Red Light Saints
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada | SELF
Music
Press
The Saints are coming...Red Light Saints that is!
Nepean band, Red Light
Saints, are feeling like they’re
on the up and up.
The band originally started
as a jam band called The Middle
Finger with Chad Crabtree on
vocals and Johnny Bell on guitar
as original members. Bell
and Crabtree found each other
through the internet and decided
to try each other out.
“It was like a musical first
date,” Bell said.
There are four members currently
in the band: Chad Crabtree,
vocals and guitar; Johnny
Bell guitar; Humbe Fernadz,
bass and vocals; and Dan Pichette,
drums and vocals.
It wasn’t until 2006 that the
band decided to become more
professional starting with a
name change.
“Any band trying to find a
name will tell you that it’s a
tough process,” Crabtree said.
“We started with a long lengthy
list of names — most of them
completely inappropriate — and
Red Light Saints stuck out the
most. It had that balance of the
dark and the light.”
Right now the band is preparing
for another stab at the Big
Money Shot put on by a local
radio station. Before being allowed
to compete, the group is
attending rigorous workshops
hosted by the station to prepare
them for the reality of show
business – it’s about more than
just the music.
Last time the band competed
in the contest in 2008, they were
eliminated in an early round
but made a comeback as the
wild card – a band that’s voted
back by popularity – earning
the group $5,000.
Initially the money was supposed
to go towards funding a
tour, but due to shuffles within
the band, the money was spent
on new equipment to upgrade
the band’s sound.
“We lost our bass player at the
time so we spent the money on
pimpin’ gear instead,” Crabtree
said. “We couldn’t be happier.”
That’s when Fernandz came
into the band in 2009.
Fernandz was a firmly established
musician in Cuba and his
band mates fondly refer to him
as “a certified Cuban pop star.”
Both Bell and Crabtree attribute
a large part of the band’s
current success to the addition
of Fernandz, who they found
through the internet and almost
didn’t interview.
“We were looking for a bass
player for eight months,” Crabtree
said. “At first I almost
brushed him off but then decided
to give him a chance ... he
was touring for years and years,
he was a real pro.”
Up next for the band is opening
for Helix at this year’s SuperEx
happening Aug. 19 to 29.
RLS are planning a tour
around the college and university
circuit this fall to promote
their new EP.
Following that release will be
an acoustic album meant to accompany
the EP.
RLS said to keep your ears
open for big news from them in
the spring, but for now they’re
keeping mum.
- Nepean This Week
Arts - Thursday, April 7th 2011 - Lynn Saxberg - Ottawa Citizen
"...This might be the song of the summer...Once that hook hits, you're like 'whoa'!...A Dance Anthem! - Doug Ralph - CHUO 89.1 fm Ottawa
"...Support these guys...They're Fantastic"!!! - LIVE 88.5 f.m. Ottawa - Newcap Radio
Discography
2008 - Red Light Saints - self titled
2011 - Red Light Saints - "District"
Photos
Bio
With a style that is impossible to pigeonhole, the Red Light Saints music experience is best descibed as "Alternative Rock" fused with a kaleidoscope of influences - 70's Arena Rock, Soul, Latin, Blues, Folk and Punk - creating their own wildly original signature sound.
But while the bands music is ambitous, their live show is where their halos truely shine!!!
Formed in 2006, the group quickly gained momentum by keeping a busy performance schedule and bringing fans all the venom, passion, and honesty they have come to expect. Their concerts have a reputation for a unique energy and unpredictability that has been mesmerizing crowds for years.
The hard work and exposure paid off with the RLS sharing the stage with some of Canada's best up and coming bands, including Rebel Emergency, Daniel Wesley, Jen Militia, A Plot Against Me, Ty Hall, the Balconies, Songs from a Room, Loudlove and many more. They've also toured in Ontario and Quebec and performed at the Ottawa Super Ex, numerous festivals, radio stations, live television, music stores and concert halls.
The Red Light Saints give much of their time, energy, and merchandise to charity, playing benefit concerts for United Way, Students for a Free Tibet, Breast Cancer Awareness, Sick Kids Hospital and many more. They have also struck a chord with the university crowd, having songs being put into rotation on college radio, repeat live on air performances, as well as interviews, acoustic sets and features in student newspapers and blogs. The band has found a solid fan base that craves exciting new music.
More recently the industry took note by having RLS as finalists in the LIVE 88.5 Big Money Shot for the last three years in a row. Their singles "Broken Trees", "Pophead" and "Friendship Song" received repeat airplay on mainstream radio and excellent feedback. In 2008 they won as the wildcard band and made it to the semi-finals, showcasing for a panel of judges from the music industry that ranged from major labels and talent agencies to representatives from digital distribution companies.
In 2009, the original members -Chad, Dan and Johnny- welcomed a new musician; Humberto Fernandz, an accomplished bass player and composer from Cuba formerly signed to Warner. This combination has brought the band to a whole new level. They've never sounded better and are in the best form of their musical careers.
In the summer of 2009, the Red Light Saints won the "Concourse de Rock" competition, sponsored by TAG Radio X, the alternative rock station in Gatineau, Quebec. 2010 saw the band performing constantly, including a high profile show with Canadian rock legends Helix. Their second album, "District" was released in the spring of 2011.
The Red Light Saints were just getting started.
In March 2011, Red Light Saints embarked on a highly ambitious and successful Tour of Cuba. This marked the first time a Canadian Alternative Rock band has been officially invited by the Cuban Ministry of Arts and Culture to tour the country. The band participated in The Cuerda Viva Festival, one of the largest music festivals in Cuba. They also appeared on numerous National television and live radio shows, hosted a series of workshops for the local arts community and played for thousands of people across Cuba. Red Light Saints we're given an award for International Band of the Year on the nationally televised Cuerda Viva Awards. While on tour, the band shot a documentary that is now in production. A Canadian Tour is on the horizon in 2012.
The Saints are coming!!!
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