Unsigned Bands
Hi everyone!
Article last updated 4th October 2009.
We’ve been getting a few requests from people after information about getting their (unsigned) band onto the Leeds Festival line up. So whilst it’s no big deal for me to continue sending personal responses, I think it’s much more useful if I posted a page up on here.
Basically, you have a few main options available to you.
- Futuresound Competition
- BBC Introducing (and Raw Talent in Yorkshire)
- Other Opportunities
Please note: we are in no way associated with the selection of unsigned bands for Leeds Festival.
Futuresound Competition
Futuresound run the gig nights at the Cockpit venue in Leeds, as well as promoting one-off gigs at other venues around the city, such as Leeds Metropolitan University and Brudenell Social Club.
For many years now – since the days of the festival being held at Temple Newsam – the Futuresound team have been able to offer SIX festival places to local (West Yorkshire) bands.
In the early days, these slots were in the Comedy Tent (now called the Alternative Stage), although the more recent introduction in 2006 of a dedicated Unsigned Stage (now called the BBC Introducing Stage) has seen the Futuresound winners relocate to a more appropriate stage at the heart of the arena site.
The overall Futuresound winner is rewarded with a slot on the Carling Stage (now called the Festival Republic Stage).
Since the festival in 2008, the six bands also get to appear at the Reading Festival.
Futuresound select the six bands by way of an annual summer BOTB at the Cockpit in the city centre. They will expect to receive between 200-300 applications from which they will select THIRTY bands to take part in the BOTB.
And it is the winning six, selected from these thirty, that will play at the Leeds Festival. The selection process is made by a panel of music industry judges.
Summary:
- Locality: bands from West Yorkshire only
- When to look for further announcements: end April / early May (watch Leeds Music Scene)
- Applications are usually accepted until late May / early June
- Band selection: mid June
- BOTB: late June and throughout July at the Cockpit
- Winners announced: August
BBC Introducing & BBC Raw Talent
When the Unsigned Stage was originally revealed in 2006, its selections were made by a combination of BBC Raw Talent (radio show), the Sandman Magazine and the stage’s sponsors TopMan. The breakdown was roughly 12 / 12 / 2 respectively.
The BBC Raw Talent is a radio show across the Yorkshire regions, including the Humber area, that features a vast range of local talent, signed or otherwise. The presenter of the Raw Talent show – Alan Raw – was the Unsigned Stage compère (and still is today).
Sandman Magazine was a Sheffield-based monthly music paper that covered the North of the UK. Sadly, it shut its doors in early 2009 and is no longer involved in the selection of bands for the Reading and Leeds festivals.
After two years – in 2008 – the selection moved entirely over to the UK-wide BBC Introducing network. This coincided with the stage being re-branded as the BBC Introducing Stage, which was also set up to operate at the Reading Festival site and the ability for bands to play at both sites.
The downside of this expansion was that the opportunities for unsigned Leeds / Northern bands diminished with the slots at Leeds now available to bands from throughout the UK. The upside being that Leeds bands also got to play at Reading Festival.
The selection process is based on bands that have been featured or played a session on the BBC Introducing shows around the UK – so if you’re a Leeds band that is interested in playing at Leeds Festival your best bet is through the Raw Talent shows.
You should regularly tune into the show, get your material to them at any time of the year, be available for interviews and just, you know, be a good band!
If you are not from Leeds, then your best route will be via your local BBC radio station.
Summary:
- Available all year round.
- Upload your music to BBC Introducing
- Contact BBC Raw Talent or your local BBC radio network
Other Opportunities – Leeds 2010
At the time of writing we are aware of one other route to appearing on the BBC Introducing Stage at Leeds 2010. This was announced via an article on the Leeds Music Scene site.
This place is open to secondary school students in Leeds and is being run by the Martin House Children’s Hospice. Each school will host their own internal talent competition and the winning act will secure a place at the Centre Stage heats.
The Leeds band that is declared the ultimate winner will appear at the festival.
Interested? Check with your high school’s music department or your teachers for more details.
I hope this article has been of some use! Please feel free to post comments, updates, corrections.
And if you like this article please share it with others.
Stillpoint are a Northern Irish rock band based in Belfast, consisting of Dave McKendry (guitar, lead vocals), Jack Courtney (bass, vocals) and Will Woods (Drums, vocals).
Having received national air play on BBC Radio 1, the bands first single, White Bullet, boosted their profile to attract the attention of music magazines and blogs such as Thrash Hits, Molten Magazine, All Gone Pop etc.
To promote the release of their third single, Perfect Eyes and the Broken Mind, the band toured Ireland and with a UK tour booked for early 2012 (and a European tour to follow), Stillpoint have all six feet on the accelerator.
“[My Vitriol] mixed with a bit of Foo Fighters with a kind of Iron Maiden riff, what more do you want?”
Rory McConnell, BBC Radio 1 Introducing
“Epic sounding for a brand new act, we like their ambition.”
Rigsy, BBC Across The Line
In an awesome way, this Northern Irish trio sound a bit like they’re from ten years ago (Hundred Reasons, Hell Is For Heroes, Reuben, etc). Check them out.
Thrash Hits
http://www.facebook.com/stillpointofficial
e: [email protected]
http://stillpoint.bandcamp.com
Adam’s Apple started with a group of four friends from Barcelona playing for fun. In May 2010, they had a chance to play a concert in el Centre Cívic de Sarrià (Barcelona) and it started becoming more serious. A few months later they played in Razzmatazz (Barcelona) which opened a lot of doors for them. After that, they could take part in festivals and act in various concert halls such as Q3 and Valhalla Club de Rock (both in Barcelona).
