The Blackout (band)

Infobox musical artist
Name = The Blackout


Img_capt =
Background = group_or_band
Origin = Merthyr Tydfil,
Wales, UK
Genre = Post-hardcore
Years_active = 2003–Present
Label = Fierce Panda,
2006–2008
URL = [http://www.theblackoutmusic.co.uk The Blackout]
Current_members = Sean Smith
Gavin Butler
Matthew Davies
James Davies
Rhys Lewis
Gareth Lawrence
Past_members =

The Blackout are the most amazing and fantasticle post-hardcore band from Merthyr Tydfil, Wales. After some time backing Lostprophets on their Liberation Transmission Tour with Dopamine they released their first mini-album "The Blackout! The Blackout! The Blackout!". As of October 2007 the band released their debut album, "We Are The Dynamite". The band recently revealed in a MySpace blog that they were working on a new album.

History

The Blackout formed in 2003 in South Wales and drawing influences from across the board, they combine guitars, drums, screaming and melodic vocals.

The band has played shows in and around the UK with the likes of Lostprophets, Funeral for a Friend, Fightstar, Avenged Sevenfold, Reuben, and Fairvail (now Cue To Eclipse). They played the Give It a Name Festival' in April 2006. They played on the main stage at The Full Ponty 2007 with the likes of Lostprophets, Reel Big Fish and The Automatic

They were also nominated at the 2006 "Kerrang!" Awards for Best British Newcomer but lost out to Bring Me the Horizon.

The Blackout released their debut mini album entitled "The Blackout! The Blackout! The Blackout!" on October 23, 2006 through Fierce Panda Records and the only single taken from it is Hard Slammin'.

The Blackout released their debut album, "We Are The Dynamite", on October 1, 2007 through Fierce Panda records. The first single taken from it is entitled The Beijing Cocktail and was released on September 24, 2007. "We Are The Dynamite" is the fastest selling album ever released on Fierce Panda.

To coincide with the band's debut album release they announced a 14-date headline UK tour with Flood of Red and Pierce the Veil.

The Blackout joined the Taste of Chaos tour across Europe in November 2007 playing alongside, The Used, Rise Against, Aiden and Gallows.

The second single released from the album "We Are The Dynamite" was It's High Tide Baby (which features Lostprophets singer Ian Watkins) and was released via Fierce Panda on 11 February 2008. However, due to a pressing error, the a side of this single ended up being the beijing cocktail instead of it's high tide baby.

The Blackout then played a headline UK tour in February with My American Heart supporting them.

In 2008, the band played at the Give It A Name festival for the second time, this time playing on the main stage alongside acts such as Silverstein, Billy Talent and Glassjaw. They also brought along entertainment team The Fuel Girls, to support their stage presence.

2008 also saw the band split with record label fierce panda, scrapping plans to release another two singles from we are the dynamite.

The band were set to release 'I Love Myself And Want To Live' on August 18th. The title being a mock of the Nirvana song 'I Hate Myself And Want To Die', however label issues postponed this.

The band will embark on a European tour in the fall with support from From First To Last, We Are The Ocean and The Medic Droid.

Band Members

Sean Smith - Vocals
Gavin Butler - Vocals
James Davies - Lead Guitar
Matthew Davies - Theremin, Turntables
Rhys Lewis - Bass Guitar
Gareth Lawrence - Drums

Discography

Albums

* "Pull No Punches" [Three-track Demo] (2004)
* "The Blackout!The Blackout!The Blackout!" (Mini-LP) (2006)
* "We Are The Dynamite" (2007) UK Indie #5

ingles

Other Songs

* My Generation (Limp Bizkit Cover) on Kerrang's compilation

Videos

* Their first ever video for the track "The Beijing Cocktail" was released on YouTube on the 6th September 2007 and has since been added to the playlists of Kerrang! TV and Scuzz, two popular digital television music channels in the UK. The video starts with Drummer Gareth Lawrence's nephew introdcing the band.
* Their brand new video for the track 'It's High Tide Baby' has been added to the Scuzz, Kerrang! and MTV2 playlists. It features Ian Watkins of Lostprophets.

Notability

*The Blackout were nominated for the "Kerrang!" British Newcomer award, [ [http://www.kerrang.com/nav?page=kerrang.news.detail&fixture_news=5351814 Kerrang Awards nominations] ] and will also be playing on the "Kerrang!" New Breed launch show, [ [http://www.kerrang.com/ Kerrang! homepage] on November 13, 2006] The Blackout also have a song featured on the "Kerrang!" 'new breed', Hard Slammin'
* In December 2006 The Blackout won best new Welsh act at the Pop Factory awards held in the Coal Exchange in Cardiff bay. The awards ceremony was televised on ITV1 Wales.
*The Blackout were main support for Lostprophets on their "Liberation Transmission Phase One" tour, and were also opening support on the last four dates of the "Liberation Transmission Phase Two" tour.
*Singer Sean Smith does guest vocals on the song "Everyday Combat" on Lostprophets' Liberation Transmission album (credited as "Sean Blackout").
*Ian Watkins, singer of Lostprophets returned the favour by featuring on the track "It's High Tide Baby!".
*Ian Watkins, also joined the Blackout covering Bon Jovi's "Wanted, Dead Or Alive" in a special invite only Radio One acoustic show.
*The Blackout were mentioned in an issue of Kerrang! Magazine on the 'New Music heading your way' section of the magazine and have featured as interviewees in the magazine as well other well known rock magazines such as "Rock Sound" and "Metal Hammer".
*Vocalist Sean Smith featured in the once highly popular band When Reason Sleeps along with now members of Jump The Underground, From Ruin and The Guns who have also supported Lostprophets.
*The Blackout featured in the January 2007 issue of "Kerrang!" in "The Hottest New Bands On The Planet!" section which also featured bands such as Enter Shikari, Kids in Glass Houses, I Am Ghost and Cute Is What We Aim For.
*The band featured on the main stage of 2007's Full Ponty Festival alongside Reel Big Fish and fellow Welsh acts such as headliners Lostprophets.
*They recently covered Limp Bizkit's "My Generation" for the Kerrang! "Higher Voltage: Another Brief History Of Rock" CD.
*Sean Smith sang on unsigned Birmingham band iSpyStranger's song "For Humour and Hope" on their 7 track mini album "Set Your Sights on the Sky" (www.myspace.com/ispystrangers)

References

External links

* [http://www.theblackoutmusic.co.uk The Blackout's official website]
* [http://www.myspace.com/theblackout The Blackout's Myspace]
* [http://tbofans.co.uk First fanpage about TBO! ever]
* [http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/music/sites/blackout/pages/the_blackout_the_blackout_the_blackout.shtml Review on BBC Wales Music page]
* [http://www.rocklouder.co.uk/articles/4216/Interview-The-Blackout.html link] Interview with The Blackout on Rocklouder
* [http://www.beartrappods.com/podcasts/The-Blackout_86.html Interview with The Blackout] on BearTrap Pods (Jun '08)
* [http://www.verseonemagazine.com/images/V1_Website/Features/Sean/Sean.htm Sean Smith Featured Column in VerseOne Magazine. "What Grinds My Gears"]