Red Stripe gig series to hit over 25 top music venues

• 17th Dec 2008

Over 25 of the country’s best loved music venues have now been confirmed for Red Stripe’s gig series, which is set to run every weekend from January until April 2009.

Having worked with live music haunts for over 20 years, Red Stripe has hand-picked some of the nation’s favourite mosh pits to set the scene for the third Red Stripe Music Award.

Kicking off on Friday 16th January at Barfly in Cardiff, the gig series will hit Liverpool’s legendary Zanzibar, the award winning Harley in Sheffield and the Box in Glasgow.

Keen to provide unknown bands and artists with a suitable platform, the four month music showcase is a way of supporting emerging talent, working with local promoters, press and music specialists.

Many of the venues are known for hosting some of today’s most exciting acts. Brudenell Social Club in Leeds is most famous for hosting secret gigs for bands like Franz Ferdinand and Kaiser Chiefs and The Cellar in Oxford is where Foals played some of their first ever gigs.

New to 2009 are Dingwalls in London and Cardiff Barfly along with some up and coming young venues such as Moho in Manchester. Described by many locals as ‘a refuge for musical misfits’, the venue has recently been taken over by Embrace frontman, Danny McNamara.

“We work with a lot of new bands at Moho, who just want to get out there and play,” says McNamara. “This gig series isn’t a ‘battle of the bands’ but an opportunity for people with talent to perform at venues they might not normally get the chance.”

Bands wanting to take part should visit link where there are details about all participating venues alongside regular updates on the gigs, shortlists, finalists and special promotions.

The Red Stripe Music Award is supported this year by Fender, Merc clothing, The Fly magazine and The Great Escape.

Red Stripe Music Award confirmed venues and dates:

16th January (Fri) Cardiff, Barfly,

16th January (Fri) London, The Windmill (Brixton)

17th January (Sat) Leeds, Brudenell Social Club,

23rd January (Fri) Exeter, Phoenix

23rd January (Fri) Glasgow, Box

24th January (Sat) Aberdeen, Moshulu

24th January (Sat) Edinburgh, Cabaret Voltaire

30th January (Fri) Bedford, Esquires

6th February (Fri) Bristol, The Croft

7th February (Sat) Brighton, Audio

7th February (Sat) Oxford, The Cellar

13th February (Fri) Southampton, The Talking Heads

19th February (Thu) Wrexham, Central Station

20th February (Fri) Liverpool, Zanzibar

20th February (Fri) Accrington, Attic

27th February (Fri) Reading, Purple Turtle

28th February (Sat) Chelmsford, Barhouse

5th March (Thu) Cornwall, Bunters

6th March (Fri) Cornwall, Blue

12th March (Thu) London, Dingwalls (Camden)

13th March (Fri) Sheffield, The Harley

14th March (Sat) Newcastle, The End Bar

20th March (Fri) London, Halfmoon (Putney)

20th March (Fri) Birmingham, The Rainbow

21st March (Sat) Norwich, B2 Venue

28th March (Sat) Manchester, Moho