Thoughts & Expectations


“I hear the mushrooms are in season”


Last week we revealed the names of the nine artists who have been confirmed to perform at SellaBration ’08. This week we turn to the musicians themselves and ask about their intentions and expectations...


We asked all nine performing acts the same questions:

  1. Your thoughts on playing SellaBration, please...
  2. Any other plans, while in Amsterdam that weekend?
  3. What's the single one thing you are looking forward to the most at SellaBration '08?
  4. Of all the bands/artists on SellaBand, who would be your favorite to share the stage with?

 

Confused 5:

 

1. “What a pleasant surprise it was when we first were invited to play at Sellabration 08! With over 7000 artists, and 22 50K artists it is a great honor to get the possibility to perform at the Paradiso. It is exciting to know that the whole show will be presented live on fabchannel.com !”

2. “Sure - to meet as many community members as possible and to have 1 or 2 cold beers together (per hour). And some members of the band (me included) will visit the Van Gogh Museum.”

3. “Why only one thing? Ok,ok besides the thingie with the beer, it will be the giging. We wouldn´t be artists if anything else would be more enjoyfull than to play our own music live.”

4. “Every involved, hard working artist would like to play there and it is unfair to point out one single artist, just take a look to Markus believer profile and you will find plenty of artists we really like.”


Electric Eel Shock (guitatist Aki):

 

1. “We are really glad to have a big chance to go up to next step with SellaBand. So I'm looking forward to have a gig with other bands on SellaBand. SellaBration should be great to make a friendship with these bands. I'm also looking really looking forward to meet new fans who know us through Sellaband.and all our believers - We like to have a big party!”

2. “I'll go to fish in Slotermeer. It is a great fishing lake and my 2nd home... Kazuto and Bob Slayer will go drinking with many friends we have in Amsterdam - they will probably get messy and I will have to cook them fish!”

3. “I know about Paradisso for a long time because Japanese legends 80's heavy metal band ‘Loudness’ played there 22 or 23 years ago! Paradiso was the first venue that EES played in Eruope (excluding the UK) we played the 2nd room on the way to Roskilde Festival in 2003. Since then we have played both rooms of the Melkweg many times but this will be our first time in the main room of Paradiso. it is very exciting!

4.    “The first hard rock band on SellaBand of course - Vegas Dragons!”

Francis Rodino:

 

1. “Thank you very much for thinking about me. I am glad that SellaBand can celebrate it's 2nd birthday in style. A year ago I played on the street. This time it's the main stage. It's the perfect place to introduce my album, "Circles & Squares". It's big, it's bold, and it's beautiful - and I look forward to performing the re-invigourated, re-envisioned songs with my 6-piece band.”

2. “I hear the mushrooms are in season.”

3. “After 8 months couped up in a studio, I am tremendously horny. I'm also looking forward to seeing the SellaBand team embarass themseleves in a drunken stupor on the dance floor. You had some great moves last year, Johan - don't forget your dancing shoes. Speaking of drunken stupors, it might be a great time to re-negotiate my publishing deal. Please bring a pen. Truthfully - everyone who has contributed to the financing of my album - come to Sellabration!. This is the opportunity for me to personally thank each and every one of you - face to face. You put me in the studio. You put me on the stage. You have given me the opportunity to bring my music to life that has surpassed my wildest expectations. You wanted it, you're getting it. So for once, it's not about ME - it' all about YOU! The one thing I'm looking forward to the most is meeting my Believers, and enjoying more than a few beers with friends.”

4. “Lucia Iman. Lucia - I love you, i love you, i love you. You make my heart melt, my logic go nuts, my brain turn to mush. I am so sorry that I could not catch your gigs in Europe. Please come back! Will you marry me?”


Julia Marcell:

 

1. “I'm thrilled! Last year I watched SellaBration on-line and I'm happy to be a part of it this year. I look forward to meeting everybody and watching some great live shows.”  
 
2. “Plans to finally lay my eyes on Amsterdam. I've got some stories about how bad luck prevented me from visiting Amsterdam before, but now I need a story about how I was in Amsterdam and it was great.”

3. “Playing the greatest show in my life this far, for the greatest crowd. That's obvious.”
 
4. “I'm curious of everybody, especially 50k artists as I haven't got much chance to see them live yet.”


Maitreya:

 

1. “It's gonna be an amazing night!  The line up of artists is fantastic and it's an honour to be closing the show and kicking off the after party!  My band, which is made up of myself, Sean-e-Mac, G-Money & DJ Format will be presenting Close To Home in a way that will bring it to life and show you a whole lot more of what we're about. We will be fresh from touring New Zealand and are really excited to perform the album to all the Believers at SellaBration who made it possible!  And of course there will be special guests, as is customary at a maitreya show!”

