|
These are artists we think you will be hearing a lot of in the future. Look out, cos here they come! November 2006
Name: Outrage In May 2002 an eager wide eyed apprentice sat watching a drumming master class in his school from Take That and Texas session artist Steve Washington. Already seven years into playing drums, a shy thirteen year old raised his hand when the audience were asked if anyone fancied following him on stage and trying their hand on this awesome Premier drum kit. Louis Davis` life was about to change. Having recently won the schools talent show on the same stage, Louis took the sticks and gave it his all. Girls screamed and press cameras clicked, in that moment Louis was lost to a life as a Rock drummer. So impressed was Steve that he invited Louis to a gig he was playing the next week, just before the main band came on Louis was summoned to the stage, he enthusiastically played along to two fave Paul Weller tracks, and after huge applause from a bemused audience he was presented with autographed cymbals that he cherishes to this day. Some months later Steve moved to the area and although Louis already had two regular Drum teachers, he started extra lessons at Steve’s home. By 15 whilst disregarding his GCSE's and turning his back on a possible football career, Louis was now tutoring in the evenings at his Dads home studio. Steve introduced Sam C Lees, a Fender guitar endorsee and composition tutor at another Tameside School who played in theband Washington Less Experiment, although Sam’s music itself wasn't Louis' bag as they say, it did get him thinking about forming a band of his own. He had always been interested in music, song writing ideas were already being thrown around the studio with younger brother Chez, who was singing and rockin`out since he could walk. Steve, Sam and Louis wanted to set up a studio and tuition centre to use as a base to teach in schools and privately, the idea developed and by the end of the year “Drumskool” was officially open for business. Louis and younger brother Chez dreamt of making their own music and playing arena tours, one night over dinner the name “Outrage” was agreed. Ideas started flowing and songs developed quickly. Influenced from the sounds of their childhood, people started to sit up and listen. In early summer of 2004 the opportunity came around of an annual schools tour from September to the end of November to help Drumskools’ music initiative, which would include the 'Saturday Witchwood Showcase' events. Louis 15 and Chez only 11 would need three other musicians of a similar age to complete the band. The schools tour required a new 5 piece band of young school leavers to inspire kids into music. Drumskool and sister company MCC Studios, sponsored “Outrage” and the Pop Punk Band was formed. An ambitious fan building five year plan, that would see Chez through to his 16th birthday started to come together. Outrage would play to ten of thousands of school kids over the five years and build a loyal fan base as well as doing an excellent job, inspiring the kids into forming their own bands for the studios. To record an initial 12 strong batch of demos, work the schools tour and Saturday showcases through to the end of year one, the first batch of guest members needed to be recruited. In Tameside, a small borough in Greater Manchester, year 10 and 11 boys totalled 700. The aim was to find three lads who looked the part, had similar musical tastes and COULD PLAY. August was spent mastering performance, writing more songs and getting ready for the start of the schools tour on Monday 13th September. September also saw the start of the Saturday showcases at the Witchwood which Outrage would headline, they commenced on the 18th and would run every week until a Christmas show on December 29th where they played a double set which included some one off versions of 60's Mod covers in support to the Jam tribute band on that night . Chez became the youngest ever act to play the venue, singing his Stop Smokin` song at the Christmas show, aged 11. The band were greeted by girly hysteria everywhere they went which inspired even more songs and by the end of October, 12 self penned numbers were being showcased every week. With the emergence of Mcfly, the lads were inevitably labelled another baby Busted. The boys had an album ready to record after just four months of being together and although it was recorded in time for a Christmas fan club release, both Louis and Chez knew in their hearts that they wanted to evolve over the next year or so and become a gritty, more punky band like Green Day. January 2005 saw the band record the No Smoking Day charity single, called Stop Smokin' which was released on 4th April 2005 after a media campaign during March that saw the bands first TV and radio appearances around the UK, starting with Chez’s first televised interview and performance on GMTV 9th March 2005 (see diary for details). A CD backed by, My Best Friend's a Geek and video's of both songs was sold via the bands website and amazon.co.uk. Raising money for the anti smoking charities. After the tour at the end of May when a first successful year was drawing to a close, changes needed to be made to the sound of the band to achieve what Louis and Chez wanted longer term. Matt, Dan and Tom were going full time to college in September and needed to be replaced. Louis now 17 and full time session player at the studio, together with Chez who had now left school to concentrate on his music, still only aged 12, wanted to bring the new grittier material to the stage for the new schools tour that would be completed at The Hippodrome at the end of the year in front of 2,500 fans. In January 2006 the boys lives would change, they flew out to meet Michael Raphael in Los Angeles to talk over the possibilities of Mike producing a full album for them. They had found Mike through James Bournes Myspace, which they had just discovered. After playing the songs in his studio and getting to know the boys, Mike agreed to fly to England and spend the month of May recording in Manchesters MCC Studios. By the turn of Louis’ 18th Birthday in June, the boys flew back to L.A. and finished 11 songs ready for the album. Outrage played support to Matt Willis at the end of July. Fans loved the band and their reputation has gone from strength to strength. Outrage are currently being featured in Top of The Pops magazine every month through to the release of a Christmas single and the album in 2007, the full band can now be seen around the U.K. on tour supports further increasing the ever growing fan base. (see diary for dates).
|
