Amplifires ready to rock town joint

by TIM FLETCHER

AN INDIE-rock outfit featuring a Burton charity boss on guitar bring the sound they have just showcased to American audiences to the town this weekend.

The Amplifires play at The Appleby, in Green Street, tomorrow night alongside Nottingham rockers Jezebel and Northampton-based punks Thracia, with the event starting at 8pm.

The Matlock-based four-piece will be playing material from their most recent album, Fire On The Moon, including forthcoming single SWALK and tracks they played on a recent 12-date, two-week tour of the United States.

Guitarist Steve Rawlinson said: “We had a great time but what we didn’t realise was how big the place is; the distance between gigs was enormous.

“We played our last gig in up-state New York and it then took 10 hours of almost continuous driving to get to the airport.

“The crowds were fantastic; they knew the words to some of the songs better than we did due to the radio play we’ve been getting over there.

Steve, who in his other life is chief executive of Burton-based charity organisation CASES, says the band is hoping to consolidate the support base it has built up in the Nottingham and Sheffield areas with more gigs in the wider Midlands, including Burton.

“We’ve played Burton before but at bike rallies and now I work in the town this is the most natural thing to do,” he said.

The band are currently in the top 100 of the Windows Music Download chart and have been number one UK band, and number four worldwide, in the online Reverb Nation alternative chart.

More information on the band, along with sample tracks, is available online at www.amplifires.co.uk and www.myspace.com/theamplifiresuk.