The life of an unsigned band can be volatile: squabbles about the name of the group, whose vocals are too loud on the demo, who forgot to book the minibus, whose turn it is to make the tea And hanging over all of this is the never-ending quest to get signed. But help is at hand. The T Break initiative, created and supported by Tennent's Lager, has returned to help aspiring musicians everywhere, giving Scotland's best unsigned talent the support and advice that might be the difference between making it big and disbanding after a practice-session punch-up. Last year, more than 1000 bands and artists sent in their demos, with 12 of them going on to play the legendary T Break stage at T in the Park.
In the 12 years that T Break has been running, advances in technology have altered the music industry forever. Hissing demo tapes gave way to burned CDs, which have now been overtaken by MP3s. So, for the first time, T Break is inviting bands to enter their demos online.
To enter, visit the website at www.tbreak.co.uk. After confirming that you're over 18, click on the T Break Studio link. From there you can enter your band's contact details, a little biography and a photo. Most importantly, you can upload up to three demo MP3s.
But even if you haven't embraced the brave digital future of music, you can still get your entry in to T Break using old-fashioned methods. Just download the application form from the website and send your demo CD through the post (you can still only enter a maximum of three songs, though). The closing date for entires is March 5, so there's still a little time if you want to refine your efforts.
The methods to apply might have changed, but successful entrants can expect to receive the same opportunities as in previous years, when the likes of Biffy Clyro, Drive By Argument and Grim Northern Social took part. All submissions will be listened to by the T Break judging panel, which includes representatives of Radio 1, the Performing Rights Society and the Sunday Herald.
The panel will select 48 acts, who will get the chance to play the T Break showcases in Edinburgh and Glasgow in May (there will also be an industry seminar day in May, to which everyone's invited). Finally, 12 bands will play the legendary T Break stage at T in the Park 2007.
The Sunday Herald is also involved in the journalism and photography strands of T Break, where budding music scribes and snappers are invited to submit examples of their work for a chance to cover the T Break stage in our newspaper. Full details of how to enter are on the website.
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