KLAUS SAYS BUY THE RECORD CLINCHES RED STRIPE TITLE
The UK’s widest search for the best unsigned talent came to a climax on 12th May as four bands played for their chance to secure slots at three major festivals and win their very own tour bus.
The winning band, Brighton-based
Klaus Says By The Record, was named as the winner of the
Red Stripe Music Award (RSMA) and has just three days to get ready for his first major gig at The Great Escape Festival where he will be playing alongside
Joe Lean and the Jing Jang Jong and
One Night Only at the
Red Stripe stage at the Brighton Coalition.
Playing to a packed Kentish Town Forum, the three other bands in the running for the award and long-term support from
Red Stripe were
The Down and Outs from Glasgow,
Kiddo from Edinburgh and
O Fracas from Leeds. Over 1,000 bands entered
RSMA and after 50 gigs across the country and an A&R process, the bands were whittled down to the final four.
The bands got their first taste of playing alongside a major band as
Dirty Pretty Things headlined the
RSMA final. The judges included
Music Week’s talent editor,
Stuart Clark,
Oli Hodgson from
Coda,
Will Kinsman from
The Fly and
Paul Noble from
Normal Management, an artist management company.
Following his win,
Jon Klaus from
Klaus Says Buy The Record said:
“It was a surreal day. I've been gigging quite a bit since November, but never really had the chance to play anywhere special...or at least somewhere that holds more than 50 people! The whole experience really got my heart beating. The other three finalists were great. They all had what it took to win. I think an advantage I had was that I was probably the odd one out as I didn t sound anything like the other bands! It could have gone any way. Either I won or got laughed off stage.”
Jonny Kirkham, one of the guys behind
Red Stripe, added:
“Any band that is starting out needs as much help as they can get, and as Red Stripe has been working in and around music for nearly 40 years, it is only right that we try to help local scenes develop. This isn’t some rubbish battle of the bands competition. It s an award that concludes 52 local showcases of the best unsigned talent out there, and we’re proud to be able to give something back to bands fans by putting on this amazing show last night (12th May).”
Red Stripe has enjoyed a long and rich history with music. Where there have been guitars and the will to rock n roll, there has been the obligatory can of
Red Stripe. From
The Clash to
Oasis to
The View, British bands have worn their association with the Jamaican lager like a badge of honour, flaunting it on magazine covers and even on their own sleeve notes. Distributed through great live music venues,
Red Stripe is name checked by bands like the
Kaiser Chiefs and
Massive Attack, and is requested at album launches by artists themselves.
Klaus Says Buy The Record was awarded the prize by last year’s winners,
The Runners, who are already making headway in the industry. After winning the award last May, they have since released their first two singles, have toured throughout Europe and have played sets on
Steve Lamacq’s Radio 1 show. Lead singer,
Gus Cox says:
“The last year has been manic. We've been touring all over the place, played gigs to thousands of people and appeared on Radio 1. Red Stripe has really helped us out, not just by providing cans of the stuff, but by actually helping us to realise our dream. Winning the Red Stripe Music Award has opened so many doors for us that just wouldn't have been possible.”
Klaus Says Buy The Record will play The Great Escape in Brighton (15-17 May), Lovebox Weekender (19-20 July), headline the second stage at Blissfields, and has also won his very own tour bus to keep.
RSMA has doubled in size last year and the 2009 award is set to be even bigger. With the money can’t buy prize of exposure to key members of the music industry plus the slots at major festivals, bands can start applying in September this year at
www.redstripe.net
www.redstripemusicaward.com
www.youtube.com/RedStripeMusicAward
www.myspace.com/redstripemusicaward
