As hopeful bands are contacted for Western Australia’s only statewide music competition, last year’s Next Big Thing winners Streetlight reflect on how three gigs took them from obscurity to the attention of Perth’s growing music industry.
“We were quite lucky in this respect, our second show was actually the first Next Big Thing heat and that’s always a great place to start, although not essential,” says bassist Ben van Grootel.
“The great thing about these competitions is you’re immediately showcasing your band to industry people, industry people that it might have taken months or years of gigging around Perth to be exposed to normally.”
As one of the many music competitions currently seeking aspiring musicians, the Next Big Thing has uncovered various metropolitan and rural talents in its 10 years of heartbreaking heats and furious finals. With their Next Big Thing win secured, Streetlight received prizes that included studio recording time, CD pressing and professional video clip.
“I think it has done great things in terms of allowing us to concentrate more on our music, and less on how we’re going to get that next show, or pay for the next round of recording. We’re always looking to the future though, you have to,” van Grootel says.
In addition to recording time, Streetlight also gained coveted performance slots at the Big Day Out, In the Pines and the WAMi awards assuring them further recognition in the industry.
“Prior to our current lineup and the Next Big Thing, we played for a couple of years around Perth, taking what we could get and slowly working our way up, trying to get our music out wherever we could.
“In my opinion, this is one of the essential steps in making your band what you want it to be. The invaluable experience that we gained from playing as much as we could, everywhere we could helped us to become great friends and helped us learn how each of us works musically.”
Streetlight have offered streamed versions of their tracks both on their official site and Myspace page for those interested in the wattage of their sound.
“I think MySpace is a great tool but it should be used as just that, a tool,” van Grootel says. “Think of it as a facet of marketing or advertising. Don’t rely on it for success but don’t shun it or underestimate its mighty power. It plays a fairly integral role in pretty much any original band but not a vital one. I think you’re crazy not to utilise its strange and mystical powers.”
“We just decided it might be a good idea to enter,” says van Grootel of the Next Big Thing competition. “Why not? Nothing to lose. We went into the competition with no expectations, I think it’s important to never go into these things with expectations.
”With that said, NBT was invaluable to us and I highly recommend it.”
Streetlight will set off on their first national tour after launching the mini-album at Amplifier Bar on June 23. For full details of the tour and exclusive previews of the band’s new material, head to www.streetlightonline.com or
www.myspace.com/streetlightonline.
Next Big Thing entries are closed for 2007, with a full list of bands and heat details expected soon.
