organ

http://www.surfaceunsigned.co.uk/2008/index.html


so curiousity took me to have a look who won last year?

Surely a whole load of by now household names? All over Radio One? Front cover of the NME? Whooooooooo, never heard of any of last year's winners, none of them seem to be signed or making much progress, doesn't look like Surface Unsigned did much for any of 'em, still playing places no one has heard of and just to their family and their mates who who were suckered in to voting for them.... crap crap crap

The Chairmen will probably do something, but they would have done that without Surface Unsigned. Not my cup of Tetley but I can understand the appeal.

The West Midlands-based bands like Che and Strangle Kojak continue to gig and slowly progress as is normal. Surface Unsigned hasn't helped or hindered them. Strangle Kojak have achieved a lot more by getting plenty of plays on BBC WM Introducing.

hardly projected any of them anywhere near the pot of rainbow gold that Surface Unsigned promise has it

who are Chairman?

I've seen Carjack Mallone a couple of times, simply by virtue of the fact that they are based in Manchester and I make it my business to see most active bands in Manchester. It's really not my thing, but I suppose they do what they do (pretty commercial heavy indie-rock) well. They've had a lot of good press locally and over the past couple of years have gathered a decent sized fanbase through sheer hard work and the simple fact that quite a lot of people do like that sort of thing. I wouldn't be surprised if they were signed at some point. But if this happens it will be nothing to do with Surface Unsigned, as they were already making waves before that. You can bet SU will claim sole responsibility if they do though, when really all their participation has done is turn people like me - who actively support local music even when it's not to my taste - against them a bit.

Actually, more than a bit. Because this is a band who would have been able to win local heats courtesy of genuine fans as well as friends and families, who knew they could use the SU process to their advantage, and by doing so are effectively propping up a system which is detrimental to most other bands involved and to live music in general. So f**k 'em.

Well still no sign of The Chairmen... So much for being Surface Unsigned winners then...