Bands Breaking Out Of Ireland - CLUAS Irish Indie Music

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Last Post 2/23/2005 5:48 PM by Norman Schwarzkopf

Bands Breaking Out Of Ireland

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Norman Schwarzkopf

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Posts:427

2/23/2005 5:48 PM
A very broad topic I know, but Im interested in different opinions on why so few Irish bands manage to get anywhere outside this country. My fairly ill-informed guess is that a) there's next to no media outlet (TV & radio) b) a lack of drive in many cases where bands & artists seem content to be local celebrities c) no Irish equivalent of NME hyping new bands, for better or worse. I'm pondering a project and I need opinions. Cheeerz

Gar

Veteran Member
Posts:1676

2/23/2005 6:08 PM
The media attention toward underground/unsigned acts in Ireland is very limited. Hotpress would be the biggest music magazine in this country and they usually only devote two pages to upcoming acts thus not really providing them with alot of coverage, especially since those pages are at the back of the magazine. The Ticket and Day & Night only really cover the bands when they do something big or get signed up. Gigsmart has long championed the unsigned process. And even here on Cluas, there has been alot of reviews and interviews with unsigned acts (some of which crop up every year in the end of year polls). Other newer magazines like Connected, Mongrel, Event Guide and Totally Dublin touch on the scene slightly. Basically there is a lack on concentration on the scene. It could be argued that there are not enough good bands out there for the mainstream to bother with the underground scene. Then again, it could be argued that there is. All a matter of preference and experience. Experience in the sense of people who actually know what type of bands are out there, what venues host these acts and if they offer anything different. I don't think Ireland needs an NME but a bit more coverage of unsigned acts would be a welcome feature in the mainstream media. Alison Curtis, Jenny Huston, John Walshe and Dave Hegarty all play unsigned bands on their radio shows so not much wrong there. Although I think the radio shows stay within a barrier of indie/rock aimed at a teenage audience. Donal Dineen and Rattlebag are usually on at times when alot of people can't tune in, but they are also good. A music talk show would be a good idea if it was handled well and incorporated various genres. Slowly but surely, there are more bands breaking out of Ireland. This is down to ambition, their talent and the fact that they are getting more professional. Alot of the bands who are launching themselves in the UK etc now have PR companies handling their affairs. This can be a bit of a pain, as some of them aren't very welcoming to freelance journalists and smaller publications (of course they will tell you differently). But the future does look bright for some acts: Republic Of Loose got some media attention in the UK last year, Jove, Hal, Wallmark, Mainline and La Rocca are all about to launch themselves beyond the Emerald Isle. So hopefully international media will pick up on them and realise that there are some really good bands in Ireland. Sorry for the rambling...hope it slightly answers your question

dope fiend

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Posts:78

2/23/2005 6:22 PM
lots of bands seem to get close. then get stuck in a rut or something and end up playing the tbmc as returning heros. when in fact they have done fk all. Why did damian Rice make it? I think the album had a good original sound ie diffrent type of song structures and chords that gave it a sound. it was obvious that this was not just another ct with a guitar. Even though he has milked it till the blood has run and deserves hate for this.

bonzo

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Posts:364

2/23/2005 6:51 PM
quote: Originally posted by Norman Schwarzkopf A very broad topic I know, but Im interested in different opinions on why so few Irish bands manage to get anywhere outside this country. My fairly ill-informed guess is that a) there's next to no media outlet (TV & radio) b) a lack of drive in many cases where bands & artists seem content to be local celebrities c) no Irish equivalent of NME hyping new bands, for better or worse. I'm pondering a project and I need opinions. Cheeerz (d) they are simply not good enough.

Gar

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Posts:1676

2/23/2005 6:56 PM
I'd disagree Bonzo. Many good bands out there.

Unicron

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Posts:1696

2/23/2005 7:24 PM
quote: Originally posted by dope fiend Why did damian Rice make it? Luck, in a number of areas: - Meeting Lisa Hannigan - His album falling into the right hands, he's got David Gray's management behind him, and most importantly that guy who hosts Morning Becomes Eclectic on KCRW in California started playing him, he nominated O for the shortlist award, which he subsequently won, which he ... it all just snowballed for him.

