Liverpool's GIT Award announces 2013 judging panel

BBC 6 Music presenter and son of the legendary John Peel, Tom Ravenscroft and the editor of rock and pop music bible Q Magazine, Liverpool-born Andrew Harrison will join the 12-strong judging panel.

The GIT Award, dubbed ‘the Scouse Mercury Prize’, launched its second annual outing in November after a hugely successful inaugural prize in 2012.

Tom and Andrew join 10 other respected industry experts to decide a winner for this pioneering award in April next year.

Returning to judge The GIT Award are Matt Wilkinson, NME's new music editor, Craig G Pennington, editor of Liverpool music magazine Bido Lito! and John Doran, editor of the music webzine The Quietus.

“Last year’s GIT Award helped to bring Liverpool’s music scene to national attention - I’m pleased to see it back this year and can’t wait to get involved again.” - NME

Other new judges for the GIT Award 2013 are David Lloyd, founder and editor of Liverpool culture blog Seven Streets, Clarry Mowforth, co-founder of Liverpool events and promotions company everisland, and Juice FM Deputy Programme Controller, Johnny Collins.

GIT Award organiser and Liverpool Echo journalist Peter Guy also takes a place on the 2013 judging panel, alongside Liverpool music promoter, Steve Miller, the man behind club night EVOL, and former music journalist Paul Rogers, who is head of content at Liverpool Football Club. Completing the judging line up is Yaw Owusu, music manager and chief executive of award-winning Liverpool youth culture company URBEATZ. 

GIT Award organiser Peter Guy said: "I'm thrilled with the judging panel for the GIT Award 2013. They represent the cornerstones of music on a national scale while their brands are respected throughout the world. The diversity of the Merseyside-based judges shows how communal the GIT Award has become in Liverpool, while those judges based around the country shows how respected, and how serious the industry considers new Liverpool music to be. It's shaping up to be a superb second year."

Launched in November 2011, The GIT award captured the music industry’s attention becoming the first regional award of its kind to champion new and emerging music.

Collaborating with over 80 companies from Merseyside and the national music industry, the Award showcased Liverpool’s rich musical diversity resulting in a showcase which captured the world's music press garnering coverage from the BBC, MTV, the national print and online press, the UK music industry and the cornerstones of Liverpool's media.

“The GIT Award 2012 was one of the highlights of the city’s musical calendar. It showed the strength of the Liverpool music offer, raised the profile of the city’s music scene, and attracted vast positive national coverage.” - Kevin McManus, Liverpool Vision

“Liverpool has long since stepped out of the huge shadow cast by the Beatles. It takes something as good as the GIT Award to let the rest of the country know and make them pay attention." - The Quietus.

Liverpool has long been considered a hotbed of musical talent and The GIT Award is committed to putting the city’s most innovative new bands and artists on the national and international stage.

Musicians, bands and creative types who would like to enter for this year’s prize are asked to send four tracks to getintothis@gmail.com or alternatively post to Peter Guy, The GIT Award, Liverpool Daily Post and ECHO, PO Box 48, Old Hall Street, Liverpool, L69 3EB.
Businesses who would like to get involved with the GIT Award can email getintothis@gmail.com for more information

Liverpool's GIT Award returns for 2013 after putting city's new music on national radar

‘Scouse Mercury Prize’ teams up with MOBO Award winner and former GIT Award nominee Esco Williams for November 16 launch party at Leaf’s Grey Space

Liverpool’s premier new music prize returns on Friday November 16 after the inaugural prize - widely considered as putting the city firmly back on the world’s music map – was hailed a huge success.

Launched in November 2011, The 2012 GIT Award, founded by Liverpool-based blog Getintothis, captured the music industry’s imagination. Dubbed the ‘Scouse Mercury Prize,’ The GIT Award became the first regional award of its kind to champion new and emerging music.

Collaborating with over 80 companies from Merseyside and the national music industry, the Award showcased Liverpool’s rich musical diversity, from the thriving hip hop scene to its electronica artists, from its long-established country and roots community to punk, folk and metal.

