BANDZILLA, Six Years. 24 Shows. 144 Bands. 24 Solo Artists. One Liverpool Story. Its Big Condo Records.

How Big Condo Records turned a grassroots showcase into an opportunity for artists to perform, develop and experience something different

There are some numbers that tell a story.

Six years. 24 Bandzilla shows. 144 bands, and 24 solo artists who have been given an opportunity that they would not normally have, stepping onto a stage and performing their music with a live band behind them.

Those numbers tell the story of Bandzilla. But they don’t tell the whole story.Because Bandzilla isn’t simply about how many bands have appeared on a bill. It is about opportunity. It is about development.

It is about giving musicians a stage, an audience and the chance to experience what happens when their music leaves the rehearsal room and comes alive in front of people.

And in a city like Liverpool, where live music is woven into the fabric of the place, that matters. Created by Liverpool independent label Big Condo Records, Bandzilla was built around a straightforward idea, bring original bands together, give them a platform and create a live environment where emerging artists can be seen, heard and developed. Over six years, that idea has continued to grow. Twenty-four shows later, 144 bands have performed, been promoted and developed through Bandzilla.

That’s 144 different journeys. Different influences. Different personalities. Different ambitions. Some artists may have arrived with considerable live experience. Others may have been much earlier in their journey. But once the lights come down and the first band walks onto the stage, everyone gets the same thing. An opportunity. It is easy to look at the figure of 144 and see a statistic. But behind every number is a band.

A rehearsal room. A collection of songs. A group of people who decided they wanted to stand on a stage and play their music to an audience. For a developing band, those opportunities matter. You can rehearse endlessly, but there is nothing quite like playing live. The nerves. The anticipation. The first chord. The reaction from the crowd. The mistakes you learn from. The moments when everything comes together. That is where a band develops. Bandzilla gives artists the opportunity to experience all of it. And the support doesn’t necessarily stop when the final song finishes. The bands are promoted as part of the showcase, giving them another way to introduce their music to potential new listeners and connect with the wider music community. In that sense, Bandzilla is more than a gig. It is part of a wider artist development process.

Perhaps one of the most unusual and exciting aspects of Bandzilla is the role of its special guests. Across the 24 shows, 24 solo artists have been given the opportunity to perform with bands. And that distinction is important. These aren’t solo artists who already have their own bands. Normally, they perform acoustically or with an audio backing track. Then Bandzilla offers them something completely different.  For a solo artist, that can be an amazing experience. And for one performance, they get to experience what it feels like to be part of a bigger music experience. That’s what makes the special-guest element so important. Bandzilla isn’t simply adding another performer to the bill. It is creating an opportunity that many solo artists wouldn’t ordinarily have.  It is a different kind of performance. A different kind of pressure. And a completely different kind of energy. For the artist, it can be exciting, challenging and inspiring all at once. For the audience, it creates another reason to pay attention. They aren’t simply watching an artist do what they normally do. They are seeing that artist step outside their usual format. And sometimes, those are the performances that people remember.

Artist development can sound like a very industry-heavy phrase. At grassroots level, it is much simpler. It can mean giving someone their first proper stage. It can mean giving a band another opportunity to build confidence. It can mean introducing an artist to a new audience. It can mean helping musicians meet people who could become collaborators, promoters, friends or future bandmates. And sometimes it means giving a solo performer the opportunity to discover what their music sounds like next to bands. That is development too. Not every important moment in an artist’s career happens in a recording studio or in front of thousands of people. Sometimes it happens in a smaller room. In front of a few dozen people. On a stage. At a grassroots showcase. That’s where Bandzilla has spent six years operating.

There is something particularly appropriate about Bandzilla being rooted in Liverpool. This is a city where live music has always mattered. But a city’s musical future cannot rely solely on its history. New artists need somewhere to start. They need venues. They need promoters. They need audiences. They need people prepared to give them an opportunity before anybody knows how far they might go. That is the role grassroots events can play. They provide the bridge between “we’ve got some songs” and “we’re a live band.” Between performing in front of friends and performing in front of strangers. Between being an artist who is developing and being an artist who is ready for the next opportunity. Bandzilla is part of that bridge.

There is another side to a showcase like Bandzilla that isn’t always immediately visible. The audience comes for the music. But musicians come together backstage. Artists meet other artists. Bands watch other bands. People discover music they weren’t expecting to hear. Connections are made. Ideas develop. And somebody in the audience might see a band they have never heard before and decide to follow them, book them, photograph them, work with them, or simply come back to see them again. That is how grassroots scenes grow. Not through one huge moment, but through thousands of smaller ones. Bandzilla creates the environment for those moments to happen.