stroller

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Posts:576

2/23/2005 8:14 PM
One reason is that they don't spend long enough touring outside of Ireland. If you want to break America you're going to have to spend at least six months of the year touring and promoting yourself. That's how U2 did it back in the day. It's hard work been successful. Franz Ferdinand sold over three millions albums last year, the majority of which were outside of their home country but look at how many gigs, festivals, award shows, interviews, radio sessions and TV appearances they did. I can't think of any Irish band that works that hard. And why would you want to work that hard abroad when things are so cushy back home. It's awful hard on the old ego to go from being one of the biggest acts in your own country to being complete unknowns elsewhere. I'm sure Glen Hansard doesn’t get hassled for autographs when he's walking through the streets of NY but back here he can fill Morley Park. But then what's the point of touring abroad if you're pedalling inferior produce? Unfortunately there simply aren't enough decent bands in the country. Considering the population of our Island we should be producing a lot more quality acts then we currently are. Greater Manchester has a population of less then 2.5 million and in the last 25 years they've managed to come forward with The Smiths/Morrissey, The Stone Roses, The Buzzcocks, Joy Division/New Order, Doves, The Chemical Brothers, The Fall, The Charlatans, The Happy Mondays and Oasis. What have we produced? Mundy? He'd struggle to be successful as a busker in any other country. That's the problem with this country; we constantly drop our standards when we're dealing with our own. Have you ever seen the Frames get a better review than 3 stars in any magazine outside of Ireland? The reason that these bands are getting ignored elsewhere is because other countries aren't making allowances for them. The people who are writing for Mojo/Q/Uncut/NME/Word etc aren't afraid to give the likes of Paddy Casey an honest (i.e. bad) review because they're not afraid of bumping into him in Whelan’s the next night and having to explain themselves. Our standards are just too low. If you're an Irish teenager growing up listening to Tom Dunne and reading Hot Press the given belief is that if you make music as good as the Frames, Bell X1, David Kitt, Paddy Casey, Mundy, Gemma Hayes etc then you're up there with the best of them. You're not. You're languishing in the lower divisions of the world music scene. The media in this country should spend less time pushing mediocre domestic artists and more time pushing outstanding international ones. Then maybe our current batch of musicians would aim there sights (and there standards) a little higher and strive to make quality music that's good enough to succeed abroad.

Gar

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Posts:1676

2/23/2005 8:22 PM
Good points made Stroller. But there are some really good bands out there like the Redneck Manifesto who could make an impact internationally if their songs were maybe a little more radio friendly or their record company pushed touring, press etc in foreign lands.

Eoin

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Posts:174

2/23/2005 10:06 PM
I think we could in fact do with a paper/magazine on simuilar lines as the NME. ie. without the tabloid element and all the other bulls**t. I don't believe myself that it could be sucessful as a weekly venture, there really just isnt that big a sceane here and therefore not enough interest. But every two weeks like hotpress would be good. Like you say Gar, those 2 lousey pages towards the back of hotpress is just scandalous in my opinion.

Gar

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Posts:1676

2/23/2005 10:27 PM
Well as I said Gigsmart have done alot for unsigned bands in this country for a long time now. And they are expanding now into Loudmouth Magazine which should be out next month. So anyone who has a slight interest in Irish acts should maybe buy a copy of this magazine, if it is laid out well with interesting features in it.

dope fiend

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Posts:78

2/23/2005 10:53 PM
not many bands seem to have the balls to be really different or to go against the grain, which is how bands make it I think. Franz ferdinand wanted to make rock music you could dance to without digital help(no remixers,loops etc) and look were that got them. The rednecks and a few others stick thier necks out and get noticed. You dont have to be epic to make it.

Gar

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Posts:1676

2/23/2005 10:59 PM
No you don't have to be epic to make it but there are alot of bands who do things differently e.g. Republic Of Loose, Redneck Manifesto, Sack, The Chalets. Maybe we expect too much from these bands or not enough, maybe we (as a concious music alert people) expect bands to be fairly average - this might stem from the lack of great Irish bands recently or from the Irish attitude of never expecting too much success or praise. Think I'm rambling again so I'll just stop. Anyway, for a couple of decent acts on tomorrow night. Check out: Mighty Stef in Sugar Club Wallmark in Whelan's

bonzo

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Posts:364

2/24/2005 9:14 AM
quote: Originally posted by Gar I'd disagree Bonzo. Many good bands out there. There are but not good enough to make it outside of Ireland.

