User:Adambell

Starridium

Starridium is an original 4-piece Rock/Funk band from the North East of England, UK. Established in their original form in late 2007, the band now comprises Vicky Michell (b. Newcastle-upon-Tyne, England; vocals), Adam Beddow (b. Northumberland, England; lead guitar), Charlie 'Cj-DuB' Whitaker (b. South Shields, England; bass) and Adam Bell (b. Middlesbrough, England; drums). Founding member Andy Terry (b. Glasgow, Scotland; vocals) left in May 2010 to pursue other activities.

Each of the members made initial contact online through Forming Bands and Riffs Online, having never previously known one another. Terry and Whitaker began by rehearsing some of Terry's existing material at Base HQ, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, which included a casual stint with Whitaker's brother on drums. Weeks later, Terry made contact with Bell who was introduced at the studio in August 2007 before joining almost immediately. The trio rehearsed there several times and briefly at The Bunker in Sunderland, after which they began inviting guitarists to audition. A compromise move to White Wolf studios in Tanfield Lea saw Beddow quickly becoming the frontrunner and then joining permanently. The foursome met weekly for almost a year, writing and perfecting 13 songs including their earliest tracks Killing Time and Freedom is Calling.

In February 2008, the yet nameless band recorded Freedom is Calling, Locked Away, Scarred and Holy Father for submission to a 'Battle of the Bands' competition at Trillians Rock Bar in Newcastle. Having laid the drum tracks at White Wolf studios, the lead/rhythm guitar, bass and vocals were then recorded using Terry's own 8-track recorder. The members were struggling to agree on a band name from several lists they had compiled. When forced to label their CD upon submission, they opted at the last minute for 'Starridium' - a fictional life-giving chemical present in the Sun. Despite not gaining entry into the competition, later that month they forged an internet presence through a MySpace page where they could showcase their first recordings. This was strengthened in August 2008 when they recorded 2 new songs - Genuine Pretence and Annihilation - entirely at White Wolf studios to raise their appeal to prospective venues.

In December 2008, they self-produced and starred in a comedic home video for Procter & Gamble's Christmas competition 'Jingles for Pringles' online. This was their first public appearance performing as a band, despite not being representative of their style. Starridium's debut live performance was on 10th December 2008 at The Head of Steam, Newcastle, booked through North East music promoter Too Far North. The gig attracted a sizeable crowd, many of whom would become part of their loyal and increasing fan base.

In September 2009, Starridium sought an additional member in order to increase their vocal possibilities. Original lead singer Andy Terry (b. Glasgow, Scotland) contacted singer Vicky Michell who made an instant impression as she attended a rehearsal on 10th October 2009. Joining almost immediately, Michell's first performance with the band was on 31st October 2009 at Stereo, Newcastle.

During their first year of live performing (10/12/08 to 10/12/09), the band played a total of 33 gigs at 21 different venues. Their most prominent booking to date is at the Surface Unsigned Festival in 2010 - the UK music industry festival for unsigned bands. Past highlights include performing at the O₂ Academy, Newcastle, and supporting acclaimed international band The Sea at The Cluny, Newcastle. A watching Durham FM presenter offered the band a radio appearance in which they would record exclusive acoustic versions of their tracks, have an updated recording of Genuine Pretence broadcast and give their first media interview.