From the driveway to the dream

Beginner bands all know the drill. You get together a couple of friends who know how to strum a few chords and keep a beat, and from there, the dreams of sold out stadiums and screaming fans are born. Yet it’s all too easy for such newcomers to be easily crushed by the red tape, lack of connections and damned security at the front desk that keep budding acts caged in their basements instead of shining onstage.
And yet, there’s a beacon of hope for the masses of unsigned groups in Ireland and it’s not in the forms of stuffy executives in suits carrying unnecessarily heavy briefcases.
Since 2001, Garageland and the Garage Gigs have helped more than 2000 acts make leaps and bounds within their careers. The fairy godmother to musical Cinderellas, Garageland grants a proper debut in the form of the Garage Gig and (if all goes well) continues to provide services right through to major showcases. Helping in areas of industry contacts, publishing and record company advice and press, it’s no mystery why they’re Hot Press' partners in crime.
Their latest venture, Series 11, is already underway in Dublin and has so far welcomed over 100 acts to some of the most beloved venues in the city. Now promoters have announced the arrival of a baby brother to Series 11 to celebrate 16 acts who’ve turned their foot-in-the-door Garage Gig into a stampede on the music industry. Recognizing the constant battles that bands fight to make it big, Garageland promoter Dermot Lambert can’t help but seem a bit like a proud mother to the bands.
Separated into four parts, the event opens on April 21 at The Sugar Club with a staggering line-up that includes The Chaos Emerald, Schroe and Tuppenceworth. Poster children for the welcomed buzz that Garageland brings to an act, The Kinetiks are also set to play on Friday, and lead singer Gary Control has already done his homework.
“We’ve never played the Sugar Club before but heard it’s a real slick venue,” he says. “I went on the virtual tour on the website last week just to check it out, just because I like to get a look at the venue before we play.”
Currently busy writing and rehearsing, and with plans to hit Crawdaddy and The Hub in May, it’s hard to believe that The Kinetiks’ Garageland debut was little more than a month ago. The memories of their night at The Village still bode well with the band.
Already forming a tight following that includes more than their mums and girlfriends, the band have learned that the outcome from one stellar show positively effects more than audience numbers and notoriety.
“Even in playing together, from the first gig to now, we’re a different group completely,” Gary attests. “We’re looking forward to the gigs now rather than feeling nervous.”
One of the most well-known of the artists to show at The Best Of gigs, singer/songwriter Colm Hearney, has already played North London, The States, and most recently, Germany. 2005 saw the release of the well-received album Exploits of Heroes and Villains and tracks are already being recorded for a new album. What else could be asked for from his prosperous career?
“Now, you know, the main focus is to get a bit organized.” From the looks of his progress, one would be fooled into thinking that that had been taken care of long ago. Otherwise, Colm’s still got his eye on the April 29 Garageland show at Radio City. It promises to be a nice return for the globe-trotter.
“We haven’t played in Dublin, a whole band gig, since the end of the year so we’re really looking forward to it. We’ve got an arsenol of new material as well so and I think it’s going well... the Germans liked it, at least.” As they say, nowhere to go but up.