| Leap in guitar sales as Arctic Monkeys fuel trend
SALES of guitars in the UK have risen by 18 per cent over the past year to £120 million, as the popularity of rock bands such as Franz Ferdinand and the Arctic Monkeys persuades the nation to get strumming. The number of guitars sold has more than doubled since 1999 as City bankers hunting trophy guitars and young would-be rock stars flock to guitar shops such as those in Londons Denmark Street. .
Punktfest 06 - Kristiansand, Norway - Day Two, August 25, 2006
When British drummer Bill Bruford stepped up to the mic for the first time during his engaging and highly playful duet with Dutch pianist Michiel Borstlap, he made the comment that “as a true road warrior, by all accounts this is an incredibly well-run festival, setting a new high bar for overall competence." And those are truthful words from someone with enough years on the road to know. While organizing any festival, especially where numerous acts will appear on the same stage, is a challenge, Punktfest has to be one of the greatest nightmares from a logistical perspective. Chapter Index Challenges Hanna Hukkelberg Karl Seglem Bill Bruford and Michiel Borstlap Frode Gjerstad and Jan Bang Bugge Wesseltoft The Wagner Reloaded Project (WARP) Challenges Almost every act incorporates electronics to some extent, so just organizing soundchecks so that acts can set up, make sure everything works, and then come back later for the show with the assumption that everything still works is a big enough task.
The Murdered revitalize Atlanta hardcore scene
The Murdered, a five-piece hardcore band from Atlanta, might be the youngest band appearing at the Tribunal Records showcase. They range in age from 19 to 22, and Flying Anvil booker Andrew Dudek is having a hell of a time sorting out the members who are of drinking age from the young 'uns. The Murdered have done pretty well for themselves. Earlier this year, on June 6, they released their album And the Maggots Shall Inherit the Earth on Tribunal Records. The band formed two years ago from the dissolution of several Atlanta-area metal and hardcore bands, said guitarist Ryan Shea. The band received its members from the groups Shut the Fuck Up and Listen, Style Over Substance and Starsfade. "We just came up here for this show," Shea said. "We played one down in Atlanta last night." The Murdered play textbook hardcore that borrows metal's imagery of crushing violence.
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