Industry news & advice blog

To continue in our series of blogs about In The City, taking place from 18th to 20th October in our fair city of Manchester, we thought we would take this opportunity to catch up with a few of the bands who have been selected by the In The City team to play at the official ITC Unsigned showcases.

We’ll be around ourselves and reporting back with the hot topics of discussion from the panels, not to mention checking out the hot unsigned talent from around the world. Watch this space! In the meantime meet Gallops, Sophie Madeleine, and She Is Danger.

Gallops
www.myspace.com/thegallopsband
Gallops are currently unsigned. Formed in October 2007, the band has been active in some shape or form ever since.

How does it feel to be playing ITC this year?
It feels really great to be playing at In The City this year. Manchester is definitely one of our favourite cities. To play at an event that has helped launch the careers of so many well established and successful artists is exciting for us to say the least.

So, will this be your first time playing an industry-style showcase?
No, it's not actually. We played at the Un-Convention event at the Sacred Trinity Church in Salford back in June.

What does this opportunity mean to your band?
It means a lot to us. All of our shows mean a lot to us! But to have the opportunity to showcase our art to both the general public and representatives of the music industry in one setting is amazing.

Are there any doors in particular you hope your In The City slot will open for you?
Well, at the moment we are in the market for a record label to snap us up, make us millions and buy us lots of fancy equipment! But failing that if we get some useful contacts/gigs and 5 more fans we will be more than happy.

Is there one particular highlight of your career as a band so far that you can share with us?
I can't speak for everyone in the band and I'm sure we all have our own personal highlights. But, for me the tour of France and Germany we did at the beginning of September with Minnaars stands out. Discovering that there are fans of our music thousands of miles away was a really good feeling! Plus, touring around Europe really made me realise that this is what I want to do for a living. I'm pretty sure the other members would agree!

Sophie Madeleine
www.myspace.com/sophiemadeleine
Sophie has been writing and performing for 8 years under various guises, and has been an unsigned solo artist for about 3 years now.

How do you feel about playing ITC this year?
Excited! And so flattered to have been offered a slot!

Is this your first time playing an industry-style showcase or convention?
Yes, I'm a showcase/convention virgin!

What does this opportunity mean to you?
Hopefully it means a great gig experience with an appreciative audience and chance to show the industry what I'm made of!

Are there any doors in particular you hope this ITC slot will open for you?
I'd like to meet people who can help me along with my musical career, it's tough being an independent artist.

If you could name one particular highlight of your career so far what would that be?
One particular highlight would be the independent release of my album ‘Love.Life.Ukulele.’. It's been so well received and it's selling like hotcakes!

She Is Danger
www.myspace.com/sheisdangermusic
She Is Danger only formed less than a year ago, and whilst currently unsigned are releasing their first single ‘Hurt You’ on their own label.

How does it feel to be playing ITC this year?
Not sure what to expect yet but it’s very exciting.

And is this your first time playing an industry-style showcase/convention?
It sure is...

What does this opportunity mean to your band?
To be seen and heard by the right people.

Are there any doors in particular you hope this ITC slot will open for you?
Yeah…. the door called success! In all honesty, anything that can help us make the music we want to make and have a career in doing so would be amazing. That's why we're here.

Is there one particular highlight of your career as a band so far that you can share with us?
Rocking the main room at Torture Garden – the world's biggest fetish night - has definitely been the highlight so far!