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Jonny, James Lumby
and James Smith started their gigging career as
Blind io when they played at the Roadhouse in
October 2000. "The opinions I have gained
from playing in the music venues in Manchester
such as the Roadhouse, are that they just don't
care about unsigned bands," Jonny said.
"The venues
don't vet the bands so on the night you play, you
could be a rock band playing with a jazz band.
Then the only people that are there to watch you
play are those that you bring down with you. The
rest of the crowd likes [for instance] jazz and
not rock so you don't create a following that way."
"Plus,"
Jonny added, "venues like the Roadhouse only
pay after you get, say, 30 people in. After that
you get maybe a pound out of every ticket sold.
In the end, it doesn't pay to gig in these types
of venue. The venues are keeping their heads
above water and this reflects the lack of general
support for unsigned scene.
So, where
does Blind io play?
"We became
involved with Alan Burton of 24-7 Band and Media
Management last summer, and he arranged for us to
play in the Universities," said Jonny.
"This is better for us, firstly because we
get paid for playing, and secondly we create more
of a following, more of a fanbase."
Blind io have spread
their music by playing in the Liverpool
University. "We have had interest from
Sheffield," said Jonny, "so we will be
playing there soon, and Leeds too. We want to do
a mini tour of the North West."
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When are the
next gigs?
Blind io don't have
any gigs scheduled at the present. "We don't
gig over the summer because all the students are
on holiday," explained Jonny. "When the
summer is over and the students are back in
Manchester, we're buzzing and ready to go."
What can be
expected at a Blind io gig?
"We put shows
on at our gigs at the Universities,"
declared Jonny. "We can't do this at venues
such as the Roadhouse, or Night & Day. There
you get a stage and that's it, whereas at the
Universities we have access to more equipment. We
always get engineers that care for sound and
lighting, which makes the quality of the gig
better. The sound is perfect at every gig and
this is reflected by the amount of people that
want to see us."
"And, our
fanbase is snowballing, which makes us able to
pick and choose which other bands we want to gig
with. In April 2003, we played on the same night
as the Hellacopters, who were supporting the
Datsuns."
"Nickleback had
record companies chasing them because of the
shows that they put on," said Jonny. "They
side stepped the system and we are going to do it
too."
Want to send Andrea
a message ? Email Andrea@ukevents.net
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