HMV is delighted to announce that its company-wide new music talent search – ‘no sleep ’til hammersmith’ – is back for a second year.
The contest is open to all HMV Group employees, whether working in the chain’s 250 hmv stores around the UK & Ireland or its ten Fopp stores, its distribution centres or its central offices in London and Solihull.
It’s also open to employees of HMV’s live division at MAMA Group.
Contestants can appear either as solo performers or as part of a group comprising work colleagues or even friends from outside the business. The talent search spans all musical genres and styles.
Twenty-two acts from HMV locations and venues around the country (remarkably including four from the hmvapollo in London’s Hammersmith alone) have qualified for this year’s event (from the original 39 that entered and sent in CDs), and will now compete in two regional heats to take place at the famous HMV-owned Garage venue in Highbury, North London on Tues 26th July and Tues 2nd August respectively (see Notes to Editors).
The top five acts in each heat – as judged by a panel that includes CEO Simon Fox, HMV’s new commercial director, Michael Neil, and head of Music, Melanie Armstrong, will go through to the national final on September 5th, which will also take place at The Garage.
As part of the prize this year’s winner will go on to perform at HMV’s annual manager and supplier conference in October at the iconic hmvapollo Hammersmith, opening as support for a number of major artists on the bill (tbc), who last year included The Manic Street Preachers and Tinie Tempah.
Last year’s winners, Hey! Alaska, featured hmv Stockton-on-Tees-based Mitch Allaway in their line-up, who says: “It was a real thrill to win the inaugural HMV ‘no sleep’ talent search, and to go on to appear on the same stage that has hosted the likes of David Bowie and on a bill that included the Manics was beyond amazing.
“It created a real buzz in the town and got us loads of local attention, which was a real help to the band. It’s a moment we’ll never forget.”
Simon Fox, HMV CEO and chair of the judges, comments: “Last year’s standard proved incredibly high and served to showcase the amazing talent, passion and energy that we have across our organisation.
‘We always like to say that music’s in our DNA, and I can never see that changing – it’s why so many of our work colleagues join HMV companies in the first place.”
Ends
Media enquiries
Gennaro Castaldo, HMV Press & PR
+44 (0)20 7432 2033 / +44 (0)7801 194 139
gennaro.castaldo@hmv.co.uk
Twitter: @gennarocastaldo
Notes to Editors
Regional Heat 1, Tues 26th July, The Garage sponsored by Relentless:
Dreamers Nightmares (hmv Birmingham High Street)
Electrixcity (hmvapollo, Hammersmith, London)
Les Mistons (hmvapollo, Hammersmith, London)
Loaded Message (hmv Manchester Trafford Centre)
Lost? (hmv Norwich Chapelfield)
Mug (hmv Oxford Street, London)
Ooberfuse (hmvapollo, Hammersmith, London)
Shoot the Freak (hmv Newry, NI)
Suzie Smart (hmv Birmingham High Street)
Tarka Dawn (hmv Sheffield Meadowhall)
The Trippers (hmv Wood Green, London)
Regional Heat 2, Tues 2 Aug, The Garage sponsored by Relentless:
Black Sea Fleet (hmv Bury)
Cascarino (hmv Dublin Swords, ROI)
Dutch Schultz (hmv Belfast Boucher Road, NI)
Events Horses (hmv Ballymena, NI)
Former Monarchs (hmv Cork, ROI)
JB Newman (hmvapollo, Hammersmith, London)
Promise Me Tomorrow (hmv Folkestone)
Retronome (hmv Milton Keynes)
The Stow (hmvapollo, Hammersmith, London)
Trap Floors (hmv Worcester)
Triple Drop (hmv Dublin Grafton Street, ROI)
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Contact: Gennaro Castaldo
Phone: +44 (0)20 7432 2033 / +44 (0)7801 194 139
Email: gennaro.castaldo@hmv.co.uk
Website: http://www.hmv.co.uk
