VELMA'S LATEST EP 'JELLYFISH RAIN' ON SALE NOW!!! - The EP is currently available from Backbeat Records, Haymarket Arcade, Belfast...also check out www.audioill.com and www.myspace.com/audioill for details on how to purchase online.
VELMA BIOG (REDUX)
Here it is...the full version, warts and all...
Velma convey influences ranging from energetic alternative rock to edgy New York post-punk. Velma's full-on, rock n roll attitude and hi-octane vocal delivery have drawn comparisons with PJ Harvey and other performers of that ilk. The band's no-nonsense, 'in-yer-face' guitar sound, quirky melodies which lodge themselves firmly in your brain, dynamic rock-solid rhythms, and delightfully skewed lyrics set Velma apart from their contemporaries and give the band that elusive stamp of individuality. These ingredients mixed with an explosive energy make for a raw and passionate stage performance that always leaves the audience wanting more…
Velma are gathering a small but loyal following, which increases in size with every performance. The band's songs are regularly aired on Johnny Hero's Downtown Radio show, BBCNI's Across The Line show, Down FM, and Queens Radio. Velma have also made the Radio 1 playlist when they were recently featured on Huw Stevens 'BBC Inroducing' programme. The band's songs have also been aired throughout the UK and in Canada, USA, and Australia. The band were interviewed for UK MUSIC WEEK (UK commercial radio) and have had songs aired on Pulse Rated internet radio station and Radio Basile (an internet radio station based in Italy – www.myspace.com/radiobasile). Velma were also featured on Northern Visions 'Kick Out The Jams' television series and GMTV.
Velma are currently No.1 in the NI Chart with 'Do You Feel?'
HISTORY
The band were christened 'Velma' after one of Rose's friends insisted on pointing out the fact that she bore a passing resemblance to the original 'Scooby-do' character (was it the red hair, and 'geek' glasses that she was sporting at the time maybe?). So Rose was nicknamed 'Velma' after the Scooby-do character and the band were nicknamed 'Velma' after Rose!
The band was originally formed in 2004 when founder members Rose Kelly and JP Daly got together to write a bunch of songs. Rose and JP had collaborated in numerous previous bands and knew they could work together and spark off one another creatively without getting on one another's nerves (!). The songwriting partnership proved to be a successful one so the next stage was to hunt around for a suitable vocalist, drummer, and bass player. A few singers joined the Velma fold subsequently, each with their own merits, but it was an audition in 2004 which lead Rose and JP to the perfect vocalist for Velma in the shape of Jeanette Collard. "Can you do the vertical splits?- Have you bucketloads of attitude?" the band enquired in their advert, and Jeanette came up with the goods - in spades.
Drummer and bass duties went to a veritable rock family tree of musicians, borrowed from notable bands from the burgeoning Northern Ireland Music Scene, from 'The Delawares' and 'The Greeters' through to 'Volvograd' via 'We are Knives' and back again. In 2006 Velma found their very own drummer at last! Enter Siobhan, recommended to Velma by radio programme 'Across The Line' DJ Deci from The Jane Bradfords (those rock family trees again…). Monty Sneddon is Velma's current drummer and he rocks!! - and last but not least, Velma were joined by Bert on bass (for the second time round after a short spell on bass with The Elliots).
GIGS AND THINGS
Velma came top in the regional finals of the Global Battle of the bands' Festival in 2005. They also made the final of the Music Quest Reloaded '06 which is part of the annual Music Revolution Festival organised by the Island Arts Centre and is open to bands throughout Ireland.
Velma were also invited to take part in BelFEST 2005 and 2006 Festivals, a celebration of the best new music to come out of Northern Ireland. The band's songs were also included in the 'Your Sound' playlist at 'King Tuts Wah Wah Hut' in Glasgow, just before the band went over to Glasgow to perform a set at 'The Box' over the May bank Holiday weekend in 2007.
Velma 's song 'Do You Feel' was also featured in the opening credits of the 'Innishfree Documentary', a film of the annual music festival run by TRC Promotions. Velma played at the festival in August 2006 and a fun time was had by all (at least those revellers who can actually remember what happened over the whole weekend…).
A few of Velma's favourite gigs of the last few years would have to be the Oxjam Festival, run by Oxfam as part of their 'Make Poverty History' campaign, the John Peel Tribute night, organised by ex Stiff Little Finger Brian Faloon, shortly after the death of one of the greatest DJs of all time and the 'Belfast Calling' gig, organised by 'Immortal Records Ireland, to mark the 30 anniversary of the banned Clash gig which sparked a riot outside Belfast's Ulster Hall. London's legendary 'Hope & Anchor' Club was also a highlight - it felt pretty good to follow in the footsteps of the likes of The Jam and The Clash and The Pistols - we could almost see the ghosts onstage while we played!
