King of the stage showcases hidden N.B. talent
Published Thursday August 14th, 2008
Competition is looking to showcase local bands.
An exciting showcase of New Brunswick talent is currently underway in the province's capital. Through the combined efforts of one of Fredericton's well-known music venues and a Canadian talent agency, King of the Stage 2008 is taking the battle of the bands concept to new heights.
"The main idea behind this event is to offer local bands a chance to play on a professional stage in front of their families and friends, as well as a chance to win some good money," said organizer Nick Zildjian, owner of Nicky Zees, a popular downtown nightclub.
Nicky Zees has been a hotspot for live music over the last few years, hosting several major touring hip-hop, metal, and rock acts.
Over the course of six weeks, artists from across N.B. will compete for a chance to win a $5,000 cash prize. Five showcases will take place at Nicky Zees throughout August and September. The contest began last week (August 8) and will lead up to the final show, taking place on September 19 at The Playhouse. Winners will also receive a DVD of their performance on the famous Playhouse stage, where acts like Simon and Garfunkel, Roy Orbison, and most recently, Leonard Cohen have stood to perform to capital city music lovers.
"I'm interested in seeing some new talent showcased and possible expanding our roster," said Matt Harris, a Maritime agent and musician working with Ontario's Soppet Grabar Agency. "The basis of our roster is in Ontario and northern and central Quebec, so expanding down to the East Coast is a great way to meet some new and up-and-coming bands that are trying to make a career in the music business."
The Soppet Grabar Agency is an Ontario based management company with an expanding roster of musicians, actors, models, and sports professionals. The agency currently works with Fredericton singer/songwriter Andy Brown.
A call for submissions was advertised through Fredericton's Musicstop, back line sponsors for the event, through the Internet, and by word of mouth. Applications soon began rolling in and a juried selection process picked a number of finalists to perform in each of the showcases.
"We wanted to keep an even playing field for all applicants," said Harris. "Instead of telling musicians we know exactly what was going to happening, in the months leading up to this, we dropped hints that something was going to be happening at Nicky Zees and that they should keep their eyes and ears open.
"The jury process we used to pick the finalists basically shadowed how the East Coast Music Awards or Music New Brunswick pick their showcases," he added.
When the official launch took place, the applications at Musicstop disappeared within days.
"I put the word out on the streets down in Saint John, Moncton, and all around the Fredericton area and got responses from all those cities," said Harris. "There was a lot of response on the web forums, Facebook, and Myspace as well, along with people calling me directly asking how to apply."
The criteria was pretty simple. In order to be eligible, all applicants must perform original material, must have their own gear, and 50 per cent of the band must be citizens of the province or have lived here since the beginning of the year.
Both the organizers and the sponsors found the response they received was overwhelming, and the acts, diverse.
"We've got everything," said Zildjian. "There's an electronica band, a punk band, a rock-a-billy band, rock bands, metal bands, and a funk band too. Since there really isn't a New Brunswick sound, the range of acts is incredibly diverse." Each showcase except the fifth will feature four bands performing before three judges. Three bands will be featured during the August 29 event. All the acts will be judged against a set criteria focusing largely on stage presence, musicianship, and songwriting. Audience members will also have the opportunity to cast a ballot for their favourite. A point system will be used to tally both the judge's scores and the audience votes.
"Every vote from the crowd is worth one point," said Zildjian, "so it's really important for the bands to either bring their friends, or wow the crowd with their music and win over those who were impartial going in." The judges for the event will be representing the major sponsors, Molson Canadian Rocks, Coors Light, and Bacardi Canada along with Fredericton's own Fox FM.
"There will also be some people from the music industry as well," said Harris.
"Hopefully there will also be a few people representing record labels and other agency groups on hand as well to share their expertise." Both Zildjian and Harris hope to see this become an annual event for the city. Given the amount of interest they received, they feel strongly that an event like this could easily find the support to take place each year.
"The number one thing this year besides the cash prize, is to be the first band to win what we hope to see become an annual event," said Zildjian.
With the event getting officially underway last Friday, August 8, Zildjian is confident this showcase will prove to be a huge eye opener for many Frederictonians unaware of just how much talent exists in the area, and throughout the province.
"There's a lot of talent, and especially a lot of young talent that are sure to open some people's eyes."
Showcases take place August 15, 22, 29, and September 5 at Nicky Zees, 375 King St. starting at 9 p.m. Tickets for the final performance and award show at The Playhouse September 19 are on sale now at The Playhouse Box Office.
This week's performers are No Shows, Tallest Band on Earth, Bullet Hero, and On Standby.
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