...and your band could open the show!
This December, Fireball’s Fuelling The Fire tour will return for its third consecutive year, offering punk fans the opportunity to see five bands for a knockdown price of just £15.
2018's bill will be headlined by Celtic punks Flogging Molly, who are joined by Californian punk veterans Face To Face and some very special guests, who will be announced in the coming months.
Flogging Molly – Drunken Lullabies
The tour will also feature regional opening acts and Glasgow pop-punk newcomers Lost In Stereo, who were crowned Fireball’s Hottest Band of 2018, following an impressive set in their hometown last autumn.
Fireball’s Hottest Band program was set up to support the UK’s emerging grassroots talent, by offering new bands the opportunity to perform in front of huge audiences, while helping them navigate the often choppy waters of the music industry.
“There are so many shows that people want to go to but only have a certain amount of money in their pocket,” says Fireball’s UK brand manager James Pattison. “We’re subsidising ticket prices to put on an outstanding bill that champions new music as well.”
Competition to gain these coveted slots is particularly fierce, with around 400 bands submitting demos each year, which are put before a panel of music industry judges.
Sweet Little Machine – Monsters
Sheffield’s Sweet Little Machine were the first band to benefit from Fireball’s commitment to supporting up and coming UK bands. The four-piece were selected to open on their hometown date of the inaugural Fuelling The Fire tour in 2016, featuring headliners Less Than Jake, Mariachi El Bronx, The Skints and Kemuri.
“They’re really very good; they’re writing really good music and the tour gave them a chance to show people what they’re capable of,” says Pattison. “We wanted to help them develop and put them on a couple of tours. By the time it came to the Fireball shows, their performances were at an outstanding level.”
Frontman Alex Lantrua-Kissack, whose band are now working on the follow-up to their Monsters EP, describes Fireball’s input as “incredible”.
“We got on the Me First and the Gimme Gimmes tour, then with Patent Pending a few months later,” he explains. “The Fireball tour was such a great experience. It was the sort of tour you dream of doing when you start a band. We had such a good time and it felt like one massive family by the end of the tour; Fireball are great to work with and have always been there when we’ve needed advice.”
Lost In Stereo – Tear Out The Pages
Lost In Stereo’s performance at Glasgow’s O2 Academy during last year’s trek – which featured headliners Reel Big Fish, Anti-Flag, Mad Caddies and Sweet Little Machine – resonated with the Fireball team and were rewarded with a slot on this December’s tour.
“The great thing about Fireball is that they understand the direction we want to go in as a band, so they’re helping us and giving us advice which will benefit us,” says frontman Ellis Hill. “We’re looking at playing some festivals after the tour and have some awesome gigs lined up. It’s an unreal opportunity for any band.”
“After we saw them play, we knew that Lost In Stereo were the ones we wanted to work with,” says Fireball’s Pattison. “We’ve got a couple of different activities planned for them that are under wraps for now. And, like Sweet Little Machine, we hope we can give them an extra platform to reach people and bring them to the attention of more promoters. It’s really important that people support their local bands. These are the bands that help drive the scene.
“There a lot of bands out there with a huge amount of talent who aren’t being heard,” he adds, “so any help Fireball can give them is a win.”
Fireball’s Hottest Band competition – held in conjunction with Kerrang! – is now open and full details are available here.
The dates for Fireball’s Fuelling The Fire Tour are on sale now and will run as follows:
Deccember
2 London O2 Shepherd's Bush Empire
3 London O2 Shepherd's Bush Empire
5 Glasgow O2 Academy
6 Newcastle O2 Academy
7 Bristol O2 Academy
9 Manchester O2 Ritz
10 Sheffield O2 Academy
12 Birmingham O2 Academy
13 Oxford O2 Academy
14 Bournemouth O2 Academy