The award for the most bizarre venue/gig must go to Hydebank Young Offenders Centre, in the presence of around 400 inmates and the Mayoress of Castlereagh. The inmates weren't allowed out of their chairs, but the Mayoress gamely 'shook her booty' to the music – it's a dirty job but, hey, somebody's got to do it…
WHAT THEY SAY
Velma's music has been described by The Belfast Telegraph's Andrea McVeigh as 'Fabulous, high octane rock n' roll with a unique twist'.
Patric Baird, who reviews for The Weekend Guardian and The Belfast Telegraph stated, 'If you haven't yet managed to catch any of Velma's excellent live performances around the country, it's good to know that some of their music is now only a mouse click away!'
'Imagine the raw punk angst, powerful vocals and poetic lyrics of Patti Smith, mixed with the strut and swagger of PJ Harvey and add a dash of the quirkiness of early-era B52s an you've got a good idea of what Velma is like. The Belfast-based band is one of the most exciting on the local scene, and the five members aren't afraid to showcase their individuality with an 'in-yer-face-' delivery'
Alternative Ulster's Charlotte Dryden asserted, 'You can't help but like them, even if they do look like they'd 'knack yor ballix in' for stealing their pint. Lead singer Jeanette packs a powerful voice and their collective energy would put teenagers half their age to shame. Their blend of sugarpop meets New York new wave suits them - I'd definitely have them at my party!'
Velma have also been described by local impressario, Terri Hooley (the man who single-handedly invented Norn Iron Punk!), as 'one of the most exciting bands to come out of Northern Ireland since The Undertones'.
Bugbear Bookings, promoters for all the major music hot spots in Camden, London Town, assert...'VELMA: Apart from being the coolly tomboyish one you’d secretly prefer to do than Daphne in Scooby Doo ..[calm down that’s Thelma surely?!] these N Irish rockers aspire to some fine melodic spook busting rockouts…a depretenisonified PJ Harvey vibe...or more Siouxsie really over a contemporary post punk n grunge rocknroll band. Worthy of several Scooby snacks…'
The band have recently signed to indie label Audio-ill records
DISCOGRAPHY
Velma - a demonstration…demo ep (2005)
This is the end of history EP (2006)
Jellyfish Rain EP (2007) - released through the Audioill label
'Do You Feel' featured on Bruised Fruit 'Up In The Attic' Compilation CD (2007)
'The Itching Never Stops/Suspect Device' featured on the forthcoming Immortal Records Ireland Release 'Oh Yeah- Time to Be Proud' compilation to celebrate the 30 year anniversary of Good Vibrations record label.
BAND MEMBERS:
Jeanette Collard: Lead Vocals
Rose Kelly : Guitar/backing vocals
JP Daly : Guitar/backing vocals
Philip Stanfield: Bass guitar
Monty Sneddon : Drums
See Also:
www.myspace.com/velmamusic
www.myspace.com/audioill
I’ve been a music journalist for more than 10 years. Over the years, many artists and managers have asked me what the best way to break into the European music market is.
Here are some things you can do:
Publish artist press releases, news, and tour dates to the CountryHome Forum on MySpace, http://groups.myspace.com/CountryHomeMagazine , CountryHome Forum is part of CountryHome, http://www.CountryHome.de , Germany's Premier Country Music Online Magazine. Everything you publish to the CountryHome Forum will be published in my weekly Newsletter which has over 80,000 readers.
Send me CDs and DVDs for review and set up an artist interview with me. All reviews and interviews will be submitted to the magazines I'm writing for. More information for which magazines I'm writing can be found at http://www.MySpace.com/ChristianLamitschka
Upload artist videos to http://www.MyVideo.de and http://www.ClipFish.de . Both websites are like http://www.YouTube.com and uploading videos is free. The websites are completely in German. If you don’t speak German and need assistance, I will help you open an account and upload a video for 25 Euro. Each additional video upload for the same artist name and at the same video website is 10 Euro.
If you have more questions about the European music market or about any of the information I send to you today, please contact me at Ch.Lamitschka@t-online.de too.
Editor & Journalist for Country Music Christian Lamitschka An der Pfingstweide 28 61118 Bad Vilbel Germany
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