Chris Jenkins's blog

With 3 months to go we've had to release more seats for the first Hooked On Classics concert, celebrating 30 years of the multi-million selling album series. Thanks for everyone who has got their tickets early... you will be rewarded with your free album at the show in December.

If you haven't listened to Hooked On Classics recently (or ever!) make sure you do... you'll be hooked in no time at all!

The ibar will be missed by the local music promoters and fans who frequented the place. I hope everyone gave it a good send-off at the weekend.

However, the the show(s) must go on, so I'm pleased to see all the other venues helping out and stepping up to fill the void left by the venue that was 'just right' for smaller shows. Upstairs at The Old Firestation for one will be dusted down ready for the first weekend in September.

The Future Heroes Tour embarks on it's first ever outing in the UK. Featuring electro pop-rock acts We Start Partys & Checking Pulse it's sure be full of Pop hooks, floor-filling drops, and screaming guitars, backed by pure energy and passion every single night.

Electro rock outfit We Start Partys recently toured the UK in May supporting US pop-rock heavyweights The Summer Set on the Ourzone Magazine tour playing sold out shows every single night. We Start Partys most recently released their video for their latest single Seasons.

Hopefully it'll be just like riding a bike... looking forward to getting back into the Studio for the first time in what feels like too long, or not long enough, depending on who you speak too.

After our brief foray into playing live again at Christmas after a 7 year holiday, the 4 of us enter the studio this weekend in Brighton and having just booking the hotel, I'm sure it's going to be a fun.

A great show from the Safari guys tonight in Bournemouth... only their second ever live performance and yet they are very much at home on stage. I recommend their song about Satellites and that you go and see them live at their next gig. Very entertaining and extremely catchy tunes.

All the way from Illinois, the JOA Albums and posters have arrived... and the competition will be announce shortly.

Having a sneaking listen in the meantime. Great stuff.

I spoke with a number of bands today about where they want to go with their music, what they get their kicks out of, why they started playing music and then something dawned on me. Not one of them mentioned technology, facebook, myspace... no one said I just love to send messages on social networks, updating my latest movements or spending hours in front of a computer updating 15 websites, subscribing to 30 distribution outlets.

I reckon a change is coming... about time too.

Year 1995

One of my favourite quotes from an up and coming songwriter... "What's the point in paying for distribution, if no one's gonna buy it?". Wise words. Rarely do you hear an artist refer the basic principals of supply and demand.

Brilliant.