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Shockleader's Malta venture

by Eric Montfort - http://lifestyle.timesofmalta.com/article.php?id=6224 - 21st April 2007

Who would ever think about writing a song about celebrity actress Uma Thurman, and hit out against glam and all its trappings? Shockleader, a London-based trio, are capable of doing just that. They are bold, uncompromising, evocative and very versatile and accessible too. Having listened to this song on myspace.com, I was immediately impressed by their brash, tough music. Koopa, who performed in Malta last February, may be full of energy and tightness, but Shockleader can be all fire and brimstone just as they can be melodic, as indeed is Say Now. The other two songs one can hear on myspace.com are the aforementioned Uma Thurman's Eyes and Afraid Of The Dark, both of which have a harder edge.

The band comprises singer and guitarist Willie Scott and bassist Mick Renwick, both from Scotland. Maltese drummer Ryan Abela completes this line-up. He joined this outfit last May, just six months after Will and Mick set up this band. By then, they had already had six songs under wraps. This trio quickly attracted a cult following, not least because they are also really good musicians when performing live.

Ryan's antics also gained him some notoriety. Soon, contacts with Malta were established through their official website, with Ray Schembri Il-Bahri becoming a very good friend. Inevitably, the band was invited to perform here, supported by two different local acts in two different venues. The initiative came thanks to No Sweat Productions. The first gig took place at Luxol Sports Club, St Andrews with BNI featuring on support. Tonight (21-Apr-2007), the band will be performing at Rookie's in Bugibba, with Eve Ransom opening the show.