Academy Events in association with Fireball are extremely pleased to reveal the final eight local bands who have been chosen to play their respective hometown dates on the first ever ‘Fireball – Fuelling The Fire Tour’.
The Manchester date of the tour on 10th October at the O2 Ritz is now officially sold out.
The winners are: Birmingham pop punks AMFX, Newcastle-Upon-Tyne trio Better Days, Bournemouth folk-punks Black Water County, Wirral ska-punks Broken 3 Ways, Irvine melodic punks Embers, genre-busting London quintet Ghouls, Sheffield pop punk four piece Sweet Little Machine and Bristol punk rockers Weatherstate.
These were revealed At Reading & Leeds Festival on Main Stage last weekend!
Listen to and share a playlist featuring all of the bands from the tour below.
Painstakingly whittled down from nearly 500 entries from the open call for support acts, these eight now go on to join a bill that already boasts Florida ska-punk pioneers Less Than Jake, with support from modern British reggae torchbearers The Skints and Los Angeles amigos Mariachi El Bronx.
Judged by a panel of music industry experts including Alex Baker from the Kerrang! Radio Fresh Blood show, promoters Sean Ryman and Ian Richards from Academy Music Group, UK brand manager James Pattison from Fireball UK and publicist Jamie Otsa from Wall of Sound PR, the bands have each won a 20 minute opening slot on their local date, with full branded Fireball backline provided for the gig on their behalf.
Commenting on the news, Alex Baker of Kerrang! Radio said; ‘As we know, getting a break like this can be the difference between a band getting heard, or not.
‘I’m always so stoked when people prove that they really care about supporting new artists, and yet again Fireball and Less Than Jake have proved that with this competition.
‘There have been some amazing entries – I’ll be playing a heap of them on my show on Kerrang! Radio, and the UK is in for some great live shows on the tour in October!’
Team Rock journalist and DJ Matt Stocks will now also be appearing for the entire tour, as he enthuses; ‘When I got asked to DJ the Brixton show, I was understandably really excited.
‘To now be invited out on the whole tour is absolutely insane!
‘I grew up listening to Less Than Jake records and enjoying their amazing live shows, so to be warming up the crowds for them every night is a real honour.
‘What a bill! And tickets are only a tenner. If my mates don’t come I’ll be livid! They’ve got no excuse – and neither have you.#
The tour – a celebration of punk rock, ska, reggae and roots music featuring some of the best live bands the international punk scene has to offer – is set to hit the road in the UK throughout October 2016 with Japanese ska punks KEMURI and Melbourne psychedelic reggae ska doom metal punk rockers, The Bennies, joining on select dates.
Tickets are incredible value costing just £10 each and are on sale now. The tour spans eight nights including a stop at O2 Academy Brixton in London on Thursday 6th October with a very special DJ set from Kerrang! Radio, Scuzz TVand Team Rock Radio presenter and punk fanatic, Matt Stocks.
The ‘Fireball – Fuelling The Fire Tour’ is your only chance to see some of the finest live bands the international punk scene has to offer on one stage this October – find out what happens when you’re #FuelledByFireball
Tickets for the tour are on sale now.
Monday 3rd October – O2 Academy Bristol * –
Tuesday 4th October – O2 Academy Sheffield * –
Wednesday 5th October – O2 Academy Birmingham * –
Thursday 6th October – O2 Academy Brixton * –
Saturday 8th October – O2 Academy Newcastle ^ –
Sunday 9th October – O2 Academy Glasgow ^ –
Monday 10th October – O2 Ritz Manchester ^ – SOLD OUT
Tuesday 11th October – O2 Academy Bournemouth ^ –
* w/ KEMURI
^ w/ The Bennies