Alt-Fest

Described by Barfly magazine as the 'Best unsigned band in the UK' and melding their sound from a collective background that includes stints with Cradle of Filth, Decimator, Basement Jaxx, Plan B and remnants of Phil Lynott's Grand Slam, The Shovel set out to prove that you could get played on the radio with a name like that.

First single 'Long Time Dead' gained critical acclaim in the UK and received airplay on the BBC Radio 6 Rock Show hosted by Iron Maiden vocalist Bruce Dickinson and also XFM's John Kennedy show. The accompanying video was play-listed by MTV's Headbangers Ball and was included in their Best Of Year show.

After a string of support shows with the likes of Fucked Up, Jaguar Love and Innerpartysystem they were invited to showcase at SXSW. Pitchfork anointed them 'Best band name of SXSW' while local DJ Nigel Laskowski from local station and SXSW sponsor picked them as a 'must see' and later described their show as 'killer'. On returning to the UK further shows included support slots to LA punk legends The Germs and the Sex Pistols' Glen Matlock.

"An unrelenting mass of festering dragster groove primed with the DNA of old school Discharge disfigured and dispatched with the manic face down aggression of 'Hotrod'-era Ministry being pummelled by Anthrax and spiked with crowd pleasing terrace styled choruses."

The debut album 'This Is What We Are' (featuring cover art by Jamie Reid of Never Mind The Bollocks fame) was recorded in the legendary Assault & Battery 2 studios with producer Rohan Onraet and released in February 2013; gaining great reviews from Classic Rock, Big Cheese and Terrorizer amongst others.

'Germs of Empire' and 'Auslander' have recently been included on cover-mount CDs for Terrorizer and Metal Hammer respectively while both tracks have also been featured on Ian Camfields XFm Rock Show. Other tracks from the album have also been play-listed by Bloodstock Radio and XFm's John Kennedy.

The band has recently completed work on the video for next single 'Portia's Box' and are rehearsing for their first European dates in August. They will be gigging throughout the rest of the year and 2014 in readiness for the main stage at Alt-Fest.