CORK

DATES

OVERVIEW 1996, Monkstown - Cork, from the underground beginnings of a rural basement,a young group of friends began playing around with organic and electronic instruments to beat the boredom. Creating a noise that irritated an older brother (who would bang from the floor above, complaining of the disturbance to his study for the Leaving Cert) what was to become The Shades was born. Central writers Graham White and Ray Scannell were there from the start and saw the band go through various guises and members to become what it is today. Their first gig (as Inertia) was in a humble, sometimes scary, pub in Passage West. It ended in an unrehearsed national anthem, which the crowd demanded with fists and threatens of Bulmers bottles being broken over band members' heads. When the band refused to play the following New Years' Eve gig at the same venue they were 'barred for life', a sentiment we assume by the wording still stands today. From gigs in the Monkstown/Passage West areas came the band's (now Smooth) entry into the Evening Echo/96FM Battle of the Bands competition (who, we are proud to announce, failed to understand the bands sound). This marked the monumental move of the band into the sprawling Metropolis that is Cork City, where an underground community was growing to its peak. Henry's, Radio Friendly, the Soul and Disco festival, Telefunkin, there was a definite sense that something was happening in Cork and Smooth wanted something to do with it. A palpable musical energy infected the city. Vinyl junkies packed record shops competing for better knowledge of House, Hip-Hop, Drum n Bass - 'dance music' (an insufficient tag for what it was and continues to grow into), was at it's peak. The influence of the DJs who were bringing fresh music to the dance floors was undeniable. Smooth were imitating Portishead, Massive Attack, Air, Aim, Rae & Christian - Acts and music brought to them by a vibrant night club scene. DJs like Greg and Shane, Stevie G and Angi, and live acts like Bass Odyssey were hugely instrumental as both facilitators and innovators of the type of music that made The Shades what it was to become. Miss Ken D gave Smooth their first night club gig, after seeing the band play regularly at the Donkeys Ears and The Phoenix, the underground watering holes of the time, as she rolled out her new line-up at the Half Moon, giving birth to Soulsides. Consequent gigs in Zoes and the Half Moon Club gave the band invaluable experience, as they were still so young. From there the gigs rolled in and Smooth (through playing with various musicians in the city) became The Shades: a tighter sounding duo now welcoming the talents of various musicians including, Michael Heffernan on flute, scratch artist Colm Kenefick and Kieran Curtain of Bass Odyssey fame. It was Kurt who introduced the band to Graham Finn (brainchild behind Bass Odyssey who has worked with people as diverse as The Emporers of Ice Cream and LL Cool J on the soundtrack for Deep Blue Sea) who has recorded, co-produced and engineered everything from the band's first demo to their debut album Explosive, and became the band's guitarist. More substantial and worthy gigs started coming to The Shades on the back of their first demo, now playing at such prestigious venues as The Lobby, The Triskel, Connolly's of Leap, Bruno's (supporting The 4 Of Us) and playing many support at weekenders at The Savoy nightclub. Throughout this time tha band continued to question and develop its sound, mixing more and more organic instruments with the electronic elements (now welcoming drummer Jean Michel Cavallo, formerly of Cyclefly, Rory Dempsey on Double Bass, Caoimhe Collins on Cello and Nicky Kirwan on trumpet). Their yet to be released debut album 'Explosive' has received airplay on all major radio stations, most recently on Today FM's Pet Sounds as 'Witness Rising Artist of the Week', and on Tom Dunne's Top 10. A track from the album, 'Cider Horizon' was voted no. 2 in the Red FM 'Green On Red Top 5' (a listener-based ballot), and third 'most listened to' band on the same show. Colm O'Sullivan was so impressed by the yet to be released copy of Explosive he received he nominated it as one of the best albums of 2003. 2004 - Release of 'Explosive' album 2005 - Release of 'Southern Noises 02' single [24 June]