HMV in Liverpool ONE may host unsigned bands
Retail giant HMV offer grassroots bands the chance to shine, as Calva Louise release new single and Beach Baby reveal Sound date, Getintothis’ Lewis Ridley with this week’s news wrap.
HMV are giving local bands and artists the chance to promote and stock their material in store for the first time in over 10 years.
HMV head of music, John Hirst, confirmed that its popular in store performances will now expand to feature local, unsigned artists.
“We’re opening up to a lot more local artists as well, it’s about creating events in store particularly at the weekends,” he said.
“So we’ve opened up to local artists and we’ve relaxed our rules on stocking local artists’ products, so local acts can drop into their nearest HMV and get their stock on the shelf in there.”
HMV‘s Liverpool One store, which has been under significant pressure in the past few years and was forced to downsize recently, have said that: “This is an exciting new scheme and we’d like to see it used to help bands take the next step.”
It follows the news earlier this year that the retailer was saved from exctiction by Doug Putman.
Two years ago, Putman took control of around 80 HMV Canada shops, rebranding them to Sunrise Records, he insists however that this new takeover will see the UK shops maintain the HMV brand.
utman beat off rival bidders including Sports Direct‘s Mike Ashley, revealing he will keep 100 of the 127 shops open and maintain the HMV brand.
Blancmange
In gigs, Blancmange are set to return to Liverpool to play at the city’s Grand Central Hall next year.
The London band returned in the mid noughties as heroes of early 80s synth pop, and most recently played in Liverpool at the Arts Club in March.
They’ll play at 81 Renshaw Street venue on Sunday, September 26, 2020. Plenty of time, then.
Melt Banana
Elsewhere in gigs this week, Tokyo noise rock band Melt-Banana will return to the UK this October for what will be the band’s 11th tour of these shores.
Having spent 2018 in Japan gathering fresh material, evolving ideas and preparing to make a new album, Melt-Banana will play dates in Newcastle, Leeds, Glasgow and at Gorilla in Manchester on Monday, October 21.
London quartet Beach Baby have also penned a Liverpool date, coming to Sound later this year.
It comes as the band prepare to release their sophomore album Songs From The Limbo Lounge, they’ll come to Liverpool on their UK tour on Saturday, December 12.
At the same venue, fresh from their support tour with IDLES, Crows will come to Liverpool in November.
The London band have also supported Psychedelic Porn Crumpets in the UK and in Europe this year and will come to Sound on Saturday, November 23.
After releasing their debut album Rhinoceros last February and having received widespread approval, Manchester-based band Calva Louise have unveiled their explosive new single Belicoso.
Blending English and Spanish, frontwoman Jess Allanic explains: “We can take ‘Belicoso’ with a touch of humour, because in Spanish it roughly translates to Lairy.”
“In the society we live in nowadays, we realise that our journey will always be challenging, and a mundane life can feel like a perpetual battle!
“Sometimes trying to find peace can become overwhelming, and as everything that we bottle up inside needs a cathartic outlet, instead of taking it with indignation and frustration, we try to use that accumulated energy to stop fuelling a vicious cycle that never seems to end.”
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