Six years is a long time in music. Bands form and split. Artists change direction. Venues open and close. Musical trends come and go. But the need for opportunities remains. Across 24 Bandzilla shows, Big Condo Records has continued to provide a platform for original music and emerging talent. 144 bands have performed, been promoted and developed. 24 solo artists have experienced performing with bands. And behind those numbers are hundreds of musicians who have had another opportunity to perform, learn and grow. That is the part that matters. Because the next great band doesn’t necessarily arrive with a headline. Sometimes they arrive with a guitar, a few songs and a place on a grassroots bill. The beauty of Bandzilla is that nobody knows exactly where the next six years will lead. The band that walks onto the stage next could be at the beginning of its journey. A solo artist could discover that performing could go in different direction. Another musician could find a collaborator. Another audience member could discover their next favourite artist. That’s the nature of grassroots music. You don’t always know what you’re creating while you’re creating it. You just keep providing the opportunities. And that’s what makes the Bandzilla story worth telling.

Six years. 24 shows. 144 bands. 24 solo artists given the chance to perfom. It’s a remarkable record of participation, opportunity and artist development. But perhaps the most important number is the one that isn’t on the poster. One opportunity can change an artist’s journey. Bandzilla has created 24 nights of them. And in Liverpool, where the next generation of musicians is always waiting for its moment, that makes Bandzilla about much more than putting bands on stage.

It’s about giving the next generation somewhere to begin.

Interview With Silverline Who Recently Smashed Their Performance.

1.For readers who may be discovering Silverline for the first time, how would you describe the band and the sound you’ve created together?

A: Silverline are a raw, energetic and extremely loud band. We like to experiment with punk rock and metal music, merging the two to get the upmost chaos, heavy hitting, thrashing guitars, chunky basslines that will make the ground shake.

We move around a lot on stage to show how passionate we are, and I mean you don’t want to watch a band, and they just stand there all night doing nothing. 

2.How did Silverline first come together, and what inspired you to start making music as a band?

A: We met each other at a practice studio in Widnes and met our other guitarist through social media, we connected on our passion for music and a desire to create a sound unlike others.

3.Who are some of your biggest musical influences, and how do they shape the sound of Silverline?

A: Silverline is strongly influenced by bands like Nirvana, Bad Brains, The Germs, Silverchair, Nail Bomb, Terror, The Wipers, Mudhoney, Sonic Youth. These bands have influenced us to make an experimental sound that explores many genres and styles which we have carved into our own style.

4.What has been the most memorable moment of your journey as a band so far?

A:We have been offered a audition from a record label down in London, this excited us because it will give us opportunities to get paid gigs in London and expand outward, hopefully getting to play across the UK.

5. How would you say each member of Silverline brings something different to the group?

A: Our beautiful drummer Archie provides luscious ginger locks, pounding drums and an intense energy to the overall sound of the band. Our second guitarist Harry brings an extra layer to the instrumental providing key depth to our already thick sound he also does backing vocals from time to time. Our guitarist and lead singer Koby provides a lot of the songwriting for the band intense vocals, a thrashy style of guitar and screams that will make you think somebody died and an attitude to match the energy of the night. Our bassist Joe provides blistering basslines that will shake your body and touch your soul, you can feel the rage come out of the bass.

6.What can fans expect from your latest music, and how does it compare with what you’ve released previously?

A: Our newest material is strong in melody, emotionally charged and bursting with energy. We had a lead singer at one point, but he held us back quite a bit being behind on songwriting, and since he left we have bloomed and grown into our sound.

7.Is there a particular song you’ve recorded that has a special meaning to you, and what’s the story behind it?

A: Our newest song Lern is oozing with emotion, intensity and melody

We like our music to be open to interpretation, but we would say the song is about resentfulness, frustration. To learn what it’s like to lose. some people always win. You should lose what you earned.

8.What are your ambitions for Silverline over the next few years, and are there any stages or artists you’d particularly love to work with?

A: We have a strong desire to get an album recorded; we love working with all local alternative bands. We would love to play festivals someday. We are excited to grow our fan base and have a group of people connect through our music.

9. When you’re not performing or recording, what do you enjoy doing together as a band?

A: We love to spend time together seeing local bands and just attending as many gigs together as possible.

10. How great has it been working with Big Condo Records, and what has the experience of being part of the shows meant?

A: We have thoroughly enjoyed working with big condo, always providing a brilliant night as we have seen other bands they have had on like DRUG and false monarch.

It means the world to us as a band for the opportunity given to us and would love to bring more intense and chaotic nights with these guys.

Photography Credit @Kylemayphoto

Press/ Media @BigCondoRecords