New Fierce And The Dead single

Finally the new Fierce And The Dead  single is out and its pay what you want from:

http://thefierceandthedead.bandcamp.com/album/10x10

The Fierce And The Dead are the band I play guitar in. Please tell your friends, word of mouth is so important for us.

It only took us a year to get this far.....

Our album is out in May. Thanks loads to everyone who has downloaded and paid for my solo stuff in the last few weeks and watched the online streaming gigs, its unexpected and hugely appreciated. The online gigs are are archived here and you can buy CDs from here.

Thanks loads

Matt Stevens

Midway through the week of streaming gigs

This week I'm doing a streaming gig everyday - you can watch at:

http://spencerparkmusic.com/online/

Monday's Stream

Went OK - playing was alright with a couple of moments I was pleased with, but there were technical problems and at the end of my set and my pickup decided to die. Nightmare.

Tuesday's Stream

I had to play electric guitar - not something I've practised much recently to be honest - very worrying. It went OK but i need to spend serious time on getting a good guitar sound to make it work - a lot of it sounded quite scratchy but not in a good Sonic Youth way.

As soon as I finished playing I had to run down to Denmark Street and get a new pickup - £185!!!! Absolute nightmare :) not good, but at least it enabled me to do the gig the following day and because of that we sold some CDs so that cheered me up a bit. I got the pickup from the excellent Wunjo Guitars:

Wednesday's Stream

Today went well - I was pleased :)

Thanks loads to everyone who has been watching - hope to see you tomorrow :)

The evening's empire: The evening's artist - Matt Stevens

The evening's empire: The evening's artist - Matt Stevens: "So, after randomly perusing (yeah I said perusing), Twitter a little while ago, I stumbled across an artist called Matt Stevens. This isn't ..."

Streaming online all next week/R2 Magazine

 

Thanks loads to everyone who downloaded the European Perspective sessions last weekend, amazing. It was really helpful in raising the funds to finish my 3rd album (it looks like there will be an EP as well now), more recording in the first week of April - we're getting there -  thanks to your support. If anyone wants a CD you can get both my albums for £10 this weekend only (plus P&P) from here, my wife would like the floor space back :).

 

Everyday this week I am going to be doing a free streaming online gig at 1pm UK time, you can watch here - broadcasting from my back bedroom. Say hello in the chat room - international times are here. 

 

The new issue of R2 magazine features my song Moondial on the CD that comes with the magazine along with a really positive review of Ghost, which I was really pleased about. 

 

Thanks loads for your support 

 

 

Matt Stevens

www.mattstevensguitar.com 

Scan of the Classic Rock Presents Prog Interview

The Pay To Play Scam

Bands, please DO NOT pay to play at a venue.

The way it works is the band has to buy £180 worth of tickets from the promoter up front and if they fail to sell them they loose their money. So any liability for the failure of the the night lies with the band, the promoter takes no risk. Its a con but I was talking to a guy in a band who believed this is STANDARD PRACTICE in London venues. This is INSANE - I've played at most of the small/mid sized venues in London and never encountered this until recently.

The band involved said "if you can't sell the tickets you must be shit and we would get in the NME by playing there". I know this sounds hopelessly naive be there are musicians like this, desperate for exposure - often from outside London looking to build a following in the city. To be honest I thought all this had stopped.

I agree bands should help promote gigs and bands and promoters need to work together to make nights work (I wrote about it here), liability needs to be shared.

All these venues end up doing is putting on poor bands who can't get a gig anywhere else, playing to their mates and often paying for the privilege. This is crazy and MUST STOP NOW. Spread the word, we must stop this.

Streaming gig today at 7pm

Morning all

I'm playing a live streaming gig today at 7pm at

www.cafenoodle.ning.com

Just go to the site - its like watching a youtube video live except if you talk in the chat I can talk back to you :)

World times are here.

Would be great to see you there :)