The Shetland Young Promoters Group, in conjunction with SIC Youth Services and Shetland Arts’ ‘Band Camp’ project, is hosting ‘Rocktober’ – a gig featuring both some of Shetland’s best young bands and previously unheard collaborations created at the Band Camp event.

The gig will take place on Saturday the 22^nd of October in Isleburgh’s Room 16. It will run from 7:30pm till 11pm with doors opening at 7pm. The gig will feature a wide range of musical styles from indie pop to heavy metal from bands including Automatic Chicken, Metcarpal Love, Organised Chaos and Comet Conspiracy.

The collaborations will be a result of Youth Services and Shetland Art’s Band Camp which will be running over the same weekend. A group of young musicians will be taking up residence in the Bridge End centre in Burra on Friday night and, under the guidance of tutors Bryan Peterson, Fraser Mouat, Stevie Hook and Gary Smith, aim to write songs ready to perform at the Rocktober gig the following evening and record them the next day. The camp will provide a great opportunity for the young musicians to experiment with musical styles they wouldn’t normally pursue and to receive advice and encouragement from respected and experienced musical talents from around the isles.

Eilidh Jones, current chair of the Young Promoters, said: ‘The event will allow accomplished musicians to pass on their skills and allow the younger generation to benefit from their experiences. Rocktober, the culmination of the efforts of the bands throughout the weekend, will showcase all the different talents of this dynamic group of young artists.’

Bryan Peterson, Shetland Arts Music Development Officer and one of the Band Camp tutors, said, “It’ll be an intensive weekend for the young musicians – writing, arranging, rehearsing, performing and recording brand new material, but I’m sure they’ll rise to the challenge!”

Rocktober will be the third gig organised by the Young Promoters this year, following the success of their Talent Tournament in March in which young bands competed for the chance to perform at the Young Promoters Tall Ships Showcase in July.

Tickets for Rocktober cost £4 either from the Shetland Box Office or on the door. All ages are welcome and the group wishes to stress that the event will be alcohol free.

The event has been organised by the Shetland Young Promoters Group who will be programming a slot for young bands on the main Tall Ships stage at Holmsgarth on the Friday afternoon. The Young Promoters decided a showcase talent contest was a great way to let the hopeful young groups earn their place performing at the prestigious event.

Shetland Young Promoters Group is an enterprise to empower young people to stage music events and gain the real-world skills and knowledge needed to manage and promote their own concerts.

The line-up for the Talent Tournament features groups from all over Shetland. Some of the acts include Sandwick’s Organised Chaos who play original material and unusually feature two bass players, punk influenced Casino Feat is a three piece from Lerwick, singer songwriter Keirynn Topp from Scalloway, Mercury Rising is an all girl four piece who attend the Anderson High School, metal band Automatic Chicken have members from Scalloway and Lerwick and Norman and the Folding Deckchairs are a jazz group led by Norman Wilmore from Bixter.

This is a great chance for local young bands to share the stage at one of the Shetland’s biggest  music events of the decade, and for the young promoters to help programme such a major gig. We urge everyone to come down to the Scalloway Hall next Friday to show your support and cheer the bands on.

Tickets for the Talent Tournament are priced £4 and available from the Shetland Box Office, Islesburgh Community Centre, 01595 745 555 or online at www.shetlandboxoffice.org/whats-on/shetland-talent-tournament

SYPG is an initiative led by Shetland Arts and Shetland Youth Services to give young people the chance to learn about music event management and promotion through practical experience, and provide young up-and-coming musicians, bands and DJs with performance opportunities.

The group, formed in 2009 and run by a committee of 14 to 18 year olds, has put on a wide range of events including family orientated variety concerts, silent discos, DJ nights and rock gigs. The group meet weekly to plan and promote their concerts, the next of which is the “Shetland Talent Tournament” at Scalloway Hall on Friday 25^th of March.

Items on the AGM agenda including the election of the new committee, and everyone with an interest in organising youth music events is invited to come along.

The unusual concept of a Silent Disco, which has become extremely popular on the mainland UK and featured at T in the Park and Glastonbury, is coming to Shetland. This is thanks to the SYPG (Shetland Young Promoter’s Group) and Shetland Arts in partnership with Shetland Island’s Council Environmental Health Department.

This innovative musical event will run over two evenings; at both there will be no speaker system and the audience will only be able to hear the music through wireless headphones, provided at the door.

The audience will be able to select their music via their headphones as the FM transmitter provides dual channels. This means they can choose between a selection of DJs including Nadia and Murray, with a guest spot by Shetland’s first silent band “The Funk All Stars“

The first night of the silent disco will be held at Islesburgh Community Centre on Friday the 22nd of May between 7pm and 11pm. This is an alcohol free event, open to young people over 12. Entrance is free but booking is advisable.

The second night will be at Norscot Angling Club, Saturday 23rd of May, and is open to over eighteens. Tickets cost £5.

SYPG Chairperson Ryan Stevenson said, “We aim to do something new and exciting and I think this fits the bill perfectly. I also think it’ll be great fun.”

