Jump to content
aberdeen-music

goNORTH Deadline this Friday. Aberdeen bands, where are you?


Neil

Recommended Posts

The deadline to get demos in for goNORTH 2005 showcases is this Friday and we've had very little from the Aberdeen area. Surely there's some bands out there who are ready for it?

For those who don't know about it, goNORTH is a major music industry festival held in Aberdeen every year. It showcases the best new acts from the north and is very well attended by both members of the public and the music industry. There have been bands signed after each years showcases and its backed by Music Week, the industry newspaper, and almost all of the big labels. Every year there is a CD given out free in Music Week just before the festival on which a selection of the showcase bands are featured.

Bands have to put a demo pack into the box in One-Up Records before Friday 29th April and the festival organisers will contact the bands chosen to play at the showcases on 1st & 2nd June along various venues in Belmont Street. The showcases are all free to get in and have full PA and lighting systems installed. The demo packs should have TWO identical CDs, a biog and a photo. Make sure your contact details are on EVERYTHING you submit. If you think your band are happening and are ready to be showcased to the music industry, then get your demos into One-Up before Friday! This is your chance to show the music industry that they should be paying more attention!

By the way, we are also looking for the next generation. Younger bands who are not yet 14 to play some shows in Kef as part of the festival. Bands applying for these shows should mark this clearly on their application. If we give you a show that you are not allowed to play by the staff of the venue, you wont get paid!

Any questions, contact Dave Stewart directly or check out the website: www.events.info

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest Startex
how does the "panel" choose who plays??

Due to your usual standard of posts I'm not going to answer that or get into a stupid debate with you. Why not contact the goNORTH organisers as a whole by email instead?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Due to your usual standard of posts I'm not going to answer that or get into a stupid debate with you. Why not contact the goNORTH organisers as a whole by email instead?

I'm interested as well, actually.

Reason being? Something is in the works, and I'd like to know if GoNorth have a reliable way of deciding just who to pick so it can be copied ;)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest Mr Blastcap

as much as i admire the concept, i really cant see the point of this. its a bit gay really.

i promise next year i'm going to organise a go-fuck counter event!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest stuartmaxwell
Due to your usual standard of posts I'm not going to answer that or get into a stupid debate with you. Why not contact the goNORTH organisers as a whole by email instead?

whats the point in involving your panel if you are on it? surely you could just answer here and let everyone know what you judge on, surely that would ensure that bands could put the best entry they possibly can?

no abdn bands apply because they realise that GoNorth is an excuse

Im all for Go-Fuck!

SHIFT, Go-fuck! and GAVFEST, abdns premier festivals :D

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Maybe by vote' date=' or no that band is poop ? etc

:band:[/quote']

I'm sure it wouldn't just be on the sound of the band but maybe the bands age and/or playing potential.

I doubt it would be on vote as all GoNorth would just be an application judged in a Battle of the Bands form and we all know how unfair BOTB is to bands.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest Mr Blastcap

go north is a joke, its obvious. i'm sure dave thingy is a sound bloke, doing his best etc, (hur hur) but its still a joke. go north ? - why, its cold, free bar tab you say? now i'm interested!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I lost faith with Go North a long time ago I'm afraid.

I remember putting in an entry for Paravion one year. When they weren't announced I thought "What's the point?" They were an astounding band. I wish I can write music as well as they do one day.

I just thought it was weird. We would keep getting an email to enter for Go North each year, and after submitting a cd/biog/pictures etc we wouldn't get picked. You get a bit apathetic about the whole concept in the end really.

I'm not bitter though, just bemused by it all. I would be interested to find out how you pick the bands as well. I remember a friends group were asked to play one year when they haddn't even submitted an application....

Nevermind.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

we wouldn't get picked. You get a bit apathetic about the whole concept in the end really.

Perhaps this lack of being "picked" is a refelction of your bands talent or lack of it :D

sorry had to be said .

