To celebrate 10 years of the music WEAK13 is releasing a single 'Lunatic' in February.
WEAK13 - 'Lunatic) music video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lmy1mhaC5O8
WEAK13 'Lunatic' - coming to Amazon, iTunes and eMusic in Feb 2010
Nick J.Townsend
England
WEAK13 links
http://www.redmonsterrecords.co.uk/nick-j-townsend.html
http://www.youtube.com/nickweak13
http://www.myspace.com/weak13music
http://weak13.site4fans.com
http://www.facebook.com/nickjtownsend
WEAK13 / Nick J.Townsend Biography
1999-2001
- Nick started studying American History, Psycholgy & Sociology at College (Kidderminster), met musicians and formed the band WEAK13. Nick had written music & lyrics for years and needed to find musicians to play live.
- 1st WEAK13 gig in Kidderminster at The Tap House exactly thirteen weeks before 2000. Dare was thirteen weeks to be the heaviset band in Kidderminster. It rocketed overnight, within two weeks people talked, crowd surfing in small cafes, moshpits at gigs (unheard of at the time in the area).
- Nick needed to spread info about the music. A magazine was created by Nick J.Townsend and John Clee, 300-500 copies were printed, had to copy each page himself at a library photocopier. It became a popular ‘rag-mag’, funny and advertised WEAK13 and other bands in the area. Six issues of ‘Ban(ne)d’ were released and self funded.
- Organised all-day music events in local pubs (such as the Seven Stars), advertised events in the mags, distributed mags in nearby towns and attracted musicians and bands to the area. A small music scene was starting.
2002
WEAK13 swas getting in bigger. Nick started a new fresh magazine with acoustic artists ‘King Rich’. Approached a club called ‘Redwoods’ and put on regular rock nights and promoted these nights and the bands playing in the new magazine which was titled P.M.T. (Promotional Marketing Tool). This magazine was free and available in music shops and venues around the West Midlands.
· Started selling advertising space to venues in order to produce 5000 copies each issue. Most of the adverts were for gigs which advertised venues and bands Nick & Rich were promoting.
· WEAK13 headlined gigs at ‘Redwoods’ with local bands supporting them for six solid months.
· P.M.T. became more successful than the previous magazine due to the glossy pages and improved content
· This helped make the ‘Redwoods Rock Night’ more popular and successful. The night started attracting bands fromaround the U.K.
· The shows were on Tuesday nights and drew in 200+ peoplefrom out of town.
Nick wanted to expand, after finishing American History studies decided to start a music management course along with King Rich.
· Kevyn Gammond was the lecturer for the music management course. Nick helped start a music label called M.A.S. Records. Three bands were on the label from the college which included WEAK13.
· Nick promoted M.A.S. Records though P.M.T. Magazine and bands joined from all over the West Midlands. Produced with funding 1000 copies of a compilation CD which the College hadn’t done before. The college still to this day releases a CD every year.
2003
- Third issue of P.M.T. released
- M.A.S. Compilation CD was getting good reviews.
- Redwood’s Rock Night becoming a massive hit
- Tony ‘The Teeth’ becomes first ever manager for WEAK13
- WEAK13 joins T.A.G. artists management for gigs.
- Venues advertised in P.M.T. were getting more trade
Nick and Rich realised they were right in the center of a massive underground music scene. Nick wanted to make things bigger, approached Mayor of Kidderminster ‘Ken Stokes’. Massive band had played in Kidderminster in the 70’s such as The Who, Robert Plant, The Rolling Stones. U2 was one of the last big bands to perform in the Kidderminster Town hall in the mid-80’s. It was the biggest building in the area. Due to it’s historic nature Nick & Rich thought it’d be a great idea to have a charity music gig called Kidderminster Rock Festival
· Festival promoted in P.M.T. and all the venues advertising in magazine
· It was a very succesful event, made history by holding Live music in the historic building for the first time in almostv two decades.
· Since 2003 there has been a major music event in this building
(2007’s festival BBC H&W broadcast the festival Live on Radio)
2005
· Six issues of P.M.T. were released and became established with 40 businesses regulay advertising within the pages.
· Music scene started to change
· Tony ‘The Teeth’ stepped down as manager for WEAK13 due to Nick wanting to do things himself for a while.
· Original crowds from Redwoods moved to other Universities and towns, by 2005 the atmosphere had changed, particulary with new management.
A new idea was created to attract people to nights. For seven months held an acoustic open mic night with Live recording taking place. Released and mastered CD’s every following month of the nights at Redwoods. A Live recording label was created. The CD sleeves advertised venue, artists and the label ‘Redwoods Unplugged’. These CD recordings were made possible by a local engineer and solo artist by the name of Mathew Tarbuck (aka Neutron Tears) who even joined WEAK13 as Bass Player and was responsible for recording many of the early Weak13 songs. By this time about 26 people had been in WEAK13. Nick J.Townsend always being the songwriter.
