The Strike Nineteens
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The Strike Nineteens

Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom | SELF

Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom | SELF
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"Gig Review The Strike Nineteens O2 ABC2, Glasgow - 19/06/10"

You come to expect certain things in life: taxes, death and unsigned bands doing the same old thing to try and get noticed. Whilst their efforts may be sincere, there has to be recognition that it is only the very best and the most unique that get noticed.

The Strike Nineteens, a four piece from Dumbarton, have managed to rise above the masses with not only their polished live performance but also in their approach to promotion. I was in the audience to witness the launch of their 2nd self-financed album, A Farewell To Everything, at the O2 ABC2 on June 19th 2010. I was filled with no expectation and no reason to believe that I would experience anything different from the many ‘album launches’ that I had attended before. I had however, heard through the ‘grapevine’ that these guys were worth catching.

The show began to the thumping sound of The Beasties Boys ‘Sabotage’ and I was immediately taken aback to see a 30ft by 15ft backdrop splashing classy visuals and live footage announcing the arrival of something special. I was effortlessly caught in the anticipation as I watched the names, David Muir, Andrew Malley, David Thompson and Paul Kerr dance across the thoroughly impressive stage.

The Beasties fell silent as the room fell into total darkness and the opening chimes of the guitar fell on the 350 capacity audience. Golden Smiles, the opening track and first track on the album, set a lively tone for the evening and instantly brought the crowd in on the act. Without pause but with seamless musicianship The Nineteens, as their fans affectionately know them, drove straight into Unite and Fight.

The 80-minute set continued to roll from single to single and culminated in the epic and moving performance of the album’s title track, A Farewell To Everything. As with all good things, it seemed to be over moments after it had all begun and I was left pondering the £6 entrance fee I had invested. This measly fee was the greatest value for money I have enjoyed in the music scene and I would have happily dropped three times that amount for a ticket.

The Strike Nineteens are all that is good about live music. They are lively, talented and inventive. They can be found via their Myspace site at www.myspace.com/thestrikenineteens.
- The Banter


"The Strike Nineteens"

A quick Google search will teach you a whole host of fascinating facts about Dumbarton. The Cutty Sark was built there, William Wallace was imprisoned there and it was briefly home to chief Talking Head David Byrne. The history books show a huge musical void between Byrne heading west to the USA and the present day.

Tonight, however, might yet be a sign that this will change sooner rather than later.

Almost six months to the day since I witnessed their first Glasgow show, The Strike Nineteens find themselves headlining to a full house at the ABC. Quite an impressive rise from Maggie Mays in April and one that seems entirely merited.

Their song ‘Delicate’ is introduced as their debut single and has been produced by Gordon Goudie from Echo and The Bunnymen. As an unsigned act this is hugely indicative of a band that are on an entirely upward trajectory.

‘Delicate’ is a stunning song which conjures images of Coldplay’s finer moments and has brought the band to a wider audience since its release on itunes in December.

Three songs in and with the casual swagger of confidence, the band elect to give ‘Screams For Denver’ a debut live airing to the delight of the crowd. Next comes the angst-ridden tale of drunken loneliness that is ‘Empty Faces At Closing Time’, a dark tale of late night coupling and the subsequent morning-after bout of self-loathing. Other tracks flash by in an instant as the band gives the crowd everything they have come for.

The standout tracks are ‘Screams For Denver’, ‘Liberty Calling’ with its uplifting keyboards, the lush beauty of their debut single ‘Delicate’ and the “soaring orchestral” sheer indulgence of set-closer ‘A Farewell to Everything’.

Whilst the sound of the band could be likened to some of the music world’s heavyweights, with a variety of obvious influences on display, they somehow manage to use this to their advantage. At different points you can hear homage being paid to U2, Snow Patrol, and not surprisingly, Coldplay.

Music aside, the most adventurous aspect of the gig was the boy’s impressive use of lighting, visuals and performance. The planning and rehearsal time was obvious as video footage, automated lights and sequenced tracks intermingled seamlessly with the dazzling on-stage presence.

Other unsigned bands should take note – treat your audience to an experience, not just 30 minutes of music.

