Press

Live & Unsigned-South Wales Erin Gannon Simms-Shines in the UK's largest music competition.
Erin Gannon Simms from Pontypool has taken the judging panel of the UK’s biggest original music competition by storm & will now be competing in Area Final Showcase on Sunday, May 27th, in Reading.
--------------------------------------------------------

The O2 in reach for local talent!

www.eringannonsimms.com

Erin Gannon Simms from Pontypool has taken the judging panel of the UK’s biggest original music competition by storm and is now just one good performance away from playing at London’s O2 in the Grand Final of Live and Unsigned which is part of Live Fest; London’s biggest indoor festival. They were voted by judges as one of the best in the Regional Final Showcase and now Erin will be competing against the most talented bands and artists in the country in the xxx Final on xxx.

Erin battled against the best talent in the region, to secure a coveted spot in the Area Finals and now has the opportunity to prove that they are the hottest unsigned act in the UK. Acts taking part in the live Area Final Showcase in front of hundreds of spectators will also get to perform to a professional judging panel, including judges from Radio One, Kerrang and Choice FM. More than 10,000 acts entered nationally and the few still left in the competition are in with a chance of making their way to the Grand Final at London’s O2, winning the £10,000 main cash prize and the Live and Unsigned festival tour. There’ll also be a £10,000 publicity investment in the winners.

The winning act of Live and Unsigned 2012 will embark on a remarkable festival tour this summer spanning 15 top festivals across the UK including; Relentless Energy Drink Boardmasters, Norfolk Spectacular, Strawberry Fields Festival, Cloud 9 Festival, Glass Butter Beach, Brownstock, Edinburgh Fringe Festival, and seven other summer festivals. That number is hopefully set to expand over the next couple of weeks, and it will also include an additional international festival with a partner in Sweden, Italy or Latvia. The lucky winner of the Peace & Love slot in Sweden will play alongside Rihanna, Bloc Party, Skrillex, Enter Shikari and many more! Aside from the winners tour there are more than 100 festival slots being given away throughout as the competition makes the journey towards the Grand Final at The O2.

Event Director of Live and Unsigned Chris Grayston says getting this far is a real achievement; “When you consider the amount of entries we had this year it’s a big deal to have got to this stage, and be just one performance away from fulfilling the dream of performing at The O2, one of the best music venues in the world”. This year’s competition also offers acts an extra chance of exposure as it is being filmed for broadcasting on Sky TV in an exclusive fly-on-the-wall documentary, Live and Unsigned: Uncut. All the acts in the competition are battling it out for the chance to play at Live Fest at The O2 in London. The Grand Final is incorporated into London’s biggest indoor festival on the 14th July.

Live and Unsigned is the biggest original music competition in the UK for unsigned bands and artists. Attracting over 40,000 musicians to enter this year, it has set itself apart from its predecessors by promoting originality. It’s established as the definitive music competition for original acts and it’s open to all genres of music from Heavy Rock to Rap.

The winners will be awarded the title of the UK’s best unsigned act in front of a capacity crowd on the main stage of the festival. A&R and celebrity judges involved in previous finals include former Slade front man Noddy Holder, R’n’B star Shola Ama, Radio 1’s Annie Nightingale, Tom Deacon, Daniel P Carter, Ras Kwame and Kerrang! unsigned specialist Alex Baker, who can’t wait to be on the panel again; “It’s a really interesting competition to be involved with as it’s nice to actually see what bands have got in the flesh. There aren’t many competitions out there with the credibility of Live and Unsigned.” Erin Gannon Simms, is now just one good performance away from making The O2 and competing in the Grand Final, after making it through the auditions from over 10,000 acts and now the Regional Finals.

Erin is now preparing for the Area Final Showcase on Sunday, May 27th in Reading, England at 8.30pm for the opportunity to progress to the National Grand Final at The O2 in London.

For more information and tickets go to the website www.LiveandUnsigned.UK.com.Come down and support your local talent!


Talent through to Regional Finals-Artist Erin Gannon Simms


Read More

Introducing Recording Artist Erin Simms
Erin Simms Biography:
www.erinsimms.com

When an artist emerges, the world celebrates an overnight success. Seldom is that truly the case.
As coal is refined into a diamond, what appears to come out of nowhere is often the result of a drive that fuels years of hard work and dedication.

UK singer-songwriter Erin Simms’ road of determination has yielded a successful recording career that has seen a host of publishing deals, scores of radio play on stations across the world, co-writes with
well-known hit writers. Her songs cracked the Top 10 on web radio UK Broadjam on three occasions and Simms was recently honored as ‘Songwriter of the Month’ by Indie Isles Magazine.

Born in Newport, South Wales, UK, Simms cites her Belfast-born father, who once played bass in a band alongside Van Morrison, as having a profound influence on her foray into music.
The burgeoning sensation started writing at age 11. While most girls her age were playing with dolls, the ambitious Simms was singing songs she’d written into a tape recorder. She joined her first band at age 14 and spent the next 10 years playing in and around South Wales.
Early into her career, at age 17, her dedication to the craft was validated. Simms received a phone call from an A&R executive at Sony Records London who was working with a then
unknown Celine Dion, who took the time to tell her he enjoyed her voice.
Her husband, Paul, is a source of inspiration and a pillar of support. While helping to raise their young family of three children, Erin took a break from live performances. Her
dedication to the craft, however, was unfailing as she continued writing and recording,
making use of a keyboard and recording equipment given to her by her brother.

While the ebullient Simms is known for her wacky, engaging sense of humor, she is a sincere and
responsible artist with a passion for helping others. An email friendship formed with
Ottawa, Canada -based songwriter and manager T.J. Way through a mutual respect of one
another’s music. The internet encounter provided the opportunity to showcase Simms’ socially-conscious mindset. The pair collaborated, writing and co-producing the heart-felt EP, “Angels All Around Us”.
A portion of the proceeds for the four-song album are donated to support children’s battle
with leukemia.

Her style is as varied as the music she covers at her shows, offering her take on notable artists such as Shania Twain, Faith Hill, Britney Spears, Mariah Carey, Pink, 60’s music and Whitney Houston.
Such admiration is reflected in her writing as she lends her distinctive personal touch to tracks that run the gamut of genre, including Pop, Country, Jazz, Blues, R&B, Christian Contemporary, and Gospel.
With plans to relocate to Canada in 2010 to coincide with the release of Erin’s debut album, the future looks bright for another ‘overnight success’ in the making.

Simms truly has adopted the world as her own; it’s just a matter of time before it in turn embraces this rising starlet

Read More