Halloween 2005
- New Mayor of Kidderminster (Nick’s Godfather) cancelled a Townhall music festival set up by Nick despite him spending months organising and promoting it. This led to Nick J.Townsend’s first mild stroke at only 28.
- Management at ‘Redwood’s had changed the name of the club to ‘DY10’. Nick did not wish to continue with rock nights so the Record label was lost.
M.A.S. Records by this time had written Nick J.Townsend out of the label history due to internal political reasons
- First WEAK13 music video filmed and directed by Wayne J.Davies for the WEAK13 song ‘When U Say When’
2006
- Having lost his club night, advertisers started pulling out of his Magazine and the College withdrew their ties with Nick
- Nick started a new magazine on his own called ‘Nick The Mag’ for three issues (5000 copies of each issue were printed)
06/06/2006
- Nick launched 666 copies of a WEAK13 CD called ‘Hell Head First’ at the Bar Academy in Birmingham. The gig was a loss due to poor turnout and Nick was billed £600 on the night and almost had to porn his equipment after playing a gig at his CD launch party. Close friends all chiped in and payed off the management.
06/07/2006
The magazine stoped after Nick was severley assualted after performing as WEAK13 at a venue called ‘Players Bar’, played to 200 people at the Twisted Melon Records launch Party (A label created by close friend of Nick’s ‘Melo DJ’). This performance had been so well received by the audience that two jealous individuals took it upon themselves to follow Nick home and beat him to the back of the head for five solid minutes. Threatened his life and told him he ‘d be dead if he stayed in his hometown.
- Nick abandons his home and all his possessions
- Nick two days later went to ‘Penzance’ in Cornwal for two months to stay with family with his then girlfriend Katie Doolan, to heal and re-think a new life. He had planned to quit music and start afresh. His father drove him there in the car, Nick promised his Father he’s quit music and have a quiet life
- Nick’s father gives him £150 pound to start a new life with without music
- Nick that day buys a second-hand semi-acoustic guitar for £75
September 2006
Came back to Kiddernminster
- Wrote and recorded the WEAK13 song DEATH MACHINE
2007
- Death Machine EP was recorded
- ‘Death Machine’ music video filmed by Toby Hoare of Corrosive Films (Budget £200) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EO5NFKPpCOI
- WEAK13 back on live circuit from 07/07/2007 onwards
- Kidderminster Music Festival promoted by Nick J.Townsend and Richard Lyn-Que
- Katie Doolan beomes new manager for Nick J.Townsend and WEAK13
- WEAK13 song ‘Never Repeat Myself’ released on white label vynal on ‘The White’ (Funded by friend James Chesworth and then partner and manager Katie Doolan.
- TV appearances by Nick J.Townsend and Katie Doolan http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W-6Na9ikNj0
- WEAK13 record tracks with engineer Mathew Tarbuck (aka Neutron Tears)
2008
- Death Machine E.P. released onto iTunes
- Death Machine single appears on ‘Kill your management volume 8’ complilation CD
- Death Machine single appears on ‘Devolution Magazine’ cover complilation CD
- Nick co-presents an episode of the TV show ‘The Pit’ with main presenter Mark Knight
- WEAK13 perform LIVE in TV studio for ‘The Pit’ on Sky TV
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BeOmP2XeCEQ
- Nick tells viewers that ‘Death Machine’ is a “big f**k you to the music industry”
- WEAK13 single ‘Prouder Than U’ released onto iTunes
- WEAK13 single ‘This Life’ released onto iTunes
- WEAK13 perform a LIVE streamed internet gig at ‘Base Studios’ in Stourbridge. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BcwmliXxsO0
- Katie Doolan tells Nick that their relationship of 5 years is over
- The next day Nick talks to Chris Murph on the internet for the first time and sets up an internet radioshow
- Nick meets music engineer ‘Crazy Mule’ and records D.N.A. and other WEAK13 music
- Three days later ‘D.N.A.’ music video filmed by Thomas Lee Rutter
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UaqL_y1hGms
- (‘D.N.A.’ music video link above)
2009
- Recordings take place for WEAK13 engineered by Crazy Mule
- www.basementsound.co.uk takes off and gets bands from all over the world played on Nick’s show ‘Metal Time’ plus attracts listeners from 40+ countries
- Nick meets Film maker Chris Stone to discuss making ‘Wake Down music video for WEAK13 set in World War I. Year to plan.
- Shel Tighe becomes Manager for Nick J.Townsend and WEAK13
- Nick writes column for monthly magazine ‘Ryan’s Gig Guide’
- Moves to Halesowen
- Finds a venue in Stourbridge ‘Base Studios’ then presents ‘Open Mic nights’ and network with musicians.
- ‘Prouder Than U 2’ music video filmed by Martin Kilvert http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=17dmV10-Zdw
- ‘Lunatic’ music video filmed by Martin Kilvert http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lmy1mhaC5O8
- WEAK13 signs single distribution deal with Red Monster Records