The result was a showcase which captured the world's music press garnering coverage from the BBC, MTV, the national print and online press, the UK music industry and the cornerstones of Liverpool's media.

Last year’s GIT Award helped to bring Liverpool’s music scene to national attention - I’m pleased to see it back this year and can’t wait to get involved again - NME.

The GIT Award - what a blast! A great way for a city bursting with talent to show off its wares and make sure it holds its crown as the most innovative and original musical conglomeration in the UK - The Guardian.

The 2013 award, which launches on 16 November this year, is no different. The GIT Award judges, which include The NME, The Quietus, Liverpool Football Club and the cornerstones of the Liverpool music and arts scene, will seek to find the very best new music emanating from within Merseyside’s melting pot of creativity.

For November’s launch organisers have teamed up with one of the big success stories of the first GIT Award, Esco Williams for the launch of his debut single The New Challenger.
 

Since his nomination, Toxteth-born Williams has gone from virtual unknown to a MOBO Award winner and for this year’s GIT Award launch organisers will host a special party in collaboration with Esco at Leaf's Grade II Listed Grey Space on Water Street in Liverpool city centre.

Peter Guy, Liverpool ECHO journalist and editor of Getintothis, said: “The GIT Award is once again open to all. I want the prize to appeal to everyone from bedroom musicians to those with record deals, all we’re asking is for Merseyside musicians to send us their four tracks and who knows who will make the shortlist this year.

“For November’s launch, we’ve teamed up with Esco Williams as he’s a fine example of what the GIT Award aims to do; champion new Liverpool music. Esco went from promising performer to capturing the national media's attention and now he’s won a MOBO Award. His story is mirrored by many of last year's nominees. Let’s hope this year’s GIT Award finds a few more hidden gems.”

Liverpool music lovers know their city is home to some of the finest creative talent in the world. However, eyes and ears elsewhere may need convincing. The inaugural GIT Award readdressed all that and returns for 2013 to build on this success.

Musicians, bands and creative types who would like to enter for this year’s prize are asked to send four tracks to getintothis@gmail.com or alternatively post to Peter Guy, The GIT Award, Liverpool Daily Post & ECHO, PO Box 48, Old Hall Street, Liverpool, L69 3EB.

Businesses who would like to get involved with the GIT Award can email getintothis@gmail.com for more information.

Closing date Spring 2013 with the overall winner of the GIT Award and Inspiration Award to be announced in April 2013.

Wet Nuns announce 'Throttle' Tour 2012

THIS FEBRUARY AND MARCH 2012! 
 

“Snarling, sweaty, boisterously hurling expletives at you like great big lumps of molten rock… ridiculously appealing” Clash Music 

“This totally rocks” NME Radar 

“Make sure you see this band as soon as you can” Musical Mathematics

“What’s a girl like me to expect from a Wet Nuns gig? I saw pictures of Terence crowd surfing on two people...” Toast Magazine 

It’s been a crazy start to 2012 for death-blues punk duo Wet Nuns. Named one of NME’s “Bands To Watch for 2012”, remixed by Arctic Monkeys’ Matt Helders, having the most watched video on NME.com on the day of its release, and performing with super-group Mister Heavenly for ATP, it seems like there’s no stopping WET NUNS right now. 

And now those red-necks from the deep South (of Yorkshire) are hitting the road on a mammoth 21-date tour this February and March.  

If you haven’t witnessed a Wet Nuns show yet, then you’ve missed something damn awe-inspiring. The two-piece from Sheffield have been blowing venues around the UK apart with their hell-bent explosion of songs about “women, death and beer”. 

Stomach-churning guitars and downright ugly drumming combine to produce the trademark modern lo-fi, blues-stoner-punk sound of Wet Nuns. While their recent single, ‘Heavens Below’ is everything you’ve come to expect from this big-riffing, crowd-surfing, cursing, rock duo.  

