Salient

The Demo Station

By Stacey Knott | 30 Jul, 2007

7-9 Monday nights with Kristen and Lisa

The Demo Station is a show aimed at getting unsigned local and national artists to send their demos in and get airplay, which the hosts Kristen Patterson and Lisa Brown stress that “even if its just real crap quality,” will be accepted.

The aim is to have the VBC Demo Station show as the first point of call when a local band or artist records something and they want to get airplay. Patterson states they that want their show to be “the first show that they would get it played on. From there it would go onto the playlist. So if people want to hear about the really underground stuff, people that have just one four track demo and have only played three gigs, then that’s what we are looking for.” As this is a show focused on gaining publicity for small-scale artists, live to air interviews are also on offer.

To date, the show has been pushing local artists like Volcana, the Windups, Zombie Fuck, Kitten Et Me, Boss Christ, Knife Fight, the Love Haters and the Riff Rats, to name a few.

Although the show is focused on local artists, Patterson and Brown aren’t limiting their playlist to local music. They are starting to order in seven-inch discs of bands that can’t be bought in New Zealand as a way to help publicise really small scale ones overseas - such as niche guitar band genres.

They are always after more demos and urge bands not to be hesitant or worried of judgment. “We want people to feel relaxed enough to send them. We make lo-fi music ourselves and we have played it on air, and if we can do it, they can definitely do it,” says Brown.

Patterson says people don’t need to worry about whether their demos match up. “It’s framed nicely so people can feel comfortable, because it will be stated in the show that these are shitty demo first-track recordings that people are doing. So people can put their stuff out there and know that people aren’t going to be critiquing it and going ‘oh that has to be perfect for radio play’ and anyway, we like trashy shit!”

If you want Wellington and yourself to hear your recording live on air, send them to:
The VBC
The Demo Show
PO Box 600
Wellington
(Sponsored by the San Francisco Bathhouse)