2. “We are planning a promotional schedule for the release of LOTALUV to radio in Holland and I hope to make the best use of my time in Amsterdam for that.  I am also going to be staying in Europe/UK for a few weeks to do some more gigs and hopefully sell some Believer albums!”

3. “Playing my album live to all my Believers who made it possible. Nothing else is more important to me than presenting a professional live show, which builds on and adds to the studio album.  To be playing last when hopefully everyone is ready to throw down and party is really exciting!  Then catching up with all the people I haven't seen since January and the Believers I haven't met yet, which is always awesome!”

4. “Haha.. well, Francis and Misty naturally!  I have songs with them!  I think Julia is a very talented girl, maybe I'll grab the mic when she's not looking!  Mua Dib are wicked, I'd rock with them any day and then there is my hometown favourite Kane Sole, I'd love to see him play there… far too many to choose from, any artist who is invited deserves their spot and I wish them all the best of luck!”  

Mysti Mayhem:

 

1. “I am very excited to be a part of a Sellaband event. This is my first time performing. I had the pleasure of viewing some of the great performers at London Calling, Lucia Iman, Second Person, Francis Rodino, Maitreya, BPM and Clemence.  I feel honored that I get a chance to be on the list of great artists who have performed for SellaBand.”

2. “Yes. I have heard rumor that there are lovely ladies and antics that surround the Red Light District. I would like very much to taste the fruit of that chaos tree, but more importantly, meet up with my Believers. Hopefully I can do some busking at Leidseplein, or set up some gigs for my upcoming album ‘Diversity’ before I fly down to Portugal to perform.”

3. “Performing onstage.  I love to travel, and see new faces, but my life is driven by music.  I can already taste the sweat on the microphone and feel the heat from the lights as the beer flows heavily for the audience.”

4. “ I would love to share the stage with Spellbox quite honestly.  My Believers have supported my solo career and I am forever grateful and I believe they deserve a chance to hear the yin of my yang, the cherry on my sundae, Spellbox.”

SolidTube:

 

1. “It is really amazing that SolidTube will be finally able to show the people in the Netherlands at the Sellabration what we are all about. Last year we had many many discussion to set up our own gig in Amsterdam in order to attact more of the mainly dutch believer base. Now as a proud 50k Artist and with a released album this is complety different: now we can start also on that way to pay back to more of the people who have supported us but never had the chance to see us playing live - we honestly hope, we can perform to show, that we have been worth it and that is was money well spend.”

2. “JohanV (and others) said it a couple of times before: SolidTube is and understands itself as a hard working band. So, from the minute we got the invitation to play at Sellabration we started to organise another gig in Amsterdam. And today we are happy to announce: For everyone who can't get enough from SolidTube - and we hope the short set for the Sellabration will convert a couple of more fans - we will play another gig on the day after Sellabration: Consider the advertising for the "SolidTube in Concert" gig on Saturday, the 16th of August started! - See you (and maybe a few 'special guests' ;) at Bourbon Street! ”

3. “Meeting as many old and hopefully new friends as possible !!! - And off course: To ROCK you.”

4. “Mandana: Mysti Mayhem - Mike: Maitreya (all because of the 'M's) - Gerry: Banshee - Docnik: MaWa - MaWa: ConFused5 ;)”

continue collumn 2 >>


 

 

The Birthday Bash:

 

Get your tickets now!


One Night, Two Stages, Ten Bands Four Continents. With this friendly pay off we have just launched the promo campaign for SellaBration '08, SellaBand's first ever Festival. What we would like to add to these numbers? An audience of 2,000... And half of the audience should be made up of members of our community. Read on, if you would like to get your hands on a (pair of) ticket(s).


August 15 may well be almost two months away, but we're expecting that the demand for tickets will be overwhelming, so we'd better start giving them away now. How? Simple. Go to your own profile page (Artist or Believer) and you will find a box where you can register your request for tickets. You can put in a request for either one or two tickets. If you decide not to come alone, SellaBand gives you the opportunity to bring a guest. Let's call them 'non-Believers'. We know a lot of people have been trying very hard to bring new Believers on board. A lot of have succeeded, others haven't. Here's a chance to be just that little more convinving...

 
Bring a friend and get a gift part...