Tickets for the Throttle tour are available NOW from www.artistticket.com. Look out for the some exciting news on the release of the title track of the tour, ‘Throttle’, coming very soon!  

Wet Nuns single ‘Heaven’s Below’ is also available as a free download, along with a remix by Arctic Monkeys’ Matt Helders from www.wetnuns.com now. 

THE THROTTLE TOUR 2012;

10th Feb – LEEDS – Santiago’s

18th Feb – PRESTON – Mad Ferret

21st Feb – LONDON – Old Blue Last

24th Feb – BRIGHTON – Green Door Store

25th Feb – HASTINGS – Brass Monkey

28^th Feb – SOUTHAMPTON – Joiners

29^th Feb – LEICESTER – Soundhouse

01^st Mar – MANCHESTER – Trof

02^nd Mar – EDINBURGH – Electric Circus

03^rd Mar – GLASGOW – Berkley Suites

04^th Mar – DUNDEE – Reading Rooms

09^th Mar – LIVERPOOL – Shipping Forecast

10^th Mar – HULL – Fruit

16^th Mar – MILTON KEYNES – Sno! Bar

17^th Mar – BEDFORD – Esquires

21^st Mar – BRISTOL – Start The Bus

22^nd Mar – BATH – Moles

23^rd Mar – TRURO – Bunters

24^th Mar – ALDERSHOT – West End Centre

27^th Mar – YORK – Fibbers

29^th Mar – LONDON – Blues Kitchen 

Tickets available from www.artistticket.com 

WEBSITE / SOCIAL NETWORKS;

http://www.wetnuns.com

http://www.facebook.com/wetnuns

http://twitter.com/wetnuns

http://soundcloud.com/wet-nuns

http://www.wetnunssweetmerch.bigcartel.com

Getintothis Music Award judges announced

NME, LIVERPOOL FOOTBALL CLUB, VICE MAGAZINE AND MORE
LINED UP FOR GIT AWARD JUDGING PANEL

The Getintothis Award, the premier prize for the Merseyside music scene, has assembled a jury of high quality, highly experienced judges to find the best new sounds in the city.

But then, that’s only befitting an award with an excellent prize and which has been dubbed by the UK music press as 'the Scouse Mercury'.

For the inaugural GIT Award, top names from Liverpool Football Club, NME, Vice Magazine and The Guardian have teamed up with the cornerstones of the region's music scene to judge the finest recordings to be released on Merseyside within the last calendar year.

The winning artist will come from across the musical spectrum reflecting the city’s rich heritage in pop, rock and roll, country, dance, soul, hip hop and jazz plus all stops in between.

Experienced journalists and senior editorial figures from the national and music press make-up the panel and all have plenty of experience of the perennially fruitful melting pot of styles that is Liverpool music.

First up on the panel (in alphabetical order) is Joshua Burke co-founder of Liverpool lifestyle magazine Waxxx, journalist, film-maker and Vice Magazine's global editor Andy Capper and John Doran, editor of the music webzine The Quietus - winner of Record of the Day's 2011 Digital Publication.

The second trio of judges is led by the award’s founder Peter Guy, a journalist with the Liverpool Post and Echo and editor of Getintothis music blog which gives the prize its name. He is joined by Liverpool music promoter, Steve Miller, the man behind club night EVOL, and Paul Rogers, head of content at Liverpool Football Club, a former music journalist who has interviewed a diverse selection of artists including Public Enemy and Kylie Minogue.

The final trio of judges is Craig G Pennington, editor and publisher of Bido Lito! -the Liverpool music magazine, Alexandra Topping, a Skelmersdale-born journalist for the Guardian, who writes about everything from gang violence to pop music, and Matt Wilkinson, new music editor on Britain’s most influential pop music platform, NME.

They will decide who is deserving of an incredible prize which includes recording time at Liverpool studio Sandhills Studio and a showcase at this year’s Sound City and Liverpool Music Week. The winners will also play a gig at Vice Magazine’s London bar The Old Blue Last, as well as having a promo shot by Virgin Media Shorts filmmaker of the Year nominee Ian Gamester to be screened at FACT, the city’s art house cinema and creative technologies centre.

