIG BASS SOUNDS