No really on a more positive not , do you not think that the guys who organise it get HUNDREDS of cd's/blog's etc and have to make a decision . (Fullstop)

I say well done guys at GoNorth for organising a damn good couple of days restpite from the monotomy of aberdeen life . :band:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Perhaps this lack of being "picked" is a refelction of your bands talent or lack of it :D

sorry had to be said .

No really on a more positive not ' date=' do you not think that the guys who organise it get HUNDREDS of cd's/blog's etc and have to make a decision . (Fullstop)

I say well done guys at GoNorth for organising a damn good couple of days restpite from the monotomy of aberdeen life . :band:[/quote']

To be honest, no I don't believe it was because my band lacked talent. We were good at what we did in my opinion, and were lucky enough to have gig goers who thought so too, (to the small degree you can get as an unsigned band in Aberdeen). It's obvious I'm going to say that though, eh, sonny? :cheers:

I just think it's strange if there's a shortage of Aberdeen bands applying. I'm intrigued to find out about the selection process. Is it defined by the popular tastes of the music industry? That was the impression I always got.

Just as a side note, I don't think it's right to brand GoNorth as "shite". Objectivity is the way for any journalist (but for many that's bollocks).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I just think it's strange if there's a shortage of Aberdeen bands applying. I'm intrigued to find out about the selection process. Is it defined by the popular tastes of the music industry? That was the impression I always got.

The impression I get as an outsider is that being from Aberdeen is a disadvantage when it comes to applying - it seems there's a lot of stuff put on from abroad "for the sake of it" as opposed to actually being any good.

In my opinion, they would be far better served by having so many guaranteed slots for local bands and invite bands/people to apply for one of those slots - rather than having a mysterious selection process that the organisers refuse to elaborate on.

Surely the best of Aberdeen deserves to be showcased if Aberdeen is hosting it? Virtually any international festival will have a display of home talent, regardless of what it is.

Anyone remeber how many Scottish bands played GoNorth last year?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

the impression I always got from the first few years of go north was that it was decided by a panel who gets to play.

I also remember every year (this was when dos dedos were still on the go and we practiced at the foyer, so were haning around when Dave was gearing up for it every year) that they were screaming for Aberdeen bands to apply and every year hardly any did.

Go North is an industry festival remember. It's there to expose acts from all over the north (not just Aberdeen) to an industry that rarely bothers to get out there and look on it's own. It's primary aim isn't to put on the same local acts to the same local fans, that these venues see every week of every month. It's main aim is to give a small boost up to acts that the organisers think are ready to make that leap onto the next rung of the ladder.

That's how I've always understood it anyway.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I also remember every year (this was when dos dedos were still on the go and we practiced at the foyer' date=' so were haning around when Dave was gearing up for it every year) that they were screaming for Aberdeen bands to apply and every year hardly any did.

Go North is an industry festival remember. It's main aim is to give a small boost up to acts that the organisers think are ready to make that leap onto the next rung of the ladder.

That's how I've always understood it anyway.[/quote']good stuff :up:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Terance: It's cool, no offence taken. :)

Cloud: Agreed, maybe there should be a certain number of slots allocated to Aberdeen, then bands might feel there was more chance of playing and create a larger amount of interest, achieving a higher level of competition from local bands to enter. If bands knew of the specific number it would give a more tangible goal.

Chris: Yeah you're probably right, I guess the only thing I would question if that was the case, is what exactly defines a band to be seen as getting to that "next rung of the ladder". Then again you can apply that to many things both in and out with music and I'm probably being pedantic.

I'm always sceptical of the "industry", but that doesn't mean I believe goNorth is ill conceived and that a festival of its sort doesn't belong in Aberdeen.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest Mr Blastcap

ggofuuuuck.

to borrow a phrase from le peep ages ago, used to correct aidie nunn's criticisms of shellac and other "noise" bands, i firmly believe go north is gash because the panels "ears are painted on". ho ho. whats the deal with go north anyway, its just the same old shite in the same old venues. mind you i might go if drunk fux are playing, or then again possibly not as i have a cd player at home.

they should let me sort it out, i have excellent taste in music.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest
This topic is now closed to further replies.
×
×
  • Create New...