Hey folks,

 

First off, thanks to the Mods for giving this the ok!

 

Right, for those that don't already know, I have a band called "This Burning Age" and we're about to release our debut album called "A Muzzle For The Masses".

 

 

To give you a bit of background history, "This Burning Age" started off as my own project. I spent a year in the studio of new Wolverhampton based producer James Brede working on the album. I wrote all the tracks and everything you hear, be it guitars, bass, drums, vox or synths were played or sung by myself and I co-produced the album.

 

 

At that point I was very much a "one man band" but, having been involved with bands in the past and having enjoyed playing within the band dynamic with the kick you get that performing live brings, I set about gathering together friends and fellow musicians to allow me to take the music on the road. Since playing together, the "one man band" ethos has slowly died away as we all gelled so well...it became very apparent that we were now a proper band in our own right. Although I still write the majority of the tracks (we have enough material for at least 2 more albums!) I now also co-write with Anth and Russ, our guitarist and bassist respectively, and our second album will be recorded as a band proper rather than just me locked away in a studio!

 

 

However, the DIY ethos is something that is still very much alive and kicking as shown by me taking on the album art and design (I'm an artist and photographer in my "normal" life), tackling getting it Mastered, Pressed and Released and also the task of designing our own bespoke website (although it needs a few tweaks the more or less finished product can now be found here if you find you have a moment to look in: http://www.thisburningage.com Again, all the graphics, animation and images were done by me with the coding written by a chap to whom I am eternally grateful as I'm a borderline neo-Luddite when it comes to things like that! try to ignore the music/FX in the intro, they're not quite sync'd yet!).

 

 

As well as our official site you can also find us on: http://www.myspace.com/thisburningage On our page you'll also find 2 additional tracks, a demo of a new song "Nevermore" which has been shortlisted for the second album and a live acoustic version of "Repeat To Fade" (there's also some live videos for your amusement ;)).

 

 

Things seem to have taken a trip into bizarro world recently...and all in a very good way:

 

1. Kerrang DJ Emma Scott saw us live at one of our gigs and offered us the chance to open for alt/rock leg-ends "Hundred Reasons" at the Birmingham O2 Academy 2 on March 29th (Tickets currently available from Ticketweb, Ticketmaster, Seetickets.com, Gigantic.com and Swordfish Records in Birmingham if you prefer an over the counter purchase!).

 

2. To top that we're now also being played every week on the Kerrang RAW show (we were an astonishing 9th on the playlist last Saturday! :D ).

 

3. But the biggest thing has to be the call from Universal Music. Yep, one of the biggest labels in the world has got in touch with us. Apparently one of their scouts heard the album and loved it. He apparently passed it on to the Head Scout for Universal UK and...he loved it. It may not happen so I'm trying not to get too excited but things are certainly afoot in that department shall we say...

 

 

So, until we're picked up by a major industry player, our entirely self-released (and self-funded by me...arrrgh!) album, "A Muzzle For The Masses" will soon be ready for release in CD Digipak, Digital Download and Special Edition CD Digipak formats.

 

EDIT 01/09/09

 

Essentially this is a thread for those who would like to order a copy of the album in "standard" CD Digipak or the "Special Edition" CD Digipak. The standard album comes un-numbered but with booklet and signed (I'm only selling signed copies within this club and one other car club, no where else).

 

 

There are 100 copies of the Special Edition available to buy...here's the text from my Bigcartel internet shop:

 

There are 100 copies in Digipak format, each one individually numbered. Every copy is signed and includes a 6 page, full colour, roll-fold booklet.

 

These Special Editions also come with a This Burning Guitar Pick, 3 Badges, a signed A3 This Burning Age Promo Poster and a very special custom designed This Burning Age "Zener Test" Card onto which is printed a code which can be redeemed in the Download section of our official website: http://www.thisburningage.com to claim a free non-album track. Both this card and the download track will not be available to buy anywhere else.

 

The designs (featured below, not to scale) are now at the printers and all being well this Special Edition merchandise is on schedule to be with me at the beginning of next week:

 

 

For those that miss the days when getting an album was more than just keying in your card details and hearing a single mp3 track taken out of context...when buying an album and particularly a special edition version was a great experience, not just because of the music therein, but because of the artwork and the feeling you got from it...that you had purchased something genuinely special that the artist cared about...well, I hope I've been able to put some of that back with this release.

 

Because of these alterations I've had to alter the price slightly.

 

The standard album can still be purchased for £7 (+ £1.50 P&P UK delivery) however the Special Edition will now be for sale at £9 (+ £1.50 P&P).

 

So, to all those that registered their interest, if this price change isn't ok, it's no problem, just post here and I'll remove your name. If, however, you'd still like to buy one, if you could state whether you'd like a "standard" copy or a "Special Edition" copy, I'll add you to the appropriate list below.

