By Andy Thornley
1 October 2013
This summer has been the best in years. The sun shone and the ale flowed as many of us enjoyed the first festival season in recent memory where rain was not one of the headline acts.
This very fact alone ensured that the launch of the UK Festival Awards 2013 was an upbeat event as it took place in the exclusive private members’ club The Hospital Club – a venue that most recently hosted invite-only gigs from Jonny Marr and Suede as part of the Mercury Music prize.
And what music festival awards launch would be complete without a soundtrack? Liverpool’s The Sterlings – a band that we recently featured on the podcast – powered their way through a six-song show-case set to show the gathered music industry heads what they had to offer.
Singer, Matt Bower, opened the set with a few words of thanks for inviting the band down to play before launching in to the band’s current single, She Said, which has been getting airplay on local radio on Merseyside. Indeed, the airplay has certainly helped the four-piece as they were yesterday nominated for Juice FM’s‘Style Award’, going head-to-head with JLS and fellow scouser, Rebecca Ferguson. Big names to be sharing the bill with.
The band seem un-daunted by this and showed their ability to switch tempo and style, with a ‘Deliverance inspired song’ On The Run which when you closed your eyes, was reminiscent of The Bandits or perhaps any track from The Coral’s Magic and Medicine album.
Next they blasted through a turbo-charged rework of Ring of Fire – sounding like Jonny Cash with a belly-full of Semtex, and ended on another crowd favourite ‘Long Way Down which featured three-part harmonies from the lads.
And that was it. They were done and off the stage, enjoying the hospitality that had been laid on for the assembled gravy-trainers of the music industry, content with the show that they’d put on.
The reaction that these boys have had so far has been immensely positive and as well as having their songs played at on our podcast and at Anfield on match day, they’ve also played live on LFC TV.
In the music industry, it’s tough for bands to get a break, however The Sterlings seem to be turning the heads of people that matter and are getting the exposure needed to make a splash.
So next year, when you’re supping on a pint of over-priced froth, somewhere, in a field, in Hampshire… just maybe, you’ll see their name on the bill.
Andy Thornley
@Scouser_Andy