The 12 nominees on the short list will be announced in the coming months and the winner announced at an awards ceremony in April.

Artists can still enter the GIT Award by sending four tracks to getintothis@gmail.com or alternatively post to Peter Guy, The GIT Award, Liverpool Post & ECHO, PO Box 48, Old Hall Street, Liverpool, L693EB.

If you're a business and would like to get involved with the GIT Award, please email
peter.guy@liverpool.com

Editor’s Note
Judges’ biographies

Paul Rogers is Head of Content at Liverpool Football Club, overseeing the editorial direction of the club's website, TV, mobile and social media platforms. A former music journalist, he's interviewed a diverse collection of artists including REM, Public Enemy, Kylie Minogue and Radiohead.

Matt Wilkinson is NME's New Music Editor. He looks after the Radar section both in the magazine and online at NME.COM bringing new and unsigned acts to the fore. He also helps co-ordinate various NME live events and tours.

Andy Capper is global editor of Vice Magazine. Born in Southport, Capper has contributed to wide array of fields related to Vice, as well freelancing for The Guardian, Observer and NME. In recent times he has produced documentaries including Swansea Love Story and Beautiful Liverpool with Leo Leigh and as a part of Vice Records, Capper has released music by Fucked Up and the Black Lips.

Craig G Pennington is the Editor of Bido Lito! - The Liverpool Music Magazine. Since it emerged in May 2010, the magazine has established itself at the forefront of new music on Merseyside. Craig is also founder of independent label Dead Young Records and heads up the music programme at Liverpool's Static Gallery.

Joshua Burke is co-founder of Liverpool lifestyle magazine Waxxx. After living in a damp London flat, then a squat and then a campervan, he moved back to Liverpool to found and co-publish lifestyle and culture magazine Waxxx. With it's fresh approach, infamous house parties and spin-off events around the city, Waxxx has stamped itself at the forefront of the independent scene.

Steve Miller is Liverpool-based promoter behind EVOL. For eight years, Steve or 'Revo' as he is more popularly known, has showcased the cream of under the radar talent and blockbuster headliners. In 2008, Steve became the programmer for Liverpool Sound City festival, now in its fifth year. He has also booked the first multi-day Sound City festival in U.A.E. as well as the inaugural Tromso Sound City festival in Norway.

Peter Guy is a multi-media music and sports journalist at the Liverpool Post & Echo - and founder of the GIT Award. For the last five years Peter's blog, Getintothis, has charted the highs and lows of music on a regional and national scale. Peter edits the official Liverpool Sound City magazine and is media partner with Liverpool Music Week while featuring on industry conference panels around the country.

John Doran, editor of the influential internet music magazine the Quietus
(www.TheQuietus.com) was born in Whiston Hospital, and had his musical education being humiliated by staff at Probe Records. He also writes for The Stool Pigeon, VICE, NME and Metal Hammer.

Alexandra Topping is a Skelmersdale-born journalist for the Guardian who writes about everything from gang violence to pop music. As befitting someone who grew up near Wigan, she was weaned on stomping Northern Soul classics, but she still loves finding new bands and is often seen sloshing pints around at gig venues across the country.

SPONSORS /

A stellar list of sponsors, both from inside and outside the music community, have added theirconsiderable cultural and commercial heft in supporting the inaugural GIT Award, including:Liverpool Sound City, Liverpool Music Week, Cream, Creamfields, Vice Magazine, The Quietus, Liverpool Vision, ACME, It's Liverpool, Liverpool City Council, Culture Liverpool, Liverpool Philharmonic, FACT Cinema and Art Gallery, Liverpool Museum, Probe Records, The Music Consortium, Bido Lito! Magazine, WAXXX Magazine, Sandhills Recording Studios, Elevator Studios, The Motor Museum Recording Studios, Dawsons, Resurrection, Lost Art, Weavers Door, Bold Street Coffee, The Green Cauldron, Cains Brewery, The Bluecoat, Static Gallery, The Picket, The Masque, Leaf, Sentric, CMU Daily, EVOL, Mellotone, Harvest Sun, Samizdat, Behind The Wall Of Sleep, Another Media, Obscenic, Mercy, Hive Collective, Jon Hillcock's New Noise, UR BEATZ, Seven Streets Liverpool Live, Liverpool Acoustic and LIPA.

