HOPE Portsmouth

Defined Music managed to get their photo up on the Galaxy FM website strutting their stuff. Nice work guys!

http://www.galaxysouthcoast.co.uk/photo-albums-4270/view/65048#photo

There is loads going on at the HOPE project at the moment – and so only right to let you all know:

1. The project received some money from Young Money to replace some tired musical instruments and to improve our video equipment. We are really grateful for this money and it will make a big difference to what we can offer here.
2. One of our bands DefinedMusic has recently been auditioned – and got in with flying colours – to the Portsmouth Variety Show happening in April at the New Theatre Royal. This will be a great opportunity for these guys to really show their stuff in a great venue to a large amount of people. These guys have been busy on their website – check out their amusing Video Blogs…
3. Split Personalities, although having suffered with illness over the last few weeks will also be auditioning for the variety show in the coming weeks and we reckon they’ll get in with flying colours!
4. Zoo In The Sky are booked in to record a demo in the studio over February half term. They are a very well respected local band and haven’t had the opportunity to do a decent demo yet. We hope to put that to rights!
5. Heather Bailey is hard at work on her acoustic sets and we hope to do a ‘lounge’ gig one afternoon in the future to give Heather the opportunity to perform. Keep your eyes peeled for more info on that one….

Backbeat records is very busy at the moment with bands coming and working with us after school. Some recent additions are:

• Split Personalities: After the last academy, the Big Shot Bandanas split and joined forces with Split Personalities to form a new and exciting band. These guys are hungry for gigs and we’ll be working with them on their live performances and recording some demos.
• Defined Music: A newly formed three piece, these guys have some gigs lined up and will be working with Backbeat to do some work on their material, their original songs and doing some recordings.
• Zoo In They Sky: A highly experienced young band who are up for recording some of their songs to produce a really class demo.
• Heather Bailey: Heather is a solo acoustic act who is working with Backbeat to sharpen her performance, her songs before getting stuck into some gigs.

Some exciting things going on. Check out the band websites (which are new) for the latest info…

A few weeks ago the Big Shot Bandanas and the Split Personalities were interviewed on Express FM about the demos they have just recorded and their involvement with the HOPE project. We now have, for your listening pleasure the un-cut interviews which were broadcast live for your listening pleasure…

After a good three months hard work the young people of the after school academy finally took to the stage to show off their moves and their sounds in front of a packed audience. It was a great atmosphere and each act was extremely well received! In association with our record label Backbeat Records there were performances from the Big Shot Bandanas, Split Personalities, the Kings Dance Crew and the HOPE Video mentees with a cracking music video.

The entire gig was recorded and so each participant will get a free DVD with the gig on. And of course some extra behind the scenes footage as well! We hope that these will be ready in about a months time, but will keep you posted on here.

Photos of the event will be coming soon!

Our after school academy has been going now for nearly eight weeks and the guys who have attended have been doing a variety of things including a recording of a couple of demo tracks for a CD that will be released on the night of the showcase gig on our label Backbeat Records. The tracks so far are sounding incredible and a real testament to the guys in the bands. They have come a long way and we are really proud of the sound they have got.

You can listen to the MP3’s here.

We are pleased to announce that the HOPE After-School Academy will be starting very soon! After the success of the Summer Academy we want to offer a similar, yet unique academy that will run after school for 12 weeks starting on February 5th 2009. (more…)

So – it has taken us quite a few months, well nearly 3 to be precise. But the DVD of this years summer academy is finally ready! It has taken quite a lot more work than I had envisaged – but man, it was so worth it. Putting the DVD together had reminded me of just what a fantastic week it was, how stunning the gig was and what a great laugh it was to be doing creative things for a whole week.

The DVD was put together by myself and Mark Rose who did all of the video editing. He worked very hard at that and so a huge thank you goes to him. The DVD is packed with extra features including a directors commentary (well perhaps not a directors commentary, but me, Mark and a few others!), a behind the scenes movie shot by the video mentees as well as all the Banzai videos we made for the week.

I’d love to hear any comments you have got about the DVD. Also if you would like to order any extra copies then you can do so on this page. Order them and we’ll send them right out…