Mully

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Posts:849

2/24/2005 9:22 AM
quote: Originally posted by Gar Alison Curtis, Jenny Huston, John Walshe and Dave Hegarty all play unsigned bands on their radio shows so not much wrong there. Yes, There is. Its at 2o'c in the morning ! There is a good right up on the state of 2FM in the ticket last week http://www.ireland.com/theticket/articles/2005/0218/3543895871TKDISCONEW_A_A.html Basically saying how the just move the chairs around in the sitting room every so often (chairs being Ryan, Callaghan & Gogan ~ all old men, who with the exception of Big Larry, dont know exactly have their finger on the pulse of music) instead of trying something new. If the head of 2fm had so much faith in the new djs that get the night shift, why doesnt he give them an audience. The lack of Phantom has been a death knell for a lot of bands over the last few yrs, so fingers crossed that not too much changes when it kicks off in July.

Pilchard

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Posts:699

2/24/2005 9:26 AM
quote: Originally posted by Norman Schwarzkopf A very broad topic I know, but Im interested in different opinions on why so few Irish bands manage to get anywhere outside this country. My fairly ill-informed guess is that a) there's next to no media outlet (TV & radio) b) a lack of drive in many cases where bands & artists seem content to be local celebrities c) no Irish equivalent of NME hyping new bands, for better or worse. I'm pondering a project and I need opinions. Cheeerz A fantastic topic and again explains why i like spending quality posting time at cluas! Well, first lets disregard (a) and (c) - these are domestic issues which have no bearing whatsoever on what happens abroad. the irish music media has always been highly complacent and always (almost without exception) praise our own without ever pointing out their faults, filling nohoper bands heads with notions of grandeur. HP is the worst for this with their awful Demo Dips and industry features. a few journalists do call it like they see it but theyre always criticised for this - see anytime jim carroll in the irish times makes a point that no-one else is making about irish rock. we always like to praise our own so when one of our own says things we dont like to hear or read abour them, we turn on them, its the work ethic which does for irish rock every time. The irish bands who have made a decent impact (and I will define "impact" in this instance as having daytime radio play in foreign lands, having their videos played on TV and touring to crowds of 1000+ each night, which rules out the indie mob) have worked very very hard. We may not like them but Irish music abroad means The Corrs, The Cranberries, U2, Sinead O'Connor, Van Morrison and, most recently, Damien Rice. the likes of THe Thrills have not made as much of an impact abroad as their press here would lead u to believe - for all their high-profile tour supports and the like, they're not selling thousands of records or filling venues in europe and the US on their own. All of the irish acts who are having an impact abroad have one thing in common - they work very hard. its not really about the music, people, i'm afraid, it's about the work ethic. This work ethic means getting off your arse and touring touring touring touring touring touring touring until u are blue in the face. Ash spent 18 months touring the US between "free all angels" and the last album and theyre gone back for more. The Frames will spend 2005 touring abroad. The rest? They scuttle back home at the first sight of a bad review or an empty venue. Mundy, as someone else said, is a bad busker but he's also a lazy fk who is happy to sit on his 15k sales in ireland and not go any further. paddy casey will also come back home again with his tail between his legs after trying the UK and US. i know he's not irish but i would say that Josh Ritter will do very well in 2005/06 with his new release and of the new irish mob, declan o'rourke (whose music I detest) seems to have the potential to put in the hours abroad. similarly, if i bet on bands rather than greyhounds, i'd put a few euros on La Rocca who have signed a new deal with an interesting US record company Dangerbird headed by Air/Beck producer Tony Hoffer and who worked like dogs in 2004 touring to get there. Work, it's a four letter word to so many bands but it has to be done. Read any of the U2 biographies about their tours of the US in the early 1980s and see what they had to do. You have to go out there and tour like a motherfker. Play every gig. Shake every hand. Smile every day. Do the press. Dont complain. Dont whinge about missing your boyfriend/gilrfriend. Do not pine for a late pint at Whelans. Its why Irish bands down thru the years have failed so miserably abroad. just because a band call fill the TBMC with ex-girlfriends and drinking buddies doesnt mean they'll do well abroad. they have to go out there and work their fat asses off. in 2005, few bands can be really bothered to do that when they can sell 5-10k records at home and tour endlessly here on the back of that.

Vent My Spleen

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Posts:500

2/24/2005 9:42 AM
I think we also need to realise that in terms of buzz and hype about a band, Dublin/Ireland is a backwater. Think about the buzz there was about Rep of Loose going back a year. If they were based in an English city, they would have had a great deal of media attention. Right now, if you were serious about being successful in a band, I'd head for Glasgow or some other Dublin sized city over the pond. Going to England to tour is just not the way forward. The best was is to go there and 'own' a city. Also, whilst Pilchard is correct about hard work, many a good band has failed to generate interest outside of Ireland through the management having no clue about how to tour, promote and make ends meet outside of Ireland.

