Page 21 - 4-8-2019-Pollstar-rev

HOTSTAR
The Slow Readers Club

The Next Big Thing From Manchester

By Gideon Gottfried

“ opefully we will get over there George Orwell’s “1984,” which happens the band has proven to pull much larger
soon,” Aaron Starkie, singer of to be one of Starkie’s favorite books. crowds especially in its hometown. Past
The Slow Readers Club, told The Borderline show is also where agent gigs at the 1,500-capacity Ritz in 2016
H Pollstar of his band’s U.S. ambi- Steve Zapp of International Talent Booking or the 2,290-cap Albert Hall in 2018 sold
tions, adding “cities like New York, L.A., first saw the band. He said, “I really loved out. The band’s highlight so far, however,
Seattle and Boston, you dream of playing the vibe, work ethic and energy of the was the sold-out Manchester Apollo show
those places.” band. Additionally, I was hugely impressed in December.
The Slow Readers Club also includes with the work that they had done up to Johnsen remembers the show selling
Kurtis Starkie on guitar, James Ryan on that point in terms of shows booked and out 3,500 tickets six weeks in advance.
bass and David Withworth on drums. also how impressive they were managing “It was very much confirmation of the
They are currently halfway through the other sides of their business.” The band’s amount of love the band engender from
UK leg of their biggest ever tour, 48 dates graphic design, for instance, is all the the people of their city and beyond.”
in the UK and Europe in support of their work of Starkie. Starkie recalls, that “it felt like a real
2018 album Build A Tower. Witnessing The first shows Zapp booked for the celebration for us and the fans, and
the band live removes any doubts that band were two concerts in support of rounded off a great year for the band.”
The Slow Readers Club will continue an Independent Venue Week in Bury at the The upcoming April 11 show at
impressive legacy of great rock bands 300-capacity Met as well as the 200-ca- Manchester’s 500-capacity Gorilla, which
hailing from Manchester, England. pacity Hebden Bridge Trades Club, which will close the UK leg of the current tour,
Ian Johnsen of 30 Century Manage- sold out in three minutes. After that, the
ment first heard of The Slow Readers band will tour mainland Europe through
Club from Rou Reynolds, singer of Enter May until the festival season begins with
Shikari, who happened to come across the Bearded Theory Festival in Derbyshire,
band whilst descending down a YouTube CONTACT England, May 25, followed by Neighbour-
rabbit hole in early 2017. hood Weekender in Warrington’s Victory
“I was at the DHP [Family] reopening BOOKING AGENCY Park, May 26; Rock Werchter in Belgium
party for The Borderline in central Lon- Worldwide on June 29; Mad Cool Festival in Spain,
don a couple of weeks later and spotted International Talent Booking July 12; and Taubertal Festival in
a poster for an upcoming Slow Readers Steve Zapp | steve@itb.co.uk Germany, Aug. 8.
show there, texted it to Rou and we made 44.0.207.637.6979 “We love playing festivals,” Starkie
plans to go along,” Johnsen recalled. says, “as it’s a chance to win over new
“When we arrived at a nearby pub for a MANAGEMENT fans,” before adding that playing
pre-show beer, there were all these DHP 30 Century Management Coachella sometime in the future “would
Ian Johnsen | 44.7809.503439
people in there who were like, ‘Oh, you ian@30centurymanagement.com be amazing. Guaranteed sun!”
looking to work with them? You should, Said Zapp, “Our live strategy to grow
they’re awesome.’ And I was all, ‘No RECORD COMPANY the band is a mixture of headline dates,
thanks, gents. Busy enough already. I’m Modern Sky support tours and festival performanc-
purely here for a night’s entertainment info@modernsky.uk es. On the whole it’s great to see a band
with my mate.’ ‘rolling their sleeves’ up and playing
“That position had shifted drastically by extensively live in addition to making
the end of the night.” great music.”
What made Johnsen want to work with Starkie said the band spent the first two
the band was “simply the strength of the both sold out quickly. months of 2019 working on material for a
songs. That was the key pull for me.” “The band has been selling out club new album that could come in early 2020.
Many of the band’s songs shift from a venues, not just locally but across the Zapp confirmed “promoters are looking
melancholy sadness that tell a story of country from as far afield as Portsmouth to to take a step up to 600-1,500 capacity
pain and struggle to powerful moments Newcastle. The plan that myself, manage- rooms on their next album tour, which
of triumph, in many ways reflecting the ment and the band themselves agreed on is lovely to see.” If all goes according to
reality of the people living in Manches- was to aim to sell venues out before mov- plan, the U.S. will be part of that tour.
ter, London and the other cultural and ing up in capacities, plus to play as deep Johnsen said, “We’ve had a couple of
economic melting pots of England. It is regionally as possible to allow people the good conversations with agents, etc., but
music that could serve as a soundtrack to chance to see the band. So far this seems it’s a big investment and the timing/sit-
very successful with over 10,000 seeing uation has to be right. Luckily, the band
the band in the UK on the current regional isn’t afraid of hard work, so the ‘slog’
THE SLOW READERS CLUB performs at the Manchester Apollo run in addition to the recent main city run element of North American touring isn’t a
in December 2018 – the band’s live highlight so far. – a huge achievement,” Zapp explained. worry. I would just like to make sure that
Photo by Sam Crowston Venues on the current UK run range if they’re doing the slog, there’s a real
between 300 and 900 capacity, although reason to be doing it.” s

APRIL 8, 2019 | 21