 

I'll be contacting you all via PM with the Paypal details this week with a view to shipping shortly afterwards.

 

Thanks to everyone who's supported me through all this...it's genuinely very much appreciated :)

 

Cheers,

 

Leigh.

 

Registered Interest:

 

1. mental

2. Apache

3. stricker

4. dipone

5. derek_g2001 (x2)

6. Car.Mad

7. jonmoore172 (x2)

8. Dave

9. jonce

10. chayden

11. pete shrimp

12. clownpants

13. ScabbyZ32

14. Tango450

15. Paulzx

 

Final List for Standard Album:

(please post "standard" in this thread)

 

 

Final List for Special Edition Album:

(please post "Special Edition" in this thread)

1.TonyB PAID

2.ianl PAID

3. bantambunny PAID

4. Apache PAID

5. Paulzx PAID

6. stricker PAID

7. CraigTT PAID

8. mental PAID

9. Dave PAID

10. dipone PAID

11. derek_g2001 (x3) PAID

12. jonce PAID

Edited September 19, 200916 yr by friday

Just confirming one of the first 100 "special" editions please Leigh.

 

Want me to send over money now?

 

Regards

 

Dave

Just confirming one of the first 100 "special" editions please Leigh.

 

Want me to send over money now?

 

Regards

 

Dave

 

Cheers Dave, I'll be posting/Pm'ing payment details very soon :)

Chap, if you read my blurb, the album and the poster are being signed anyway!! :D ;) Cheers for the support, I'll add you to the list :)

 

:hyper:

i changed my mind:slap: i want a special one please:bow:

i changed my mind:slap: i want a special one please:bow:

 

No problem chap, 'tis done. :) And thanks for the support! Whether people go for the album "as is" or one of the limited edition jobbies it's all genuinely appreciated and the money will be ploughed back into the music so that, fingers crossed, next year I can release another one! There's already 5 new tracks that are contenders for a place on it so to have the opportunity to be able to get them out there would be fantastic :)

Been planning what adverts I need to do today. Realised I needed much better shots of the album itself so I set to it today and here's a sample of one of the results...You can now see what you're getting folks...a cheap and cheerful photocopied image slipped between a bargain basement Jewel Case it isn't...thank Christ! :D ;)

 

 

I also had a nice suprise waiting for me in my Inbox this evening...a preview photo from my printers showing a couple of the extras in store for Limited Edition owners...the numbered stickers and the "Zener Test-esque" Cards...yippee!! :D :D

 

Looks good mate:!

Im looking forward to getting mines, send me number 1 please:D:rofl:

Hope you will come back and sell you next album on here

we're getting a massively good review from a big German webzine (bizarrely our popularity seems to be growing over there, so much so we're doing a mini-tour there next Spring!

 

Hi,

I will still take the 2x special editions please.

 

If there are any left after everyone on here has what they want, I will + 1 to 3 total.

 

Hope the tour here kicks off, I will be there for sure!

 

Cheers, Derek.

Hi,

I will still take the 2x special editions please.

 

If there are any left after everyone on here has what they want, I will + 1 to 3 total.

 

Hope the tour here kicks off, I will be there for sure!

 

Cheers, Derek.

 

Cheers Derek, that's great! Accounting for the orders on here (and a couple of other forums) plus the pre-orders I had from MySpace/Last FM/Facebook and gigs, I should end up with about 30ish Limited Edition copies left going into next week so 3 copies are no problemo chap :)

 

I'll get in touch with the post office to see what it comes to if we combine the postage...I should be able to do it for less than the cost of sending 3 seperately so hopefully save you a bit on that front :)

 

We're all definately up for coming to Germany so will keep you posted...if you have any thoughts on good cities/towns (or even venues!) for us to play any help is greatly appreciated mate! :D

Glasgow carlign academy if you could get that, all big bands end up in there!!

Hi,

When you check the postage costs, they will ask for my postcode - 97511, Bayern.

 

Have a think as to when and how long you guys would be prepared to be out here, and give me a clue as to what size/type of venue you are interested in.

 

Also, think what are you looking to achieve; are you only in it if there is a clear profit, or are you willing to break even on the actual gigs in the course of getting your names out there and selling some CD's?

 

(ie Getting paid for a club gig is nice, but getting a slot at a festival gets you visibility)

 

Once you have a think, let me know via PM and I will see what suggestions I can come up with.

 

Cheers, Derek.

Hey everyone, I've just the payment options out via PM to all those that have put their names down for the Limited Edition copies, any probs just let me know! :)

 

Derek: essentially we'll play whatever we can get! We'd be looking to go over there for a week to 2 weeks max playing a venue every night and travelling during the day with a day or so break in between.