They have recently recorded a rough cut with four songs entirely theirs and they are looking forward to sharing it with everyone.
Check us out http://soundcloud.com/adaams-apple and http://www.facebook.com/adams.apple4
Hi
Silhouettes are an unsigned band from Wolverhampton looking for bookings at UK festivals in 2012. Please see some info below about the band.
Silhouettes are a 4 piece unsigned indie/electronica band from Wolverhampton in the UK. Drawing on influences from the likes of Arcade Fire, DJ Shadow, M83 and Nick Cave, Silhouettes have melded a sound together that can be at one point heavy and aggressive then at another point sombre and brittle.
Silhouettes had a successful year in 2011. They released their debut EP to critical acclaim , reached the top 5 of the national Rock the House competition and completed a tour of the UK that included a headline slot at Love Music Hate Racism event at the Wolverhampton Civic Hall.
Currently recording their 2nd EP, Silhouettes intend to follow up their success with another tour of the UK including appearances at UK festivals, plus a first release on an independent record label.
Please check us out at http://silhouettesmusic.net/
music links: http://soundcloud.com/frozen-rope
Frozen Rope are a band who only know one gear…’balls to the wall’ when it comes to making or performing rock ‘n’ roll. Formed in early November 2010 with the sole purpose of bringing back an edgy hard rock sound to the sometimes predictable UK music scene.
With influences coming from the popular 90′s Grunge scene among other rock genres we began to create the music we love. We now have some great songs under our belt and plenty of successful gigs, including a great opening performance at INTRO festival 2011.
We released our first EP entitled ‘MR SCREAM’ in August 2011 for free download on FB, SoundCloud and MYSpace which http://www.croon.co.uk say:
“Best New Music (NY): ‘Mr Scream’, the debut EP from Frozen Rope is grunge revival at its best: http://www.croon.co.uk/best-new-music/frozen-rope—mr-scream-ep-review”
We plan to hit the studio again early in the new year to record a new 6 track EP for release around March 2012 at the latest.
All our tunes can be listened to and downloaded for free online at soundcloud.com/frozen-rope. Please have a listen and give us some support to get where we need to be.
Recently crowned winners of Teesside’s Ultimate battle of the Bands held in The Vault Stockton.
We plan to record 4 to 5 new tracks in the spring and also do a UK tour at some point in the near future folks to watch this space.
Hey, I’m part of a four piece Indie/Post punk band from Derbyshire called SidewinderZ. And we’ve done many gigs but would like to start playing bigger festivals.
http://www.sidewinderz-official.co.uk
http://soundcloud.com/search?q%5Bfulltext%5D=sidewinderz
cheers, Joe
SidewinderZ
Hi
we are Milestone Road a four piece AOR rock band based in the Lea village area of Birmingham.Been playing live together since the beginning of November & we are looking to get some festival experience
http://www.milestoneroad.co.uk
http://www.reverbnation.com/milestoneroad
Regards
Kevin from Milestone Road
soundcloud.com/newantiques
youtube.com/newantiques
http://www.facebook.com/pages/New-Antiques/302485116442499
Next big thing to come out of manchester x
#SoundCloud: http://soundcloud.com/stubblemelt/1-evil-insane
Hello we are an alternative rock band from Mexico city called LE BECS , this is our first album called DEPARTURES recorded in Mexico city and mastered in London UK by Simon Davey check us out at.
http://soundcloud.com/lebecs
http://listn.to/lebecs
Regards
Alan
Le Becs
We are ‘CodeOne’.. a Rock band Trio from (Cardiff, UK) that are looking for opportunities to perform our music and gain coverage.
visit;
http://www.codeone.co.nr
http://www.myspace.com/codeonewales
Regards,
CodeOne
http://www.facebook.com/soundofsirensuk
check those guys out it will be well worth your time & a slot at the festival :0)
hi i’m looking for some cd’s of local bands that can be used in catering/retail environment without incurring ppl / prs charges could you let me know if anyone knows of any ideally based in yorkshire but all considered
thanks
Fresh Alternative Rock band from Nottingham area.
Our first DemoListen EP recently released, have a listen on
http://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/demolisten-ep/id432991814?uo=4
http://www.myspace.com/bestservedchilledband / http://www.facebook.com/bestservedchilledband
Cheers,
Loggy – Best Served Chilled
There is an alternative way of getting a Leeds gig, pre Leeds Festival…apply to the fringe:
http://www.leedsfestivalfringe.org
ED SHEERAN!
Young upcoming indie band from Easingwold near York,Played various gigs in and around york,also played to 500 mods and rockers weekend in Brighton last year..Also featured numerous times on bbc york unsigned..Please check us out
http://www.myspace.com/newlawofficial
What makes you think that Hv ?
i think its a bit awful how only bands from leeds will play.
Check out our new indie mandrake and google: mandrakemanchester. Just recorded our debut album: ‘Glory Days’. Full album listing at: http://www.myspace.com/mandrakemanchester
young legionnaire, have seen them twice and the were awesome, also pulled apart by horses were playing, special gigs
http://www.facebook.com/SprayedAces
Check us out guys, straight up rock looking to secure a place with the Martin House hospice path to Leeds Fest.
Thanks
Jonny of Sprayed Aces
To whom it may concern.
Fast, technical, melodic skate punk band from York, UK called THE FEAR. Played various festivals before and looking to branch out into something bigger, toured west coast USA and more recently Europe with MXPX and Zebrahead. Please check us out http://www.soundofthefear.com / http://www.facebook.com/soundofthefear
Regards
Dave & THE FEAR