Yes, it’s rock ’n’ roll and we like it!
I HAVE to agree with David Hamilton about the demise of rock bands in favour of solo singer-songwriters (Mail). I play guitar for the rock band Ihrsan and we are finding it almost impossible to get bookings for gigs. Promoters want Adele and Ed Sheeran wannabes or indie rock bands with large followings; music labels only want to sign rock bands that have played big gigs, so it’s Catch-22. Many venues want cover bands rather than those like us who play original material, so it’s difficult to get well known enough to make progress. Outside London it is almost impossible to be seen. In the past there were lots of chances to make it: John Peel played new music to a wide audience on his iconic radio show and there was plenty of rock on TV with shows such as The Old Grey Whistle Test. Our band was considered good enough to be included on a compilation album with some famous and not so well-known bands, but despite this it is hard to move forwards. We get radio play on minor stations, have thousands of listens on Spotify for our album, Waiting For The Summer Sun, and our live performances are well received. Most of our ‘likes’ on social media come from the U.S. Local promoters are obsessed with quirky — we thought being a midlife crisis rock band might be quirky enough! Come on, promoters and music labels, give mainstream rock a chance. You might be surprised at how good we are.
Lee MOUNTAIN, Darlington, Co. Durham.