CLIC Battle of the Bands 2012
Three unsigned young Welsh bands will open for the likes of Razorlight, Skindred and Kids in Glass Houses next month, when the CLIConline / Merthyr Rock Battle of the Bands winners are decided at the contest’s final at Ebbw Vale Institute (EVi) this Friday 17 August.
Young people are also invited to help with promotion of the battle in exchange for free tickets to the final and the Merthyr Rock festival, which takes place from Friday 31 August to Sunday 2 September at Cyfarthfa Park, Merthyr Tydfil.
The battle takes place THIS FRIDAY at EVi, where the Best Unsigned Welsh Artist of 2012 will be decided. This is one gig you will not want to miss.
BOTB 2011
Last year’s battle saw Blaenau Gwent based winners Eric Unseen – who also walked away with a brand new Schecter guitar – open up the main stage on Saturday for headliners Ocean Colour Scene, while two runners-up played the second stage. This year’s winners can also look forward to a Dean DBZ guitar worth £900.
24-year-old Scott Williams from Eric Unseen said: “The advice we’d give to this year’s entrants is to just enjoy the experience of playing with other great local talent. It’s also a really good platform to get your music out to new people, and there is no other prize like it in Wales.
“To play alongside some of our musical heroes was an opportunity that never really happens and we’re all really appreciative and lucky to have been involved in the competition. We owe a lot to CLIConline for including us in last year’s BOTB, and we have built up a fan base just from opening Merthyr Rock.”
The Finalists
The Moonbirds
If you like bluesy/rock riffs with an almighty funky edge and acoustic driven rock songs with catchy melodies you'll be sure to love Merthyr four-piece The Moon Birds.
Man Of The Hour
Man of the Hour is a pop-punk band with a bite, hailing from the Welsh Valleys. Man Of The Hour experiment with elements of pop-punk from the various reincarnations of the genre over the years.
Paint Happy
The songs are guitar driven with strong melodies while remaining unique with a wide range of influences. Paint Happy are in the early stages and still open to a lot of experimentation with different genres and styles of music.
Rich Kinsey
Formed August 2011, Rich Kinsey and the Barroom Heroes are a new breed of acoustic/electro band. The band have since moved forward performing all over the country supporting artists as varied as the Blackout and Broken Vinyl Club. With an EP launch in March of 2012 the band started to reach new fans and new radio exposure, with airplay and live sessions being regularly aired.
Richkinseyandthebarroomheroes.bandzoogle.com
Charnel House
Melodic / Hardcore/Progressive five-piece from Cardiff.
Facebook.com/CharnelHouseOfficial
Ryan March
Bridgend based singer and songwiter.
Tone Damage
Five piece originals and cover band Tone Damage draw influence from numerous genres, bands and artists, with each member having different yet similar influences.
Facebook.com/pages/Tone-Damage/148309848546348
BittersweetByDesign
Five Piece rock band from Cardiff and Merthy have just started recording their first songs. Their first single is called "Anthem for the Underdog".
Facebook.com/BittersweetByDesign
BOTB Final & Merthyr Rock
While online voting has now finished, the battle is not yet over. Head on down to Ebbw Vale Institute THIS FRIDAY (17 August) to watch 8 of the best unsigned Welsh artists battle it out for the coveted BOTB crown.
DOORS: 18:30
FIRST ACT: 19:15
ENTRY: £3
Then follow the champions on to Merthyr Rock festival, which takes place from Friday 31 August to Sunday 2 September at Cyfarthfa Park, Merthyr Tydfil.
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Young people wishing to help promote the battle (such as flyering) in exchange for tickets should contact co-organisers ProMo-Cymru on 029 2046 2222 / julian@promo-cymru.org