Pilchard

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Posts:699

2/24/2005 9:48 AM
quote: Originally posted by Vent My Spleen Also, whilst Pilchard is correct about hard work, many a good band has failed to generate interest outside of Ireland through the management having no clue about how to tour, promote and make ends meet outside of Ireland. yeah, good point but it also points to a band's failing - remember the band EMPLOY the manager and not the other way around. if your manager is clueless (and u will quickly find that out) show him or her the door. if u are a band with potential, u will have good international managers queueing up to work with u. the vast majority of irish managers are great at doing the things needed here - getting RMG to distribute your record, booking shows in Cork and Waterford etc, getting plays from Alison Curtis/Jenny Huston/John Creedon, getting reviews in HP - but are useless clueless brickies when they get on a plane or boat to leave the country. there are a handful of great irish managers - Paul McGuinness @ Principle and Ben Barrett (Damien Rice) come quickly to mind - but, like with everything, we're a small country and we only can produce a limited amount of any resource.

stroller

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2/24/2005 11:52 AM
quote: Originally posted by Vent My Spleen Think about the buzz there was about Rep of Loose going back a year. If they were based in an English city, they would have had a great deal of media attention. No they wouldn't. In any major English city the media are spoilt for choice when they choose which band they've going to lavish attention on. Why would they choose a bunch of 3rd rate FLC knock offs?

Vent My Spleen

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Posts:500

2/24/2005 12:07 PM
quote: No they wouldn't. In any major English city the media are spoilt for choice when they choose which band they've going to lavish attention on. Why would they choose a bunch of 3rd rate FLC knock offs? Maybe ROL was a bad example. The point was that if a band were to get a lot of attention in an English city, they would be on the radar of the music press whereas the same attention here counts for squat in the context of breaking out of Ireland. For example, if Snow Patrol were based in Dublin, I suspect they wouldn't be having the success they are now. (Bands mentioned are purely incidental)

mutch

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2/24/2005 12:09 PM
I think music quality is little to do with sucess, at least I hope not or otherwise Aslan are fantastic and better than, say, My Bloody Valentine!

Unicron

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2/24/2005 1:32 PM
I don't think that it's just down to putting in the work abroad, Bell X1 have spent a hell of a lot of time in the UK since Music In Mouth came out with little to show for it. Whether or not you think they're a good band or not (and I do) they are certainly better than Keane and Snow Patrol who you could lump them in with if you looked at the softer side of their material and those bands are doing very well for themselves.

Pilchard

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Posts:699

2/24/2005 1:54 PM
quote: Originally posted by Unicron I don't think that it's just down to putting in the work abroad, Bell X1 have spent a hell of a lot of time in the UK since Music In Mouth came out with little to show for it. Whether or not you think they're a good band or not (and I do) they are certainly better than Keane and Snow Patrol who you could lump them in with if you looked at the softer side of their material and those bands are doing very well for themselves. The UK is not the be-all and end-all of what lies outside ireland. if u look at a lot of the acts who've broken thru in the last 12-18 months - Coldplay, Franz Ferdinand, Snow Patrol, Damien Rice - their big break came in the US. Yes, selling a million copies in the UK is hard work. Selling a million in the US is even harder but it does set u up for a knock-on industry effect. Once an album starts to roll and breaks over a certain quantity of sales, it takes on a rollercaster effect (see norah jones, d rice etc) i'd say bellx1 themselves would agree that they have not worked really hard abroad yet, their 1st US dates come in mar at SXSW and NYC. they will say that the rec company didnt give them the cash to do those dates but that hasnt stopped a rake of acts going over to the US and giving it a go with no-one backing them. i dont want to slag Bellx1 cos i genuinely like them but i really hope that the game plan for their new album will see them spending v little time this year or next year in ireland. now, with all this talk of work, i had better do some myself

The_Thin_Man

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Posts:137

2/24/2005 2:45 PM
quote: Originally posted by mutch I think music quality is little to do with sucess, at least I hope not or otherwise Aslan are fantastic and better than, say, My Bloody Valentine! It would be nice if Aslan moved to a large English city. And stopped playing music.

bonzo

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Posts:364

2/24/2005 3:46 PM
quote: Originally posted by mutch I think music quality is little to do with sucess, at least I hope not or otherwise Aslan are fantastic and better than, say, My Bloody Valentine! Quality of the music, attitude, energy, image and the x factor are what will help you break outside Ireland. You need heaps of ambition and I just don't think there are many bands that have that. The reality is for a band to make it outside Ireland the A & R kids of UK music companies will have to come to Ireland and be blown away, not just by a band but by the attitude of the band and the energy around them. The most anticipated gig recently in Dublin - Bloc Party - Irish? No. Theres no one band here that when you go and see them as a complete outsider you'd be blown away by them. We like them because its the Irish scene. Anyway, its good that some opinions are being aired on this topic.