 

As far as profit is concerned that's not what we're looking to achieve. We're solely looking to get our name "out there" and to hopefully drum up some new fans, sell a few albums and maybe attract the attentions of some German Radio shows/music magazine/webzines/promoters/labels etc. If possible it would be great if we could break even on the cost of the trip though as we don't have very many pennies to rub together...particularly myself, after spending everything I had on this album! :)

 

Venue-wise we're used to playing anything from small pubs/bars through to medium sized 1000 capacity gig venues (the latter when supporting bands like Hundred Reasons and recently That Petrol Emotion on their "don't call it a comeback" comeback tour :D) but we'll genuinely play anywhere if it's got a good vibe and a good, receptive crowd. I'd rather play in a smaller venue to a crowd that's into our kind of music than in a large venue to a crowd that doesn't give a monkeys :)

 

We would LOVE to play festivals and frankly we wouldn't care if we were paid or not if we could get on one. We got everything together a wee bit too late for this years festival circuit but we'll be petitioning hard for next year and not just for those in the UK...aside from Germany we want to get on the festival scene in Norway, Holland, Spain to name just a few.

 

We've now got a manager on board which helps a bit and, luckily, we've also got the head of our German Street Team, a lovely girl called Wibke (who brought a load of fans over on a trip to the UK just to see us play on the Hundred Reasons tour which really bowled us over! Bless 'em! :D), and she's offered to act as our liason and do a lot of the organising as none of us can speak German! But any additional help would be truly appreciated if you have the time Derek, seriosuly chap, it would be great! :)

 

After writing all this in a post I've only just noticed you suggested send a PM...doh!...but I thought I'd post it anyway in case anyone else wants to chip in with any ideas, thoughts or suggestions...and if anyone has a mate of a mate etc that can get us booked somewhere good, we're there with bells on! :D ;)

Hi Leigh

 

Don't forget I want a special one please... and looking forward to seeing you again

 

Tony

Hi Leigh

 

Don't forget I want a special one please... and looking forward to seeing you again

 

Tony

 

Tony, I think you were subscribed when this first went up but now you're registered so I can't PM you the payment details! If you can email me on thisburningage@hotmail.co.uk so I get your email address, I'll then send you the payment options :)

 

Cheers!

Hi all, just a quick update. Really hope everyone doesn't mind but I'm going to be sending out the album to those who have paid on Monday now. The posters finally arrived and look fantastic but unfortunately they came a wee bit later than I expected, arriving this afternoon, so I'm going to put all the packages together over the weekend ready to send out on Monday :) Thanks for your patience with this guys, but I think it's been worth it as the posters really are the dogs-doodahs! :D

 

Derek: apologies for not getting back to you with a final price on postage to Germany, I'll definately be sorting it today chap :)

 

Cheers,

 

Leigh.

Hi leigh

 

Sent the money direct to your account on Wednesday

 

Tony

Sent today... sorry for the delay!

Update!

 

Big thanks to everyone that has paid and sent me their address...cheers guys!

 

Nick (Bantambunny) and Dave...if you could get back to me that would be grand but no worries if you're busy, I can hold the albums for a couple of weeks :)

 

Apologies for not getting the albums out today, had a slight problem with the download codes. The label maker I bought to put the codes on the back of the "Be Safe" cards threw a bit of a spanner in the works...the previous batch of codes contained upper case and lower case "I's" and "L's" and, when printed, we found it was virtually impossible to differentiate between them (the zeros's and upper case "O"'s were equally as bad!). So I had to contact my coding guru to ask him nicely (while he was enjoying a beer and Inspector Morse! :D) to redo a complete new batch of random codes omitting the offending characters. It's all done now and I'll be setting to it this evening...I was just glad I noticed before sticking them on! :wack:

Sorry buddy, been waiting for a cheque to clear which should have gone through tomorrow :headvswal

 

I'll transfer the money via bank tomorrow lunchtime :D

Well...they're all packaged up and ready to go! :) 22 Limited Editions in total (the big parcels contain 5 and 3 albums respectively, both lots going over to Germany :)).

 

 

If it wasn't for the half day closing at the local post office they'd be off now :(

Apologies for the slight delay folks, one of the reasons was that I decided to include something else...so, instead of the advertised 2 badges, you're now getting 3 :) Here's the little bVgger in question (38mm metal pin badge):

 

 

Hope you like :)

Woohoo..........it should be there waiting for me when I get home on Friday:dance:

Hey everyone, just to confirm, the albums went out this morning! :D

Got mine this morning................very proffesional in appearance and presentation:bow:

 

It's now playing LOUDLY on the hi-fi:nana2:

 

Well Done and Good Luck :bow:

Arrived this morning, and i must say for a first album its fantastic quality, better than the last arctics album i bought!!!

 

a few pics for you all

 

 

 

number 38!

:( not got mines yet:(