The band is already on a sure footing and from this showing tonight I can safely say that 2010 is the beacon on which The Strike Nineteens will surely hang their hats!
- This Is Music


Discography

A Farewell To Everything - Album
Screams For Denver - Album
Delicate - Single
You Don't love Me - Single

Photos

Bio

The Strike Nineteens:

David Muir, Andy Malley, Paul Kerr and David Thompson all hail from the West Coast of Scotland. From the opening riff of their first rehearsal, original song after original song poured out and within a matter of months The Nineteens had over 30 songs to choose from. Something special was happening…..

The quartet’s second album ‘A Farewell To Everything’ reflects song writing of personal experience and testimony. This is highlighted on the songs A Farewell To Everything and Cowboys and Diamonds. Shotgun Girlfriend and Golden Smiles are radio friendly anthems that capture what is good about live music and are upbeat, sing-along compositions.

Bands rarely use mission statements to define their art but The Strike Nineteen’s are different.

“As with everything the music scene goes through fashions and trends” lead singer David Muir explains. “But like fashions and trends there always remain a few tried and tested constants like denim, trainers, t-shirts and the ever late bass player. Musically you have staples like U2, Coldplay and Snow Patrol. No matter what is happening in the charts or what is musically fashionable, these guys always release albums that instantly win people’s hearts. That is our mission statement and that is what we are going to deliver.”

“The amount of songs written at the start put us in a really strong position” David continued. “Most live venues ask you to play for 30 – 40 minutes so we could easily choose our best songs to get the message across. Then in turn it also lets us rotate the songs we played and gave a new twist to every gig.”

The band has embraced contemporary technology with Facebook and MySpace but recognise that playing live and road-testing new songs is the way forward. In addition the band have invested heavily in their own lighting as well as other ways of making each gig a visual as well as a musical experience.

“It is really important for us to play in front of new people. It gives you a reality check and ensures that you are still travelling in the right direction musically.”

The Nineteen’s continue to reach out to their audience and by the power of the Internet have gained fans all over the world. Invites to play have come in from such diverse places as The College Fest Panama City FL, Boston Fest, New York, Egypt and Europe, as a result The Band will be taking their music further afield 2012.

Their exceptional 2nd album was launched in the O2 ABC2 on June 19th 2010 and it provided the audience with a spectacular audio and visual treat. The reviews of the evening and the album have been excellent and prove that The Strike Nineteen’s have what it takes to go all the way to the top.

“As with all good things, it seemed to be over moments after it had all begun and I was left pondering the £6 entrance fee I had invested. This measly fee was the greatest value for money I have enjoyed in the music scene and I would have happily dropped three times that amount for a ticket. www.thebanter.co.uk The Strike Nineteens/Reviews/ABC2 Glasgow.php”

Tipped as one to watch in 2011, they have furthered their cause by making it to the latter stages of this year’s prestigious ‘Live and Unsigned’ competition. The Nineteen’s impressed at their audition and beat hundreds of other acts to secure one of the coveted regional final places.

At the regional finals which took place on March 12th at the Royal Concert Hall in Glasgow. The Nineteen’s went on to once again showcase their sound and impress the judges and progress to the Area final on Sunday 8th May 2011 at the Willows in Manchester.

In typical fashion, the guys are promoting their performances as well as their progress in the competition via their MySpace, Facebook, Webpage, Radio and printed press. They have received radio play in America, Egypt, Italy, Norway, England and Canada to name but a few and have even made headlines in a Russian newspaper which has one of the largest circulations in Europe.

“The Strike Nineteens music will race inside your ears and kick your musical tail before
you know what hits you.” Independents Uncovered.

2010 was a fantastic year! and the guys have gone from strength to strength, the increased sales, hits, downloads, radio play, newspaper and magazine reviews both home and abroad have been amazing. The supports, Festival invites and increased exposure have caused a ripple effect. With offers coming in from European and US labels the A&R guys are taking notice of the new kid on the block.

“A radio friendly mix of rock sensibilities and Indie whimsy. Each song is almost familiar.”
Is This Music.