Pilchard

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Posts:699

2/24/2005 4:29 PM
quote: Originally posted by Mully quote: Originally posted by Gar Alison Curtis, Jenny Huston, John Walshe and Dave Hegarty all play unsigned bands on their radio shows so not much wrong there. Yes, There is. Its at 2o'c in the morning ! There is a good right up on the state of 2FM in the ticket last week http://www.ireland.com/theticket/articles/2005/0218/3543895871TKDISCONEW_A_A.html Basically saying how the just move the chairs around in the sitting room every so often (chairs being Ryan, Callaghan & Gogan ~ all old men, who with the exception of Big Larry, dont know exactly have their finger on the pulse of music) instead of trying something new. If the head of 2fm had so much faith in the new djs that get the night shift, why doesnt he give them an audience. The lack of Phantom has been a death knell for a lot of bands over the last few yrs, so fingers crossed that not too much changes when it kicks off in July. thats a very good piece alright mully, thanks for telling us about it and yes, i hope phantom makes a big decent impact. the fact that they have their heads down and are working away on stuff for the summer launch instead of giving big puffy interviews about how great they are fills me with great hope. i think Phantom will change when it comes back but it will be changes for the better - more professional presentation, tighter productions but the same 100 percent alternative/Irish music mix.

Norman Schwarzkopf

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Posts:427

2/24/2005 4:39 PM
Thanks for all the thoughts! Some good stuff. The laziness factor was something I had considered but was afraid to mention it for fear of having my head bitten off. I have a friend in a band (they shall remain nameless - they begin with "The") that are good musicians and have had some very good reviews for their EP but play so few gigs, it's laughable. When I talk to any of them, theyre so laid back about the whole thing it boggles my mind. It's easy, I suppose, to ponce around Dublin acting cool and confident rather than having the balls to risk total failure by going for it 100%. It's a very Irish thing to have the piss taken out of you for "getting above yourself". I can't think of a big Irish media success, music or otherwise, that hasn't been derided. The Thrills (as much as I hate them) got flack for ignoring the Dublin scene and heading straight to London. A great idea would be a low budget Jools Holland type show on Irish TV, like a televised Hard Working Class Heroes gig....

Unicron

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Posts:1696

2/24/2005 6:30 PM
quote: Originally posted by Pilchard The UK is not the be-all and end-all of what lies outside ireland. if u look at a lot of the acts who've broken thru in the last 12-18 months - Coldplay, Franz Ferdinand, Snow Patrol, Damien Rice - their big break came in the US. Yes, selling a million copies in the UK is hard work. Selling a million in the US is even harder but it does set u up for a knock-on industry effect. Once an album starts to roll and breaks over a certain quantity of sales, it takes on a rollercaster effect (see norah jones, d rice etc) i'd say bellx1 themselves would agree that they have not worked really hard abroad yet, their 1st US dates come in mar at SXSW and NYC. they will say that the rec company didnt give them the cash to do those dates but that hasnt stopped a rake of acts going over to the US and giving it a go with no-one backing them. i dont want to slag Bellx1 cos i genuinely like them but i really hope that the game plan for their new album will see them spending v little time this year or next year in ireland. Actually that is a really good point about the UK not being the be all and end all, but it is a major market thats close by and naturally the one that people would think of trying to tackle first. I interviewed Paul Noonan last September and he seemed to think that the band put in a good bit of work abroad in 2004. Just being pedantic but this years SXSW will be their second appearence in the US, they opened for Damien Rice at a gig in New York last year. They were supposed to play last years SXSW but one of the band needed an operation and they were forced to pull out. I would agree that I'd like to see them play fewer gigs here in the next year and have a real go of it abroad (if nothing else it would save me a few quid as I go to pretty much every one of their gigs in Dublin), to that end I hope they're viewing the proceeds of their very extensive Irish tour in April as a warchest to help finance that.

