OVERVIEW
Stumble upon a live performance by STAND,
whether in Dublin, New York or beyond, and
you will quickly realize why the steady buzz
this band is creating is about to get really,
really loud! It is seldom you go to see an
as-yet relatively unknown band and leave
the venue besotted and bemused with the previous
90 minutes ringing in your head and playing
on your emotions. STAND does just that! With
the unique instrumental talents of each of
its four members, strung over the powerful
lyrical insights of their two Waters/Gilmour-esque
vocalists, STAND is a breath of fresh sweat
and grit in a musical landscape filled with
pop and puff.
STAND’s philosophy is simple! "Work
your bollocks off!" And if you have
time to complain or contemplate how hard
your working your not working hard enough.
Maybe that’s why the band has managed to
sell over 18,000 copies of their sophomore
recording without the help of things like
distribution chains, radio promotions or
even a record deal.
"Just put us in a van and let us go
play," begs lead singer Neil Eurelle,
whose wit and sarcasm are matched only by
his vocal crescendos and electric stage presence.
The bands addiction to touring has led them
to recently relocate from Dublin to fair
New York, where we lay our scene.
"We decided to move to the States because
there really wasn’t much for us left to accomplish
in Ireland," says Carl Dowling. "There
are no record labels in Dublin that have
the power to sign artists, so while we were
gaining a tremendous fan base by selling
out shows in some of Europe’s largest clubs,
we weren’t getting any label consideration.
Dublin will always be home, but we had to
follow our dreams, so we packed our bags,
said good-bye and sailed to conquer America."
In New York they have captured the attention
of an entirely new fan base with their energetic
live show and their three recordings "Correspondent,"
"Beautiful Grey," and their latest
release "Intervals." Currently,
STAND has regular gigs in New York at The
Mercury Lounge, Arlene Grocery, and The Bitter
End, as well as being a part of the National
Association for Campus Activities’ (NACA),
which keeps the band constantly touring colleges
in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic States.
Recently, STAND’s dedication has started
to pay off. The band landed a licensing deal
with Harp Lager USA for their song "Lift,"
which was used in radio spots on more than
15 radio stations in the top 10 markets.
The success of the spots generated several
radio adds for STAND as well as numerous
on-air interviews and in-studio performances.
The Harp spots also spawned more than 8,000
downloads from the bands MP3.com site. In
addition, STAND has recently signed deals
with New York-based Meat & Potatoes Music
Group for management and artist development
services as well as Grubman, Indursky and
Schindler for legal representation. STAND’s
ballad "Be Global" can also be
found on the upcoming release of a charity
compilation entitled "We are the Children."
While the band looks to record its fourth
album, STAND has already become a dream come
true for these four diverse rockers whose
influences run from The Smithereens to U2;
from REM to Lennon. Their love for music
and fuel to create has propelled the band
into a position where they can influence
the ears and eyes of the masses a position
not even fantasized about when the band formed
in 1991.
Despite their obvious music talents and abilities
to write, each member brought with them a
unique style.
Carl shone through with his lyrical talents
and now, nobody dares to ask him to explain
himself for fear of getting lost in his own
profound response. Suffice to say that many
of his lyrics stem from his very eventful
years.
David's music talents go far beyond his life
span. His innovative style of writing and
arranging music is the perfect glove for
the hand that feeds the lyrics. He eludes
not only his peers but also those who simply
come to watch and be entertained.
Neil's emotional honesty while both singing
and playing is the driving force behind his
eccentric live performance. His childish
approach strives for attention and plays
on the roller coaster of emotions.
Alan's introvert stage presence and ability
to convey this into his recordings touches
the minds of all those who hear him. Undeniably
the shyest member of the band, he prefers
to communicate through music.
The synergy created by the four on stage
builds a rapport with the audience their
audience!
As early as 1997, the band had ventured out
past the confines of Ireland bringing their
music to both the US and Scandinavia. The
crowds’ response was equally as receptive
as back home. On returning to Dublin, STAND
decided it was time to release the debut
single from "Correspondent" "Breathing
but there's no air". The single was
released on the band's own production and
record labels. The hype was grand! Radio
and TV coverage, combined with press and
nationwide tour support ensured that the
single entered the Top 30 on the Irish national
charts where it spent more than three weeks.
The second single from the album, "Questions"
was released on the 6th of November 1998.
It went straight to #9 on the Irish National
Charts and achieved the highest new entry
for the week. By July of 1999, the band was
ready to release the CD to a sold out "Vicar
St." venue in Dublin. In August of the
same year, STAND returned to their own studio
retreat to begin work on their 2nd album.
In September of 1999 STAND set sail for the
U.S. for the last visit before a more permanent
move. They played a series of gigs in New
York including the prestigious CMJ Festival
and then to Portland, Oregon to perform at
the North by North West festival. The New
York dates were stunning as the band gained
considerable interest from Music media and
industry officials. But the gig in Portland
is deemed to be their best ever. STAND performed
to a crowd who had never heard a chord from
any of their songs but they left the stage
facing a STANDing ovation and a crowd screaming
at them not to finish.
On returning to Ireland in October the band
went back into the studio to continue work
on the 2nd album "Beautiful Grey."
Two months were spent writing and recording
new demos and among the songs that emerge
are "Seratonin", "Little Sweet
Lucifer" and "Be Global."
The band would also learn they had won several
prestigious HOT PRESS READERS POLL AWARDS,
including 3rd Best Debut Album of ’99 "Correspondent,"
8th Best Album Overall of ’99 "Correspondent,"
and 6th Most Promising Act for 2000.
Later that month the band set off on a hugely
successful tour of Germany, promoting their
album and creating awareness of the website.
They returned home on Feb. 24th to play The
Point Theatre, Irelands largest indoor venue,
to 7,500 Dublin Institute of Technology students
for the "2000 Rag Ball."
Its very rare you get to see a band that
will blow you away with music so good you
just want to run out and tell your friends
about it. If that is the experience you are
looking for, than get ready for STAND.
Biography taken from the official Stand Website.
1996
- Release of 'The Man From Nowhere' EP
1998
- Release of 'Breathing But There's No Air' single
1999
- Release of 'Questions' single
- Release of 'Correspondent' album [13 July]
- Release of 'Retro Generation' single
2000
- Release of 'People On Streets' EP
2001
- Release of 'Beautiful Grey' album [21 February]
2002
- Release of 'Intervals' EP [11 August]
2003
- Release of ' Sleeping On Our Feet' single
2005
- Release of 'Transmissions' album [17 January]
2007
- Release of 'Travel Light' album [14
February]
- Release of 'Days Gone / Sometimes' single [21 September]
2008
- Release of 'Dressed To Kill [Goodguy Remix]' single [28 November]
2010
- Release of '100,000 Ways To Harvest Hope' album [23 April]
- Release of 'Olivia' single [17 September]
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