Jack Rocks - big festival adventures
#JackRocks 7 x 4 Hot Festivals
Ladies and Gentlemen with Music History Making interest, the Jack Rocks 7 rosta of rising star bands are announced: Trampolene, Bang Bang Romeo, The Blinders, White Room, The Wholls, The Sundowners and Broken Witt Rebel are set - courtesy of Jack Daniels - to take "The Zone" of This Feeling to four major festivals: The Great Escape (May), Isle Of Wight (June), TRNSMT (July) and Reading (August). Escape Brexit's eternal winter of discontent. Welcome to Rock'n'Roll Britain's summer of love.
Giving hope to the future of festival bills, engaged audiences and aspiring ambition alike, this is huge. Increasingly over the last few years, there is not a festival line up, that includes guitar bands, without at least one This Feeling allumni setting a credible standard.
For 2017, the (JD) bar has been seriously raised. Jack Daniel’s announces its line-up of partnerships, with it's #JackRocks programme set to appear at some of the most exciting UK festivals. Pictured above, Bang Bang Romeo commanding the JackRocks / This Feeling Stage (which Noel Gallagher advised music fans to attend, from the main stage) at YNot? Festival 2016, captured for our chapters by Tarquin Clark.
Collaborating for a third year running with Britain’s biggest (nationwide) live music club, This Feeling, the Tennessee Whiskey will make a definitive mark on the future of festival bills, supporting star potential and treating music fans to new favourites that maybe they're not yet aware of.
Brand new for 2017 and exploding with positive hope, The “Jack Rocks 7” rosta come hugely talented/tipped, widely adored and highly acclaimed. A variety show of sounds, at different stages in their career, they've been hand picked from around the land.
Jack Rocks 7 on tour
Kicking off in Brighton at The Great Escape Festival; 18th-20th May, Jack Rocks The Hope & Ruin, an independent venue that has been part of the brand’s ongoing support of venues nationwide. Jack Rocks will grace the Isle of Wight Festival for the third year running, bringing a huge line-up of emerging talent to the island 8th-11th June. Jack Daniel’s will also be supporting the first ever TRNSMT festival on Glasgow Green 7th-9th July and the season will close with Jack Rocks at Reading Festival over the August Bank Holiday.
London Launch and largeness
This is a major story for the entire British music industry. Entertainment is one of our great exports, economies, employments and reputations. The Jack Rocks 7 will be introduced at an invitation showcase in London on 18th April.
No offence to The Brits, The Voice, Later With Jools, X Factor etc, but this authentic buzz is created off screen in small music bars. Your mate or social networks probably told you about This Feeling. Your ears and heart did the rest. So much fun and laughter goes on.
With so many of The Zone's family doing so many big, rising star things right now, it can't have been easy to choose, but great work King Scout n Promoter, Mikey Jonns, because passion for music and affection for artists is attracting an expanding family of genuine love.
Now imagine a set in the spirit of this video, on a festival stage, and allow yourself to get lost in the palpable excitement of these Almost Famous moments
The Jack Rocks 7
This is the dawning of the age of North West outfit, The Sundowners.
The Coral's label mates bring a groovy, classic, angel harmonised trip to this festival express, and have found themselves appearing at some grand occasions, courtesy of this aural mind blowing. (video: 'If Wishes Were Horses')
Birmingham's Broken Witt Rebels have been compared to early Kings Of Leon, which is no mean feat. Polished bluesy rock with arena sounding guitar licks. In fact, if there's one thing that every one of these bands has in common, it is that they could carry off a main stage appearance already. A confidence that comes with being so into what you're doing, that it takes over you.
Brighton's White Room (who also played one of TheZineUK's ArtBeat socials) are out on the road with Paul Weller, for a second time with their distorted, psychaedelia. The Wholls? are yet more born entertainers on this rosta. Recently produced by Steve Baughman (Michael Jackson, Snoop Dogg, Destiny’s Child, Pink) they come hot from a European tour and recent signing to Sony Records.
Swansea trio, Trampolene (relocated to London), are a formidable favourite of our story . Banging newer wave anthems and front man, Jack Jones, is also The Libertines tour poet and Pete Doherty's guitarist. It's probably been said many a time; Jack rocks! Can't resist this earworm from last summer; 'Tom Hardy'
Recently Pirate Studios launched their nationwide launches in partnership with This Feeling. The finale, #PirateLive streams, from Sheffield, were by Bang Bang Romeo and The Blinders, both repping Yorkshire, like they were on BBC 4 TV.
Compositions and performances capable of winning LOVE internationally. The calibre of this crowd commanding rosta is something to behold. “We have always taken immense pride in supporting emerging talent and helping those who keep the UK music scene the thriving hotbed it is today, including venues and promoters." says Michael Boaler, Senior Brand Manager at Jack Daniels UK, adding "We’re really excited to be launching Jack Rocks 7 this year and help them on their road to success. It’s going to be a great summer of music”. This attitude is refreshingly inspiring. Why isn't everybody speaking up for, supporting, funding and recommending music? It is a life blood of social collusion. It is life. Having hosted over 400 gigs at small venues nationwide and curated new music stages at some of the UK’s biggest festivals, this summer’s events see the Jack Rocks programme continue to shine a light on the headliners of tomorrow.
Since 2014, Jack Rocks has championed independently spirited acts and, along with This Feeling, has been part of the journey for some of today’s hottest talents. From Q’s Best Breakthrough Act The Amazons to the wonderfully shambolic Cabbage who graced the cover of TheZineUK's picture book story last summer - (Jack Rocks/This Feeling Festival stage!)
This year Cabbage - tearing around the country inviting “hero worship and parental disapproval” (The Guardian) in equal measure, are BBC Sound of 2017, and will support Kasabian. In the spirit of This Feeling, they also give something back. They are one of the high profile bands that have invited newcomers The Blinders (a punkadelic and poetic trio of Manchester based students from Doncaster) to support them, saying "Best band in the country right now. You'd be a fool to ignore them."
As if to prove many a point made above, this Gavin Monaghan produced, Gibralter sized rock, 'Ramona Flowers', is a b-side as short film by Sam Crowston of the band's first headline tour, with This Feeling (February/March 2017). Watch this and BELIEVE in the potential power of the Jack Rocks 7
#JackRocks 7 = No Shite And The Seven Phwoaaaars
You're welcome.