Bryan Peterson, Shetland Arts Music Development Agency said, “The Young Promoters Group have put on some great events since they formed a few months ago; everything from rock gigs and raves to family orientated traditional dances. It’s great to see them putting on such entertaining and well-managed events. They put in a lot of hard work and their enthusiasm is infectious”

Environmental Health has commissioned this event as part of Noise Action Week to help show that an exciting gig can be held without causing excess noise. Environmental Health Service Manager Maggie Dunne said, ‘We hope the Silent Disco will raise awareness of the impact loud music can have on neighbours to reduce the number of Noise complaints and to promote good neighbour behaviour. With a little thought you can have a lot of fun without causing a noise nuisance.’

All tickets are available from the Shetland Box Office, Islesburgh Community Centre, Lerwick – 01595 745 555

Silent Disco poster

For more information
www.bebo.com/sypg
SYPG c/o Shetland Arts, Toll Clock Centre, Lerwick
01595 743 843

The Shetland Youth Music Forum Conference and Gig will take place on Saturday 16 May at the Sandveien Neighbourhood Centre. The event will begin with seminars held by local music industry professionals followed by an open floor conference. The day will culminate in an alcohol free gig featuring Oscar Charlie, the young Shetland band now based in Glasgow, and The Fire And I.

Everyone with an interest in youth music including young people, events organisers, musicians, educators, technicians, business people, industry professionals and community workers is welcome to attend.

The seminars will start at 1pm. Speakers will include Marvin Smith, band manager, studio operator and co-owner of Bleatbeat records, together with members of Oscar Charlie, who will focus on artist management and promotion.

Davie Gardner of Atlantic Edge Music Services and Richard Wemyss, Events and Venues Manager at Shetland Arts, will host seminars on Event Management, covering topics including health and safety, crowd management and promotion.

Fraser Mouat and Stevie Hook, music teachers and sound and lighting engineers, will host seminars on audio technology and recording software, and provide demonstrations of equipment and techniques. Fraser Mouat said “The seminars offer a great chance for people involved in youth music to speak to folk involved with some very interesting projects, and pick up some skills and knowledge along the way.”

The conference will begin at 4.30pm and cover a range subjects relevant to local youth music issues. Bryan Peterson, Shetland Arts Music Development Officer said “It’s an excellent opportunity for everyone involved in youth music provision to get together, share knowledge and discuss plans for the future. Shetland is at an important stage of youth music development, particularly with how new licensing legislation will affect youth gigs, Mareel on the horizon and the college about to start offering further education courses in music. We hope that everyone takes the opportunity to come along and make their voices heard”

Visitors will also be able to find information on subjects including the jazz development initiative, electronic music production, noise awareness week, upcoming youth concerts, further education courses, Mareel and music development initiatives.

The evening concert, co-organised by the Shetland Young Promoters Group, starts at 7.30 and will be headlined by Oscar Charlie and The Fire And I.

Oscar Charlie were formed in Shetland before moving to Glasgow amid a flurry of record company interest in September 2007. Since then the band have released several E.P.s, become a regular fixture on the Glasgow music scene and played prestigious events around the UK, including the “In The City” international music conference in Manchester last year.

The Fire And I are a two-piece electro rock band whose members come from Bathgate and Mexico City. The band tour regularly around Britain, having supported acts including Amy Macdonald, Biffy Clyro and The Young Knives.

Oscar Charlie’s lead singer Reuben Quinn said “Its great to be coming back to Shetland for gigs. I’m looking forward to playing to familiar faces again. The Fire & I are coming with us. They are superb. It’s really good to be asked to do the Youth Music Forum Conference. Anything that helps Shetland’s young bands has to be supported…. that’s the law”

Support will come from local groups Happy Hour and Calibre who have recently been taking part in the Youth Music Workshops held throughout Shetland. The concert is an alcohol free event open to over 14s.

The seminars and conference are free but booking is advised, as numbers are limited. The evening concert is £5. Tickets are available from the Shetland Box Office, Islesburgh Community Centre, Lerwick – 01595 745 555

Oscar Charlie and The Fire And I will also be playing an over 18s gig at the Norscot Angling Club on Friday 15th May.

For more information contact:
Bryan Peterson, Music Development Officer, Shetland Arts
T – 01595 743 843
E – bryan.peterson@shetlandarts.org

Shetland Young Promoter’s Group (SYPG) will hold a fund-raising ‘Variety Night’ in the South Nesting Public Hall on Saturday the 11th of April.

The event will allow the SYPG to further work of promoting young musicians and bands, and giving the youth of Shetland greater access to well produced music events.

The evening, compared by Scalloway School teacher Patrick Robertson, will start with a concert followed by supper and a dance.

Concert performers include Shetland Senior Young Musician of the Year Erin Sandison, Shetland Schools Music festival award winning group “Norman & The Folding Deckchairs”, Kollifirbolli and “The Bryan McCaffrey Experience”.

