Candy For Strangers
Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand | SELF
Music
Press
New Wellington drum n bass band Candy For Strangers tore up the Battle of the Bands in Auckland last month - and now it's laying down new tracks for a demo, says manager Mark Heffernan.
"The Competition provided us with exposure and the chance to prove ourselves performing in front of large crowds," he said. "We also made some new and valued friends and contacts on the way."
The band's second-place finish at the nationals in Auckland has not slowed them down. Although they are heads down in the recording studio, they are looking for more gigs.
"We will emerge again in the live arena from March with a series of shows around the North Island. We would love to play the festivals of summer 2010-11 such as Rhythm and Vines, PHAT, Coromandel Gold, Rippon, and Wellington's own Sandwiches Summerset."
Heffernan said the band's live and direct real-time performance has a niche alongside Shapeshifter that NZ drum n bass fans would appreciate.
"We have been completely humbled by the level of support we have received from friends, strangers, other bands, and local venues. Wellington's music scene is unparalleled in its willingness to give un-established bands a go."
The band was previously a rock group by the same name [sic].
Heffernan said all drum n bass material was new.
Band members are MC Dark Horse (Steven Enting) on vocals, Heffernan on synthesizer and sound sample kaossilator [sic], P-dub (Alex Thompson) on synthesizer and Brendon Clarke on drums.
Candy for Strangers will play at Bar Medusa on March 5.
- Melissa McDonald, Wellingtonian, January 7th 2010
- The Wellingtonian
A very unique, live drum & bass band that had the crowd dancing with their infectious grooves and singing along to their catchy melodies - muzic.net.nz
Discography
Fools' Gold (Single, 2010, Indep.)
Photos
Bio
Candy for Strangers was born out of necessity. It began from a realisation that the growing mass of Kiwi drum ‘n’ bass aficionados were being starved of the spectacle of the birth of music, live and direct. A collaboration by four experienced and passionate musicians with eclectic musical backgrounds, Candy for Strangers burst onto the stage in 2009 brandishing a bevy of bass-heavy brilliance to bewildered audiences.
Following in the footsteps of ground-breaking artists, Shapeshifter and Pendulum, Candy For Strangers challenges the boundaries of music traditionally reserved for DJs by producing every note of their drum ‘n’ bass, dub-step and electronica tunes live in real-time. Candy For Strangers draws on every members’ background, spanning classical, jazz and metal through to funk and soul to produce sounds ranging from epic dance floor anthems to thoughtful and feel-good verse. The addition of vocal genius the Dark Horse MC, with an unrivalled ability to seamlessly blend soulful melody with sinister and uncompromising rhyme, has helped to ensure that the Candy for Strangers experience never leaves a dance floor intact.
In late 2009, Candy For Strangers relished in the competition of the New Zealand Battle of the Bands. After winning the hard fought Wellington region competition Candy for Strangers headed to the New Zealand final at Auckland’s famed Kings Arms to feed the famished bass junkies from a national stage. Every member was humbled when Candy for Strangers earned 2nd place at the national final in the face of fierce competition from some truly impressive and diverse bands.
2010 has seen Candy for Strangers grow from strength-to-strength and the band has rapidly cemented its place as one of Wellington’s premier party bands. Feedback and interest from venue owners and promoters in Wellington and the Lower North Island has been overwhelmingly positive as Candy For Strangers’ reputation for scintillating live shows continues to stretch venues to the seams with swarms of serious swagger steppers.
As a band we have all found ourselves fall under the spell of the drum ‘n’ bass scene which is brimming with enthusiastic and excitable fans pumping out positive vibes, energy and emotion at unprecedented levels. Our passion truly shines through in our performance, a testament reflected in a review by music news site, Music.net.nz, describing Candy For Strangers as:
"A very unique, live drum & bass band that had the crowd dancing with their infectious grooves and singing along to their catchy melodies."
Andrew Featherstone of Live Media, the promotional company behind the annual New Zealand Battle of the Bands Competition, provided the following testimonial following our success in the 2009 competition:
"I came across Candy For Strangers in the 2009 Battle of the Bands National Championship. They stood out to me straight away at the Wellington leg of the event, with their unique live drum and bass performance. A real crowd favourite Candy For Strangers always had the rooms pumping with their upbeat tunes, and captivating grooves. They instantly impressed each panel of judges with their creativity and energy as they dominated three legs of regional competition. They won the Wellington region of the event, and made it to the National Final, where they placed a very close second. Candy For Strangers has HUGE potential and I know they will be a band to watch out for in the future as they continue to storm bigger and bigger stages."
With drum ‘n’ bass and dub-step music casting its spell on an increasing audience you can be sure that Candy For Strangers will be bringing the bass to a stage near you soon. Keep your eyes peeled and your ears primed.
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