For further line-ups please see the appropriate Regional Mini-site here>>
Surface Unsigned Festival 2008 Text Voting
To vote for your favourite band simply text SURFACE followed by the number of the band (for example "SURFACE 002" or "SURFACE 040") to 83149. Please remember to include a space after SURFACE otherwise we will not be able to use your vote. All band numbers must contain three digits (i.e. 002).
10 (ten) pence from every text will go to Oxfam. Voting is available each day starting from February 01st 2008 until August 08th 2008. 16+. Texts cost £1.00 plus standard network charges. Please get permission from the bill payer. Customer services: info@surfaceunsigned.co.uk or contact us on 0800 434 6076. Terms and conditions:surfaceunsigned.co.uk/termsandconditions
To find band numbers, results and write ups please check out the regional mini-site in your area: more>>
1st Stage of 2008 Festival: The first stage of the Surface Unsigned Festival has now successfully come to a close. We have witnessed the Creme de la Creme of unsigned music from across the UK. A big thank you to all bands that have taken part over the last two months in London, Brighton, Birmingham, Manchester and Leeds. The second stage of the Festival starts on the 11th May.
Industry guests in the first stage of the Festival have included BBC Radio 1, BBC Radio WM, Alan Mcgee Management, Surface Management, Dirty Pretty Things, Kerrang Radio, Flat Cap Promotions, Equator Music, XFM Radio, The Fly, NME, The Great Escape Festival, MAS Records (Robert Plant) and more individual A & R.
Oxjam!! The Surface Unsigned Festival has teamed up with Oxfam.
We will be donating 10 (ten) pence from every text to Oxfam. We are doing this by making our event an Oxjam event!! For more information on Oxfam please see their website: www.oxfam.org.uk/oxjam
Music Live @ N.E.C. 2008
Surface Unsigned has teamed up with Music Live to give a chosen National Final band the opportunity of playing the main stage at the N.E.C. (National Exhibition Centre) at Europe’s largest music event. The chosen band will perform in front of thousands of people which will include fans, music celebrities: Duff McKagan (Guns N' Roses, Velvet Revolver), Dave Kushner (Velvet Revolver), Kerry King (Slayer), Roy Mayorga (Stone Sour), journalists and trade manufactures. more>>
Industry Showcases
In a bid to give unsigned artists in this years Surface Unsigned Festival the best possible opportunity to get noticed we are holding private industry showcases for bands that really impress!! These showcases will be attended by live music venue owners, promoters, band / artist management companies, record company A & R and journalists from across the U.K. We are holding our showcases at the main stage in Birmingham’s JJM Studios complex. For more details check out the website: www.jjmstudios.co.uk
Win a pair of tickets to the National Showcase We are giving you the chance to win a pair of V.I.P. tickets to this year's National Showcase at the Birmingham Academy 1 on 13th September 2008. The Showcase will feature the 14 bands from across the U.K. that have shown they have what takes to be the headliners of tomorrow. To enter simply tell us who won the Surface Unsigned Festival 2007 last year. Was it:
1) The Brascoes
2) Regis
3) Clout
To enter simply text SHOWCASE followed by your answer (1, 2 or 3) to 83149. Please remember to include a space after SHOWCASE otherwise we will not be able to use your vote. The vote will close at 12.00pm on 10th September 2008 and the winner contacted via phone. 16+. Texts cost £1.00 plus standard network charges. Please get permission from the bill payer. Customer services: info@surfaceunsigned.co.uk or contact us on 0800 434 6076.
Industry Panel
The Surface Unsigned Festival is the only national live music event that brings unsigned bands and artists to the attention of all aspects of the music industry. Our sponsors, venues, equipment, organisation and industry contacts are something we are extremely proud of. Our industry panel is headed up by Jon Brookes, the founding member and drummer of ‘The Charlatans’. Since forming the world-famous band ‘The Charlatans’ in 1989, Jon Brookes and his band have released 14 albums and 31 singles. In 1990 the band put their first single, ‘Indian Rope’, out on their own label Dead Dead Good records and promptly sold 20,000 copies, which is enough to get a number one even nowadays! Soon after, they were snapped up by Beggars Banquet. Since then The Charlatans have released a series of enormously successful albums. Instead of releasing their latest album ‘You Cross My Path’ through a record company, as one would have done traditionally, they instead have decided to sign an exclusive deal with Xfm to give away their album as a free download at www.xfm.co.uk, along with exclusive interviews with the band and Alan McGee management. As well as still going strong with the Charlatans (their upcoming UK tour has already sold out) Jon Brookes has been busy drumming on some Chemical Brothers tracks and is also working as a band manager, managing unsigned bands.
As well as an industry showcase our sponsors are on hand to award the best bands endorsements, prizes and recording time. In 2008 every band in the National Showcase will receive the following: 5 x sets of D’Addario XL strings, 2 x sets of D’Addario Bass strings, Planet Waves S.O.S. Guitar Tuner, Planet Waves S.O.S. Bass Tuner, 2 x Planet Waves Instrument Cables, Planet Waves Capo, Evans Tom Pack (3 tom heads), Evans Snare Head, Evans Drum Key. There are prizes from Marshall, PMT, Dawsons, Univibe Audio, Zildjian and Kerrang on offer also. The total prize fund totals tens of thousands of pounds. There will also be cash sponsorship for the best 4 bands from the Surface Unsigned Festival.
Surface Unsigned has teamed up with Music Live to give a chosen National Final band the opportunity of playing the main stage at the N.E.C. (National Exhibition Centre) at Europe’s largest music event. The winning band will perform in front of thousands of people which will include fans, music celebrities: Duff McKagan (Guns N' Roses, Velvet Revolver), Dave Kushner (Velvet Revolver), Kerry King (Slayer), Roy Mayorga (Stone Sour), journalists and trade manufactures.
Surface Unsigned Sign Up
Due to the very high amounts of applications we receive each year, we strongly advise that your application form for the 2009 Festival reaches us by 30th November 2008. You can still apply after 30th November however we can't guarantee you will be vetted. As general guidance Surface Unsigned recommends you get your application to us as soon as possible, as the later you leave it the less chance you will have successfully gaining a place.
To apply to the Surface Unsigned Festival please click here.
The Surface Unsigned Magazine - its FREE!! Informing unsigned musicians about the constantly changing and ever-developing music industry, this FREE publication is being distributed in all rehearsal and recording complexes throughout the
UK
. You can also download a pdf version from the 'magazine' page. more>>
Industry relevance of Surface Unsigned The unsteady and unpredictable climate of the industry over the last ten years has allowed different forces to emerge in the techniques bands and artists can use to gain success and popularity. Many of these contemporary and digitally conceived methods have been overlooked by several of the large record companies. The price of ignorance is proving an expensive blunder; from simple self promotion of music to attempts to control copyrighted material, big labels are struggling to come to terms with the digital world. more>>
