Blimey! The CENTRE STAGE 2012 finals are only a fortnight away! In two weeks, one of 12 fantastic young bands will be heading to the Leeds and Reading festivals, and a huge amount of cash will have been raised for Martin House Children’s Hospice…
Having been on the judging panel for the heats back in April, I was massively impressed with the calibre of school and college kids kicking out their jams around Yorkshire – so much so that squeezing the finalists down to just 12 was an arduous task.
But we managed it, and the 12 bands playing at the O2 Academy Leeds on July 12 are:
ANOTHER LIFE
BRITISH DAYLIGHT
DISTORTED SKY
EUTHEMIA
GLASSBODY
INDECISIVE CRISIS
INLAZE
PAPERPLANE
SEAS OF GREEN
THE ARTISTS
THE SCANDAL
TRAFFIC WIRE
Each band have done their bit – from sponsored walks and cake-bakes to busking and plenty of fundraising gigs – to raise thousands of pounds for Martin House. Amazing. Truly amazing.
To celebrate the hard work from the bands and the sheer enjoyment I’ve had being part of the Centre Stage 2012 experience, I’m putting together an online Bang The Drum magazine, which will launch here next week.
It’s going to feature interviews with the bands – read about their hopes and dreams, love of falafel and adventures at smile camp – interviews with Mr Leeds Festival himself, Melvin Benn, the judges, including the other Mr Leeds Festival, main band-booker Neil Pengelly and Embrace’s Mike Heaton, and read about Martin House Children’s Hopsice and the amazing work they do to care for young kids with life-limiting illnesses and their families. It’s all hugely inspiring stuff.
And to round it all off, there’s a chance to WIN A PAIR OF WEEKEND TICKETS TO LEEDS. That’s all capped-up coz it’s a doodey of a prize, that.
I’ll probably know more about the launch date and time middle of next week, so stay tuned.
Cheers people.