Wet Nuns new video and one of NME tips for 2012

Death-blues punk red-necks from the deep South (of Yorkshire), WET NUNS unveiled their new single ‘Heavens Below’ at the end of 2011, available exclusively from their website www.wetnuns.com along with a remix of the track by the Arctic Monkeys' Matt Helders.

The band have since been named one of NME’s “20 Bands To Look Out For in 2012”, played for ATP and supported supergroup Mister Heavenly and are lining up a March tour to be announced VERY soon.

The two-piece have also just released a video for the recent single, and we can now rejoice that there is a video to match the hollering, crushing, blues-riffing marvel of  a track that is ‘Heaven’s Below’. Created by director Darren Topliss, the video features motorbikes, pigs heads, crocodiles, macabre figures, and is typical of the band everyone's trying to see right now. The anticipation around the band even led the footage to be the most shared music video on NME.com on the day of release.

WET NUNS 'Heaven's Below'

Video:

http://www.youtube.com/embed/MJUQvmFhOO4 

 
Both the single and remix of 'Heaven's Below' are still available for free exclusively from the Wet Nuns website, www.wetnuns.com.

Dave McPherson - Love rats Tour

Having released debut album The Hardship Diaries via a rapturously received Pledge Music campaign in March, Dave McPherson embarks on one last run of shows before his band InMe hit the road once more.

Dave will perform dates at Liverpool’s The Shipping Forecast on Monday, January 30^th, Manchester’s Castle Hotel on Tuesday January 31^st and The Cockpit 3 in Leeds on Wednesday, February 1^st.

This year Dave has embarked on a number of tours, notable with the eclectically talented Devin Townsend and Fightstar front-man Charlie Simpson, as well as numerous headline shows across the UK. Over the summer the musician also played the mighty Download Festival, Sonisphere Festival and Beautiful Days as well as smaller but equally vibrant settings such as the Y Not and Two Thousand Trees Festival.

The Hardship Diaries displays another side to McPerson’s musicality and has allowed the artist to develop his own sound. Every song on the album shows off the musician’s talent as a composer and songwriter and has received stellar reviews.

Performance Details:

DAVE MCPHERSON (INME)

Liverpool

Shipping Forecast

Mon, 30^th January 2012

8.00pm

£8

Manchester

The Castle Hotel

Tues, 31^st January 2012

8.00pm

£8

Leeds

The Cockpit 3

Weds, 1^st February 2012

7.30pm

£8

Justice lead the NME awards 2012

 JUSTICE LEAD THE NME AWARDS SHOWS 2012 WITH 5 SHOWS

FEATURING

JUSTICE / THE BIG PINK / MARINA AND THE DIAMONDS / PURE LOVE /

BAND OF SKULLS / tUnE yArDs / TOTALLY ENORMOUS EXTINCT DINOSAURS / CLOUD CONTROL / KURT VILE / ALABAMA SHAKES /

OH LAND / LITTLE DRAGON / THE DRUMS / CHARLI XCX / SLOW CLUB

Plus More To Be Announced

WWW.NME.COM

@nmemagazine / #nmeawards

www.facebook.com/nmemagazine

The iconic NME Awards Shows explode onto London’s live music scene for 2012 with a line-up so packed full of talent that the Shows have burst out of the Capital and will visit five cities around the UK. This year influential Parisian duo Justice will lead a series of shows that will bring the might of The NME Awards Shows to the whole of the UK.