A SellaBand Believer can bring a 'non-Believer'. You have until August 1 to make up your mind, find and select the right person. All we need you to do is register the e-mail address of your guest before August 1. If the two of you show up on the night at Paradiso (August 15), your friend will receive a free Gift Part to start Believing on SellaBand. The Gift Part will be ready-for-use, that's why we need the e-mail address upfront. It goes without saying that also your tickets for SellaBration are for free. So what are you waiting for, go to your own page now and register asap. There are 500 pairs of tickets available for our community, they could be gone before you know it. On your profile page (Artists & Believers) you find a box where you can register. First yourself and then, if you want, the aforementioned non-Believer. Deadline for registering the non Believer is August 1. Last year we had people visiting from 22 different countries. Let's see if we can break that record this year...



 

Paradiso opening act


Here are the 10 finalists...


It took us a bit longer than anticipated, but today SellaBand can announce the 10 finalists who will compete for the honor of being the opening act of SellaBration '08. This was a strictly pre-50K affair and from the hundreds of participants, our respected members of the jury have selected 10 finalists. Now, the final verdict is up to YOU...


The list of music stars that have graced the stage of Paradiso is impressive to say the least. From the Rolling Stones to Guns 'N Roses, from Lenny Kravitz to Coldplay and from AC/DC to Anastacia. For musicians this is almost a sacred temple. The fact that it used to be a real church adds to the myth and the legend. Playing the Paradiso is and will always be very special. There is however another side to the coin. And that is that it can be rather overwhelming to play on such a big stage to such a big crowd. And that is perhaps why our experienced members of the jury for our SellaBration competition have used some strict rules and guidelines for their selection process of the 10 finalists. These include:
Live experience
Some impact among Believers on SellaBand
Their personal taste.


Paradiso main stage

From over 400 entries, Erwin Sjoerdsma from AT Productions and Jan Willem Sligting from Paradiso have submitted their list and with the approval of SellaBand's very own Global Head of A&R Adam Sieff, we have now come to the following 10 finalists:


Voting begins as of today, Tuesday June 17. How? If you are a registered Believer on SellaBand you will see a box on the profile pages of the 10 finalists. You can click on the vote button once per day. On a special SellaBration Competition Page on Club SellaBand you can watch the Live Chart as it happens.
On Tuesday July 1, at noon CET (12:00) the page will be closed and voting stops. In the Tribune that appears that night, the whole world can read which artist or band has been chosen by the SellaBand Community, to perform at SellaBration '08, on August 15 in Amsterdam. For the record: accomodation and travel expenses will be paid by SellaBand. So, if you want to see your favorite 'Pre 50K Act' live in concert, start voting today...

SellaBration Highlights


In a nutshell, this is why everybody should put August 15, 2008 in their diary as a day that will not go unnoticed:


  • The first ever SellaBand Festival at Amsterdam's legendary concert hall Paradiso
  • One night, two stages, four continents, ten bands
  • 2,000 Music-lovers will gather for SellaBration '08
  • The entire show can be watched around the globe via www.fabchannel.com
  • Two brand new SellaBand albums will be premiered live on the night
  • Early birds will receive a free SellaBration '08 t-shirt
  • A SellaBand Seminar will be held on August 15 as well
  • Your chance to get together with other Artists & Believers
  • There is no better place on earth than Amsterdam in August...

Thoughts & Expectations (2)


So What:

 

1. “Last time we played at Paradiso, in February, we had the time of our lives. The crowd was awesome, and it was wonderful seeing all those Believers and artists. We were so happy when we heard that we were asked to play at the main stage of Paradiso, it is such an honour. We will try to give the best show of the evening, to show the crowd that So What is still growing fast.”
 
2. “ Of course the show itself, it will be awsome. But we are really looking forward to the SellaBand atmosphere that will be hanging there, the crowd will be full of Believers and people who like the idea of SellaBand. It will be wonderful.”

4.    “We would should say Cubworld, but we allready shared the stage with him in February! This time we would like to share stage with Electric Eel Shock. Judging by their pictures on their profile they give a pretty heavy live show (they seem especially good in jumping from things). But they first have to convience the crowd and us of course! And they have to fly all the way down from Japan, so we dont think we will be able to share stage.”  

T-ka:

 

1. “Well that's a great honour...”

2. “Well, I will be interrupting my holidays in Portugal especially to come so I guess the program will be airport, soundcheck, live, meeting my Believers, watching other's performances, bedtime (if there's any) and then airport again back to Lisbon the morning after...”

3. “To say "Thank you" to all of my Believers present... And attending the gigs of my fellow 50k companions.”

4. Well a duet with Misty would be a damn good thing... I think she's the most talented among us all... And if Lucia Iman could be chosen among the artists who haven't reached 50k, I would love to share the stage with her too. But actually, sharing the stage with any of the 50k artists would be a pleasure. The thing is I'm not sure there will be a lot of time to prepare anything with the tight schedule...”