Marshall Ultimate band Contest

November 17th saw us busy at Marshall HQ preparing for the third Marshall Ultimate Band Competition. The previous two years had been a success but we were hoping to take it to another level and it seemed as though we might be ablfgfge to do that. A competition, which gives the winning band a slot to play at the following years Download festival, must be good, but when that is coupled with a Marshall endorsement, some time at Metropolis Studios with their unsigned mastering session, a Smokehead Extra Black 18 year old single malt, a Marshall 4×12″ custom cab, an Eden bass combo, a Natal UK made snare drum, Marshall headphones, Licklibrary prize and, a Marshall fridge! I have so many artists asking me if they can purchase a Marshall Fridge and here we are giving one away!!

One of the early starters that Saturday morning was Mr Gary Lovelock, checking the desks, PA, lighting and cameras to make sure they all work as they should. We were fortunate to have Jesse Hughes of Eagles of Death Metal on hand to host the event this year and he was also in early, to check out a couple of amps and loved the 1962 Bluesbreaker.

First band to play on the evening was the previous winners Sons of Icarus. The Sons of Icarus are a good British rock band who have since winning the competition gone on to play at Download in their own right, secured a management deal, recorded an album and continued gigging all over the country, a testament to the success of the competition. I would personally like to thank the guys for agreeing to open the evening for us and give the five finalists a taste of what it takes to win this competition.

Next, we start the competition, with the first of the five finalists, Nakedium. Nakedium were formed in 2009 and are a four piece hard rock band. It’s always difficult to be the first band on and although this would have been made a little easier by Sons of Icarus warming the crowd up some what, it’s still a difficult job. Nakedium didn’t seem to mind though as they soon got the crowd rocking and put on an impressive start to the competition.

To follow that was a local band, Frantic Alice. I was very surprised when I heard they were local but slightly relieved that they had only been formed for a few months, so I had a small excuse for having not heard them previously. They certainly came out and really seemed to enjoy being on the stage and putting on a show, which definitely had influences of Guns N’ Roses in there. Definitely a band to watch out for in the future.

The next band to take to the stage, Peepshow, who had travelled down from Scotland with an over night stop in Newcastle. Normally at this point I would make reference to how far they have travelled and the commitment, but not this year as you will see later, one band had travelled a little further. Peepshow, who have been formed for approximately three years, have already been working the circuit to some extent and were looking to put all their experience on the line in order to try and further their career. With names like Johnny Gunn (lead vocalist) surely they are destined to make it to the big stages, they certainly put on a good show in the Marshall theatre and the influence of Hanoi Rocks, Guns N’ Roses was evident in not just their music but also the performance on the stage.

The penultimate band had already won the prize for travelling the furthest. Deligma had travelled all the way from Australia, that is commitment! Deligma brought something a little different to the table with a mix of electro / metal music. The band had been formed in 2007 but had added the keyboard / synthesizer player in 2009 and this became a very strong part of their music. The band were confident on stage and entertained the audience, in fact when you consider the band had no fans with them, Australia to MK is a big ask, they soon made a few fans in the theatre.

The final band of the evening, in the competition that is, was Obey. Why do I feel I have to say the name in a deep aggressive voice, maybe it is the Zakk Wylde influence I felt there was. Obey probably had the largest number of fans in the room and since their formation in 2008 have built up quite a following in the Stoke on Trent area. The guitars are straight out of the Black Sabbath rule of guitars and the look as well I think. I certainly really enjoyed watching these guys and if you see them tour near you I recommend you go and see them.

So that was it, the judges retired to a separate room to deliberate on the prizes, boy was this going to be tough! Whilst the judges were deliberating, The Treatment played their first show since their return from the US Stadium tour with Kiss and Motely Crue, I tried to tell them the Marshall theatre is a step up from a stadium tour, not sure they believed me though. It was great to see the guys and how much they have really upped their game since going to America.

So the competition was over just needed to let these guys know who had won what and which band were going to be taking to the stage at the download festival 2013!!

The winning band was Peepshow, a great performance and I am confident they will do well. But a massive thank you to all the bands who took part, especially the bands that made it to the final, plus to Sons of Icarus for opening the evening and to The Treatment for playing their first UK show after their US tour in the Marshall theatre, thank you everyone.

Peepshow – "It was a real honour for us to have been involved in the Marshall Ultimate Band competition. Not only to celebrate Marshall's 50th anniversary but to also be crowned the winners of 2012. It has been an experience we'll never forget and to win a slot at Download festival too has only fuelled our voracious ambition and hunger to entertain. Thanks to everyone who voted and supported us throughout. We could not have done it without you! SEE YOU AT DOWNLOAD 2013!"