Kicking off on 9th February and running throughout the month, the Shows will bring some of the most acclaimed acts to the Capital. Spread across some of London’s most iconic and best-loved music venues, with acts including The Big Pink and Marina and the Diamonds, the NME Awards Shows are a month-long blast of the very best established and cutting-edge musical talent around.

Critically acclaimed French dance duo Justice will headline a five-date series of shows that kick off in Bristol on 9th February. Following the release of their long-awaited second album ‘Audio, Video, Disco’ last month, Gaspard Augé and Xavier de Rosnay will also bring the pummelling levels of intensity of a Justice live show to London, Birmingham and Glasgow, before bringing the roof down on Manchester Academy on 13th February.

NME Editor and Awards Shows architect Krissi Murison says of the shows: “This year is unprecedented, not only do we have phenomenal bands playing all over London, but we are also thrilled that Justice will be playing an exclusive UK wide mini-tour. It’s going to be amazing.”

Xavier de Rosnay of Justice says: “We’re really looking forward to playing in the UK again – especially in London. One of our favourite memories of playing live was in London when we played at the Astoria just before it closed a few years ago. Since then, we've known just what a great place London is to play. It's really exciting to be playing the tracks from our new album 'Audio, Video, Disco' – we're working on the lightshow now to make sure it looks as amazing as possible."

The Big Pink say: “It’s fantastic to be playing the NME show. The NME have been with us pretty much since day one so to be part of any NME bill is always a pleasure. We’re more excited than we’ve ever been to play live shows, and this time round we’re going to come from a completely different place with it. Last time it was very simple bass, drums, guitars, samples and keyboards, but now we’ve really gone to town with our setup. There’s going to be a lot of effects and walls of noise – I think it’s going to be bigger than ever.”

Marina and the Diamonds says: “I can’t wait to play the show. Obviously I’ve played my old songs a lot live, so it’s going to be nice to perform material from the new album. Now I’ve done one big tour, I know what I’m going to do with this one. There’s going to be a strong cinematic element to it – I can’t really say anything more than that yet, but I know it’s going to be a really important and special show. It’s a one-of-a-kind gig – the first time I’m going to be singing the new songs – so it’s definitely one that hardcore fans should come to.”

Charli XCX will kick off the Shows in style at London Lexington on 8th February followed by Sheffield folk-rock duo Slow Club who will bring their unique approach to London Heaven on the 9th February. Former-Gallows frontman, Frank Carter will bring his new project Pure Love to Bush Hall on 14th February. Southampton trio Band of Skulls will play XOYO on 15th February and O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire will welcome Merrill Garus’ tUnE-yArDs on 15th February. Oxford dance-act, Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs will play London Heaven on 16th February whilst The Electric Ballroom plays host to Australian four-piece Cloud Control on 17th February. The Big Pink, who released their new single ‘Stay Gold’ last week will be at The Garage on 20th February.

Philadelphian songwriter, Kurt Vile will play Camden’s Koko on 21st February. Alex Turner endorsed Alabama Shakes hit The Boston Arms on 22nd February with Cinematic electropop Dane, Oh Land taking to the stage at London Heaven on 23rd February. Swedish collective Little Dragon will descend on the HMV Forum on 24th February and Marina and the Diamonds will be showcasing material from her eagerly-anticipated second album at O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire on 26th February. The Drums return to the NME Awards circuit once more to close the Shows by playing Roundhouse on 27th February.

Tickets for the NME Awards Shows 2012 will be available on pre-sale exclusively through www.NME.com from 9am on 16th November and will be on general release from 18th November.

Keep checking www.NME.com for more details. Tag your tweets with #nmeawards to join the conversation.