There will also be comedy sketches by performers including Margaret Jean Robertson.

The dance will feature young bands “Brack da Bröd” and “Four Piece Suite” culminating with “Rachel Anne Williamson & Friends”

Chairperson Ryan Stevenson said, “We aim to promote young bands in all areas of music and we think the best way to introduce new dance bands is to give them a chance to play”

SYPG committee member Harley Gear said, “We’d like to thank all the local businesses who generously donated prizes for the raffle. We’re really grateful for all the help we’re getting from everyone”

Bryan Peterson, Shetland Arts Music Development Officer added. “It’s great to see the young promoters putting such effort into supporting the young performers and their local communities. Many of the promoters themselves are top class musicians, such as SYPG Vice Chair Lana Thomson, a Schools Music Festival Award Winner and finalist in the Young Musician of the Year competition. The SYPG gives them a chance to gain experience of the organisational side of events, which really complements their performance skills.”

The Variety Night will be held in the South Nesting Hall on Saturday 11th of April starting at 7pm. Tickets cost £8 for adults and £5 for children (under 16’s) and are available from the Shetland Box Office, Islesburgh Community Centre, Lerwick – 01595 745 555 and the Robertson and Reid shop, South Nesting – 01595 890 374
Press release ends

SYPG Variety Night poster

Further information
www.bebo.com/sypg
SYPG c.o. Shetland Arts, Toll Clock Centre, Lerwick, Shetland
01595 743 843

Notes to the editor:
The group aim to build on the recent success of their over 14s alcohol free ‘Rock vs. Rave’ event at the Aith Hall on 20th February. This youth gig featured performances by local bands The Revellers, Pets In Jars and Happy Hour, together with DJs Nadia and Murray.

The ‘Variety night’ is the latest in a long list of events planned for the coming year including:

• Youth Music Forum Conference – Sat 16th May – Sandveien Community Centre – featuring a performance by Oscar Charlie

• Silent Disco – 22nd & 23rd May – Islesburgh Community Centre and Norscot Angling Club (a disco where no speakers are used as the audience hear the music through wireless headphones)

The Shetland Young Promoter’s Group (SYPG) is a joint initiative between Shetland Arts, The Shetland Youth Music Forum and Shetland Youth Services. SYPG is an enterprise to empower young people to stage music events and gain the real-world skills and knowledge needed to manage and promote their own concerts.

SYPG organise events in conjunction with experienced promoters, technical crews and music industry professionals in order to learn aspects of event management; including promotion, business skills, health and safety, sound engineering and lighting; and obtain practical experience of event management and promotion.

It also gives younger audiences a chance to experience live performances in a safe environment and provide young up-and-coming musicians, bands and DJs with performance opportunities.

SYPG is a self contained constituted group open to young people aged 14 to 18 who formed in late 2008.

The formation of the group follows consultation with the Shetland Youth Music Forum, a consortium of youth organisations, local agencies, music professionals and young people, intended to support and sustain youth music provision in Shetland.

The Youth Music Forum is an initiative sponsored by the Scottish Arts Council and administered by Shetland Arts.

Shetland Young Promoters Group will hold their first event, an over 12′s alcohol free gig, in the Aith Hall on Friday 20th February between 7 and 11pm. Dubbed “Rock vs. Rave”, the night will feature performances by local bands The Revellers, Pets In Jars and Happy Hour, together with DJs Nadia and Murray.

Shetland Young Promoters Group is a joint initiative between Shetland Arts, Shetland Youth Services and the Shetland Youth Music Forum. The group, who formed in late 2008, consists of 12 people between 14 and 18 years old. Committee members include chairperson Ryan Stevenson, Vice Chairperson Lana Thomson, Treasurer James Spanswick and Vice Treasurer Karl Smiles.

The group meet every Saturday to plan their events. Each week they receive support and advice from local music industry professionals including Fraser Mouat and Stevie Hook.

Other events the group are planning include the Shetland Youth Music Conference on 18th April and a Silent Disco on May 22nd, where the audience wear wireless headphones instead of listening to music through speakers.

Bryan Peterson, Shetland Arts’ Music Development Officer said, “the aim of the group is to give young people the real-world skills and knowledge to manage and promote their own events. It also gives younger audiences a chance to experience live performances in a safe, alcohol free environment.”

“They’ve a really enthusiastic bunch and they’ve been working hard in the run up to the gig”

Group chairman Ryan Stevenson said, “We have organised some excellent bands and DJs and it’s shaping up to be a great night. A lot of effort has been put into the night and I’m sure it will pay off”

Tickets for the “Rock vs. Rave” night cost £6 and are available from the Shetland Box Office, Islesburgh Community Centre, Lerwick – 01595 745 555

Notes:

The Shetland Youth Music Forum is an initiative to support and develop youth music and provision funded by the Scottish Arts Council.

Pock vs Rave poster

For further information contact:
www.bebo.com/sypg
Bryan Peterson,
Shetland Arts’ Music Development Officer
01595 743 843