Academy Events and Fireball are pleased to reveal the regional winners of Fireball’s Hottest Band 2019 Competition in association with Kerrang! Magazine, who each go on to open their local date of the ‘Fireball – Fuelling The Fire’ Tour 2018.
Whittled down from over 350 entries to this year’s competition, the final 10 bands were selected from the 30 successful winners of the first round at the recently-held regional heats across O2 Academy venues around the country.
The full list of 2018 regional winners is as follows:
London Heat
Black Water County (Bournemouth)
The Lagan (London)
The Run Up (Bristol)
These Five Years (London)
Birmingham Heat
Wood & Nails (Birmingham)
Lake Acacia (Oxford)
Newcastle Heat
Thieves of Liberty (Newcastle)
Take Today (Glasgow)
Sheffield Heat
Counting Coins (Sheffield)
The Human Project (Manchester)
Commenting on this year’s regional winners, Fireball UK brand manager James Pattison said: ‘It was, again, a really strong year for applicants to open the Fireball Fuelling The Fire Tour. The eventual winners all deserved their places respectively on the tour with some fantastic performances to boot, but the support that the bands all gave to each other was the real champion of every night. The scene is still thriving, and that’s why we wanted to turn this process into an evening of some drinks on us and put these bands in front of some of the UK music scene’s influential individuals.
‘We hope to continue to work with all of the bands who played at any of the heats as we continue to support the local, grassroots music scene in the UK, but we’re also massively looking forward to what the winners can do on a bigger stage in front of sold out crowds. Roll on December!’
Each date was judged by a specialist panel comprised of members from Kerrang! Magazine, Fireball and Academy Events, alongside local music industry experts in each city. The overall winners of the competition will be selected at the end of the tour from the 10 regional finalists, and will be crowned Fireball’s Hottest Band 2019, appearing as the opening artist for the entire tour next year.
Fireball’s Hottest Band 2017 winners Sweet Little Machine went on to play alongside the likes of Reel Big Fish, Anti-Flag and Mad Caddies, and garnered further support slots with Me First and The Gimme Gimmes, Patent Pending, Don Broco and many more, also appearing at Fireball stages across several UK festivals.
Hitting the road throughout December 2018, the ‘Fireball – Fuelling The Fire Tour’ will feature a star studded lineup of the best in punk music, with The Bronx recently joining previously announced headliners in Celtic-punk legends Flogging Molly, So Cal punk veterans Face to Face, and the Glasgow pop-punks from Fireball’s Hottest Band 2018 Lost in Stereo.
The ‘Fireball – Fuelling The Fire Tour’ is your only chance to see some of the finest live bands the punk scene has to offer on one stage this December – make sure you don’t miss out. #FuelledByFireball
‘Fireball – Fuelling The Fire’ 2018 Tour Dates with Flogging Molly + The Bronx + Face To Face + Lost In Stereo + DJ Matt Stocks:
02.12.18 – London – O2 Shepherds Bush Empire (+ These Five Years)
03.12.18 – London – O2 Shepherds Bush Empire (+ The Lagan)
05.12.18 – Glasgow– O2 Academy (+ Take Today)
06.12.18 – Newcastle – O2 Academy (+ Thieves of Liberty)
07.12.18 – Bristol – O2 Academy (+ The Run Up)
09.12.18 – Manchester – O2 Ritz (+ The Human Project)
10.12.18 – Sheffield – O2 Academy (+ Counting Coins)
12.12.18 – Birmingham – O2 Academy (+ Woods & Nails)
13.12.18 – Oxford – O2 Academy (+ Lake Acacia)
14.12.18 – Bournemouth – O2 Academy (+ Black Water County)