BBC Southern Counties FM - 11th Sept 2005 - 'Big Bag' demo debate

THE JUDGES:

Al Scott has been working with bands, songs and music since he was 10 years old. Firstly in bands touring and recording, then as a monitor man for Little Feet and The Jam and then producing BBC sessions for the John Peel Show. Since then he has won 25 awards for his work in television and radio. Now working as a full time record producer Al has had hits with rap, house, folk and rock, working with bands such as Electric Soft Parade, Asian Dub Foundation, Eliza Carthy, The Levellers, Bomb The Bass and The Oyster Band.

Allan McGowan has some 30 years experience in the music industry, working variously as a concert promoter, artist manager and booking agent for such companies as Chrysalis and Virgin, specialising in the arrangement of European tours. Allan also has extensive experience in corporate entertainment, producing and programming both established and new talent showcase events for major media trade shows around the world, particularly for the 'British At Midem' showcases and as the agenda consultant for the annual 'International Live Music Conference' in London. He has also presented and moderated panels at the Eurosonic festival in Holland, the Amsterdam dance event Popkomm and SXSW (South by South West) in Austin, Texas.

Steve Hillier is a record producer, songwriter and music journalist, whose been involved in nearly a dozen Top 40 singles working with everyone from Keane to Billy Bragg. Over the years Steve has worked with legendary indie labels such as Factory, Music For Nations, Rough Trade, Food and Pete Waterman. Steve is also one of the founder members of the band Dubstar. During their career they achieved 9 Top 40 singles and 3 Top 40 albums in the UK, album sales of over half a million copies, two Melody Maker 'Singles of the Week' and a No. 2 radio hit that was beaten only by Oasis.

What the judges had to say about 'Frustrated' by Intraverse (West Nine Sessions, 2004)

Phillip Jackson (DJ) - "So Al, did that leave you 'Frustrated' or what did it do for you?"

Al Scott - "No, I thought it was really good, I like it. That's 'on it', it had good energy, the energy was there, the energy stayed there."

Phillip Jackson (DJ) - " But it started off with that really weird slow bit which really threw me?"

Al Scott - "it doesn't matter the groove was there from it, it was locked in and it stayed in that groove when it continued and that's what works in a good recording. It's when you wander from one thing to the other in a way that's slightly out of control when it doesn't work. That, [Frustrated] is what you hear all the time on the radio, you turn on, you hear a track you like, it's under control from beginning to end, and that's what this was. It was good, played nicely. The packaging they sent in with it by the way, was superb, absolutely great, that is well worth doing as soon as you look at it you think 'there's a mind at work there, it's worth checking out!'

SCORE: 8/10

Phillip Jackson (DJ) - [describes the Intraverse promo packaging] "presentation is also really really important in the way people are going to respond to it when they first get it in the studio....Allan?" >>

Allan McGowan - "I really liked that actually, the packaging and everything is fantastic so I think they're taking themselves very seriously and they know where they're going with this, that comes across in the track. That track does build that energy thing we were talking about [referring to comments made about the previous two demos] that track keeps going where it's supposed to go, it doesn't go anywhere else it keeps moving up. They're not afraid to go into a slight bit of dissonance they did there, which was almost an off key bit.."

Phillip Jackson (DJ) - "Yeah, in the second round of the guitar riff..."

Allan McGowan - "Yes, it almost goes off key but it's not, it's dissonant* which I quite like, for me it has that staccato approach that reminds me of all the things like Split Ends and experimental bands that go back quite a long time. I liked it, I liked it a lot."

SCORE: 8/10

Steve Hillier - " I thought that was great. It's a really good song, it's played well and I think these guys will probably end up signed, I really do. I think there's just one thing missing and I'm not sure what it is? it's kind of like, to use a cooking metaphor, 'is it more salt? is it more chilli?' I don't know, there's just one slight thing missing, but having said that it's easily the best thing we've listened to tonight!"

SCORE: 9/10

*dissonant - A combination of tones contextually considered to suggest unrelieved tension and require resolution:)

 

 

 

SCORES ON THE DOORS:

PANGEA - [5] (Allan McGowan) .....[6] (Al Scott) .....[6] (Steve Hillier) = [17]

K2 - [7] (Allan McGowan) .....[7] (Al Scott) .....[7] (Steve Hillier) = [21]

INTRAVERSE - [8] (Allan McGowan) .....[8] (Al Scott) .....[9] (Steve Hillier) = [25]!!