Jon Ellery – Managing Director Marshall Amplification plc – "Every year the UBC grows in stature and 2012 was no exception. The event was well organized and a great success. The quality of bands was excellent and I can honestly say I was glad not to be a judge. Well done to the winners and everyone who took part. Looking forward to UBC 2013."

Judges:

• Marshall Amplification Artist Liaison Paul Marshall
• Record Producer Steve Levine
• Kerrang! Music Editor Jennifer Walker
• Download Guru Andy Copping
• Jesse Hughes of Eagles of Death Metal

The prizes went to:

• Best Guitarist – Obey, Steve Pickin (Marshall Custom Cab)
• Best Bassist - Nakedium, Sam Bryant (Eden Combo)
• Best Drummer – Deligma, Guy Jeffrey (UK Natal Snare)
• Best Front Man – Peepshow, Johnny Gunn (Marshall Fridge)
• Best band – Peepshow – Download 2013, Marshall Endorsement, Mastering at Metropolis Studios and 18yr Old Smokehead Whisky. www.facebook.com/PEEPSHOW.OFFICIAL

Marshall Ultimate band Competition returns for its third year and 2012 promises to be the biggest and best Marshall UBC to date!

Marshall have always supported and assisted up and coming bands in their endeavours to be successful and recognises that band competitions are one avenue to do this. Having sponsored such competitions in the past we decided that we wanted to run our own competition. One that’s free for bands to enter and free for the fans to vote. The emphasis is on the band, their performance and musicianship. It is about the music and the performance - the two essential ingredients for any successful band. The final is held in the Marshall Theatre at Bletchley – home to Marshall for the last 50 years and still the place where we manufacture our flag ship amps.

So Marshall has again been joined by founding partners Lick Library and Smokehead whisky who both wish to see greater exposure of young bands who push the boundaries and go on to become the next successful band. Add to that Andy Copping of Live Nation has again given his support by offering the winning band a slot at Download 2013!

Last years winners, Royal Cartel, will be playing on the Saturday at Download this year on the third stage. What band would not be thrilled to win a slot at Download 2013? To have the chance to perform in front of thousands and be seen by the media, the promoters, the agents, the managements, the other bands, basically in front of everyone in the Music Industry.

As we said earlier, 2012, the 50th year of Marshall Amplification, will be the biggest and best Marshall Ultimate Band Contest to date.

Kerrang! have come on board as the official media partner for the competition and have very kindly offered the winning band the added chance of an opening slot at a Kerrang! pre-awards show plus a full page in Kerrang magazine dedicated to the winners of Marshall UBC 2012. Prizes which again reflect the prestige of the contest and the help that the winning band will get: getting the band noticed, gaining fans and the opportunity to move further up the road towards success.

Another great prize on offer from, the well known Metropolis studios is the use of their unsigned mastering service and an attended session to master a 4 track EP which is another foot up that ladder of success and an absolute must for all bands out there!

 

A HUGE thank you to all the bands that entered this year's Marshall UBC!!

To the top 25 you were all awesome and certainly gave the judges a tough time choosing!!

The bands that have made it into the final 5 and will play at Marshall HQ on the 17th November are...

Well done, we can't wait to see you play at the final!!

 

 

The Contest
Marshall UBC is open to any band over the age of 18. Entries will be voted through to a “Top 25 entrants” this will be decided up by a combination of 5 entrants who generate the most social media buzz and the remaining 20 will be the publics highest rated. A panel of official judges will deliberate and announce the top 5 finalists.

Voting
Voting which will start on 3rd September and finish on 28th September 2012.

Voting explained!
You can only vote once for your top 5 bands/videos…so vote wisely!

Vote scoring is as follows:

• 1st = 5 points
• 2nd = 4 points
• 3rd = 3 points
• 4th = 2 points
• 5th = 1 point

The 20 bands with the highest score on the 28th September will make it through to the top 25. The remaining 5 videos are generated from the videos that have generated the biggest social media push.

Happy voting!!!

Re-entry
Bands can upload more than one video.

The finalists
5 finalists who will play at the live final will be announced on 12th October 2012.

Final at Marshall HQ in the Marshall theatre on November 17th 2012. – All finalists must cover their own transportation and expenses to play at the final. The final five bands who must be available to attend the live final at the Marshall theatre on November 17th 2012.