NME Awards Shows 2012 Dates & Ticket Info:

Feb 8 Charlie XCX - London Lexington

Feb 9 Slow Club - London Heaven

Feb 9 Justice - Bristol O2 Academy

Feb 10 Justice - Brixton O2 Academy

Feb 11 Justice - Birmingham O2 Academy

Feb 12 Justice - Glasgow O2 Academy

Feb 13 Justice - Manchester Academy

Feb 14 Pure Love - Bush Hall

Feb 15 Band of Skulls - XOYO

Feb 15 tUnE-yArDs - O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire

Feb 16 Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs - London Heaven

Feb 17 Cloud Control - Electric Ballroom

Feb 20 The Big Pink - Garage

Feb 21 Kurt Vile - Koko

Feb 22 Alabama Shakes - Boston Arms

Feb 23 Oh Land - London Heaven

Feb 24 Little Dragon - HMV Forum

Feb 26 Marina and the Diamonds - O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire

Feb 27 The Drums - Roundhouse

Once again this year the NME Awards Shows are brought to London in association with Metropolis Music. Metropolis Music, SJM Concerts and DF Concerts will be presenting the Justice dates

Pre-sale exclusively through www.NME.com from 9am on 16th November

General release via Gigs and Tours and Ticketmaster on 18th November.

All prices subject to booking fees plus a 50p charity donation to Teenage Cancer Trust (excluding Justice tickets)

NME Awards Tour 2012

THE NME AWARDS TOUR HITS THE ROAD

 

 

FEATURING

TWO DOOR CINEMA CLUB

METRONOMY

TRIBES

AZEALIA BANKS

 

WWW.NME.COM/AWARDS

?nmeawards

 

The infamous NME Awards Tour is back for 2012 and ready to showcase the year’s most exciting emerging music talent. Renowned for giving the freshest new acts their first taste of national notoriety – past alumni include Arctic Monkeys, The Killers, Florence & The Machine, Crystal Castles and The Vaccines – 2012’s line-up captures the spirit of 2011 and sets the agenda for an explosive forthcoming year of music.

 

Running throughout February, the NME Awards Tour kicks off in Glasgow (8th) and visits 12 venues across the UK, bringing the very best in new music directly to music fans, ending with a show-stopping finale in London (25th).

 

NME editor Krissi Murison says: “As far as NME Awards Tour line-ups go, it’s difficult to imagine one more exciting than this or more representative of the cutting edge sounds that will define 2012. Every week in NME we bang on about how brilliant these bands are, and this is an amazing opportunity to see them all on the same bill. Two Door Cinema Club are one of the most exciting live bands in the world right now, Metronomy recorded arguably the album of the year, Tribes are the future of British indie music and Azealia Banks is, well, pretty much the most exciting new act on the planet. It’s going to be a good one…”

 

Having quietly become one of the UK’s best loved bands, Two Door Cinema Club will headline the hotly anticipated annual tour. Since releasing their debut album ‘Tourist History’ in March 2010, Two Door Cinema Club have rapidly become one of the biggest new success stories in UK music. After selling out headline tours in the UK, US, Europe, Australia, Asia, Japan and South America, playing two successive sold out nights at O₂ Shepherds Bush Empire and selling out the O₂ Academy Brixton in under four hours, the band have deservedly earned both a devoted word-of-mouth live following and huge critical acclaim.

 

Two Door Cinema Club say: "It feels great to be headlining the NME Tour and be amongst what feels like a great line-up as well. We had a taste of the tour when we did the local support slots when the Tour came to Ireland with the Maccabees when we were pretty much just starting out as a band. We feel a real sense of achievement to have made it this far and be one among the incredible list of headliners on the NME Awards Tour."

 

Hailing from the tiny, bohemian market town of Totnes in Devon, Metronomy join the line-up this year. One of the most expansive and visionary pop bands in the country, Metronomy will be supplying the NME Awards Tour with proof that it’s possible for electronic bands to put on a show as authentic as any rock band.

 

Metronomysay: "It's pretty exciting to be part of a travelling tour, a bit like a circus or something. It's been a while since we did a tour this long with the same bands for the whole thing, so hopefully there will be some camaraderie between the bands. Failing that there should be some incredibly violent 'beefs' which will make for good reading in the magazine."

