Shallow Call ready for big stage

12:39pm Friday 16th May 2008

Comments (0)   Have your say »

A NORTHWICH indie band could be in with a chance of opening this year's V Festival.

The Shallow Call has beaten off stiff competition from 2,500 other bands to make it through to the final 14 in the national Road to V competition.

When we first started out we neglected Northwich a bit, we were so concerned with playing gigs up and down the country but we’ve been putting more stuff on around the town and we’ve managed to build up a big following which is great

Singer and guitarist Phil O’Driscoll

On Wednesday they played the north of England Road to V gig to an expert panel including ex-Libertine and now Dirty Pretty Things frontman Carl Bârat and NME's Mark Beaumont.

The night will be aired on Channel 4 in June and viewers reviews and judgements by the panel will help decide who claims the sought-after opening spot.

Singer and guitarist Phil O'Driscoll said he was thrilled that a huge bus of fans from Northwich travelled down to show there support.

"We had a really good crowd," he said. "When we first started out we neglected Northwich a bit, we were so concerned with playing gigs up and down the country but we've been putting more stuff on around the town and we've managed to build up a big following which is great."

Shallow Call fan Marc Lawrie who was at the gig said: "It was an amazing night, both for the band and for the fans.

"They were by far and away the best act on the night so hopefully the judges will send them to V Festival.

"They really are putting Northwich back on the map."

If they win, Phil and other band members Dave Pickering, Richard Rogerson and Nik Ward, could be playing alongside the likes of Muse, The Verve, Kings of Leon, Stereophonics, Kaiser Chiefs, The Prodigy and The Kooks.

Phil said: "It'd be great to win, absolutely amazing.

"We think we're capable of playing stages that big, there's no point being in a band if you don't have ambition to play to audiences of that size."

Hailing from Rudheath, the group formed just over three years ago and started rehearsing in a room behind Sauna Sauna and Toga Toga in Winnington.

Earlier this year they supported The Charlatans during their UK tour and their debut single Frank Bruno sold out in weeks and was named Steve Lamacq's Single Of The Week on Radio 1.

Their next single, We All Hang Around is due for release on June 2.

Click on the link below for more details.