Pilchard

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Posts:699

2/25/2005 9:49 AM
quote: Originally posted by Unicron I interviewed Paul Noonan last September and he seemed to think that the band put in a good bit of work abroad in 2004. Just being pedantic but this years SXSW will be their second appearence in the US, they opened for Damien Rice at a gig in New York last year. They were supposed to play last years SXSW but one of the band needed an operation and they were forced to pull out. one gig in new york does not make a US campaign!!! this has been the problem with irish bands since time begun - head to the east coast, do a few shows in NYC and boston and think that's america ticked off. BellX1 have the potential to do very well in the US - i hope they have the energy, commitment, self-belief and lack of ties to home to work their asses off during both coasts and the flyover country inbetween

Unicron

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Posts:1696

2/25/2005 6:00 PM
quote: Originally posted by Pilchard one gig in new york does not make a US campaign!!! this has been the problem with irish bands since time begun - head to the east coast, do a few shows in NYC and boston and think that's america ticked off. BellX1 have the potential to do very well in the US - i hope they have the energy, commitment, self-belief and lack of ties to home to work their asses off during both coasts and the flyover country inbetween You're right of course, I didn't mean to imply that opening one show for an old mate of theirs constitutes an assault on the US, was just (pedantically) correctly one small inaccuracy in what you wrote (I'm really sorry, it's an illness). You mentioned that they were playing in new york next month while they're over for SXSW. Got any details? I know people (non-Irish ones at that) over there that would like to go to that.

dope fiend

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Posts:78

2/26/2005 1:53 AM
who honestly do you think deserves to make it?

stroller

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Posts:576

2/26/2005 2:21 AM
If BellX1 are going to make it big anywhere they'll need more than just a hectic touring and promotional schedule. They're going to need at least three tunes on their next album that'll make good catchy radio friendly singles. Tongue was way too long and had too many break downs and the levels on Snakes and Snakes were all over the place, it sounded like a rough demo. They'll need to pull their socks up but I reckon they're capable of doing it. I mean there was nothing on the first two Snow Patrol Patrol albums to suggest that they were ever going to be big and look at them now. All they needed was one good single with loads of studio trickery that they're hopelessly incapable of re-producing live (Spitting Games) and two other ones that were inferior rip-offs of other people's hits, for Run see Coldplay's Yellow and for Chocolate see Dove's Pounding. So If Bell X1 can rope in Jacknife Lee to make one single that's cracking and two songs that sound like half arsed versions of say.....This Years Love by David Gray and Everybody’s Changing by Keane, then the UK and beyond will be theirs for the taking.

Una

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Posts:1721

2/27/2005 5:36 PM
It's simple; those good enough break out in some manner.

MarkO

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Posts:93

3/16/2005 12:27 PM
I'm a bit late to the discussion but for bands to break, they need to tour. The only Irish band of the last decade or so that I know of that toured/tours a lot is The Frames. I've seen them 7 times in the last 3yrs or so, only one of those times was in Ireland. They play a LOT over here and not in big places either. None of their shows has been over 500 people AFAIK and most of those are Irish. Will they break 'big' ? I don't think so as they just dont seem to fit in with whats 'cool' over here but I keep hope.

sweetie

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Posts:132

3/16/2005 2:13 PM
As far as I know, a major aspect of breaking the states (or UK) apart from hype, which will only get gigs in the major cities, is getting on a tour with a major player in those markets. The irish managers/record labels might not have the kudos or contacts to acheive this or the bands themselves may be turning down tours because they are too strenuous or the band they are supporting aren't cool enough. I think bellx1 had major hopes for their last album breaking abroad and were pinning alot on 'eve..' making a splash across the pond. I've read that they are getting a song on the new Orange County (The OC) soundtrack and that will be a help although mundy didn't make much inroads from the romeo and juliet st back in the day. I've heard that the new bellx1 album will be released in the summer and the material has taken a talking heads direction.

stroller

Advanced Member
Posts:576

3/16/2005 2:38 PM
quote: Originally posted by MarkO The only Irish band of the last decade or so that I know of that toured/tours a lot is The Frames. What about the Sawdoctors? After they finished their first album back in the early 90s they decided to tour the states. When they inquired about the costs of launching a promotional campaign for a nation wide tour they were quoted crazy money. So instead they took out an advert in every regional paper in Ieland. They gave a full list of American dates and they asked readers to contact any friends or relatives that they had in the cities and tell them to go to the gigs. Apparently every date on the tour sold out.

MarkO

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3/17/2005 7:07 AM
Good point, I forgot about The Sawdoctors.

Pilchard

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Posts:699

3/17/2005 3:29 PM
quote: Originally posted by MarkO Good point, I forgot about The Sawdoctors. i wish i could forget about the sawdoctors.......

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