 

London quartet Tribes have gone from prodigious debutant slots opening for their idols The Pixies, to relentless grassroots grafting of the UK dives, to being lauded ‘the future of rock ‘n’ roll’ by the Mystery Jets.

 

Tribes say: “We're really f***ing excited to be going on the NME Tour. We're really happy to be part of it, considering the history of the tour, and the fact the likes of The Vaccines and The Horrors have done it before. Hopefully there'll be some good after parties too – we're all about the partying.”

 

New York producer/MC Azealia Banks, who has been steadily perfecting her craft and making a name for herself, has bagged the coveted opening slot for the NME Awards Tour 2012. Since her first steps as a child in off-broadway theatre productions to her training at La Guardia High School of Performing Arts – a breeding ground for stars – Azealia Banks’ seasoned bars and angelic voice give everybody a reason to rewind that track.

 

Azealia Banks says: “I've been reading NME since I was old enough to ride the trains, where I’d buy it on newsstands... it's almost surreal that I’ve been selected to participate in this tour... it's such an honour.”

 

Tickets for the NME Awards Tour 2012 will be available on pre-sale exclusively through www.NME.com from 9am on Wednesday 9th November. They will then be on general release via Gigs and Tours and Ticketmaster on Friday 11th November.

 

Visitwww.NME.comfor more details.

 

Tag your tweets with ?nmeawards to join the conversation.

 

NME Awards Tour Dates 2012:

 

08 Feb Glasgow O₂ Academy

09 Feb Newcastle O₂ Academy

10 Feb Manchester Academy

14 Feb Nottingham Rock City

15 Feb Leeds O₂ Academy

17 Feb Norwich UEA

18 Feb Birmingham O₂ Academy

19 Feb Cardiff University 

20 Feb Bristol O₂ Academy

22 Feb Bournemouth O₂ Academy

23 Feb Brighton Dome

25 Feb London O₂ Academy Brixton

---

 

Ticket Info:

 

NME pre-sale - on sale 9am on 9th November

www.NME.com/tickets or 0844 858 6765

 

 

Two Door Cinema Club - on sale 9am on 9th November

http://www.artistticket.com/

 

General release – on sale from 9am on 11th November

www.gigsandtours.com / www.ticketmaster.co.uk

24hr CC hotline 0844 811 0051 / 0844 826 2826

 

An SJM Concerts presentation in association with DF Concerts and Metropolis Music

All tickets include a 50p donation to Teenage Cancer Trust

(Registered charity 1062559 in England & Wales, SC039757 in Scotland)

 

Tickets prices start from £19.10 plus a 50p charity donation to Teenage Cancer Trust.

Prices are subject to booking fees.

Big Deal @ NME Radar tour - O2 Academy Liverpool

Emerge NME Radar Tour brought Big Deal to the O2 Academy as the opening act for their night on Tuesday.

Now, Big Deal are a London based twosome, who are still relatively new to the music scene. They consist of Alice Costello and KC Underwood, who both play guitar, acoustic and electric, and provide harmonious vocals.

As they only formed last Spring, it's understandable that their musical catalogue is still very small, but they managed to provide a 35 minute set of understated, simple songs like "Homework", their first single ever written, "Locked Up" and "Talk".

To be honest the first few tracks were mellow, pleasant little numbers that capture you as their entwined vocals drift across the room, but after a while, I found myself getting a little bit bored as they still lack that certain stage presence needed to capture a crowd and Costello needed to stop staring at a specific point on the floor and possibly interaction would help. Although KC Underwoods joke at wanting to stage dive but not daring to as there was not enough people to catch him, went someway towards lightening the mood .But even then it would help if they look like they actually want to be on the stage performing as well, but I'm hoping this is just down to nerves and as I said before they are still relatively new to this.

Once they get established and attract a larger fan base, I hope that everything will fall into place and they will go onto have a healthy career. They just need to provide a bit more charisma on stage.

http://www.myspace.com/weareabigdeal

Review by Alison Goggin