Yashin - awesome tour
Screamo rock alternativos Yashin have had their 'best ever year' with Manx frontman Harry Radford.
It has been an unbelievable twelve months since Harry dropped the bombshell that he was leaving popular local group On a Friday to join the Glasgow based band. Two successful headline tours and a session in the studio later, it's clear it was a good decision. Back in the Island for Christmas Harry's been telling What, Where, When all about it.
The year kicked off in March with a Headline tour with over 30 dates around the UK named Show Me What You've Got Tour. A live recording of the gig was made which fans can download at leisure. Speaking to Harry about the tour he explained: 'This was a really awesome tour, the attendance was excellent, the only negative thing was that I got tonsillitis and so had to pull out of three dates.'
Without so much as time to gargle with anti septic or re-string their guitars the boys accepted an invitation to support US heavy weights Madina Lake on their UK tour, playing large venues such as Nottingham Rock City, London Electric Ballroom, Manchester Academy, and many more.
For Harry this was the highlight of his year.
'Playing with Madina Lake was a pretty amazing experience for me, especially at the Electric Ballroom which was packed out with 2,000 screaming fans. Backstage was even better, loads of my musical heroes were assembled, The Blackout, Kids in Glass Houses and You Me At Six, all chilling out and listening to the music, I was like...wow!'
In June and July Yashin returned to Europe for headline shows in Germany, Italy and Holland.
The tour was 'insane and showed a real growth in fans in Europe for Yashin', selling out a 350 capacity venue in Milan, Italy, was a great indication that things were going well. Why such a following in Italy?
He explained, 'We've been to Italy a few times and have a great agent to spread the word out there, plus the Italian fans are really loyal.'
During August Yashin were added to Stage Dive Day Out festival in Stockholm, Sweden, along with Millencolin, Hadouken, Andrew W.K, We are the Ocean, Sonic Syndicate, Dance Gavin dance, plus many more.
Yashin played on the main stage at the festival to an appreciative crowd of more than 4,000 people.
What was the experience like?
'The festival flew us out for the show and put us up in a sweet hotel, which was a great experience.'
So was it early to bed with a cup of cocoa after the gig, then, Harry?
'Well it was kinda weird, the Swedish government puts up a lot of cash for these gigs on the basis that there is no alcohol at the event, which is a bit bizarre. So after the gig when we headed backstage, there was like a ton of security checking for drink. Our sponsors Monster Energy saved the day when they invited us into their tour bus, and offered some free beer they had managed to smuggle in.'
After a hectic summer the band decided it was time to get into the studio and lay down their debut album.
So what can fans expect on the new album?
'We wanted to make our music more accessible so you can expect a more mainstream sound.'
So a real change in direction for Yashin, what prompted this?
'Nothing really, it was kind of organic, we just recorded some songs and this is how it came out.'
Harry's favourite track is Black Summer which will be the last single released.
The album is called Put Your Hands Where I Can See Them and contains 11 tracks released in January through I-Tunes and 250 other online stores.
The band are in the process of hard copies getting distributed to HMV in Douglas.
Back in the Island for Christmas, what are Harry's plans?
'I'm really looking forward to hooking up with my mates and going down the pub.
'I like to chillout in The Outback and Sub Zero, but I'm only here for a week because then I'm off again to do two music videos for the album, which will be going on MTV2, Kerrang and Scuzz.
'We have the same Media/Promotions company working for us as New Found Glory, Enter Shikari and You Me at 6 so it should be awesome.'
As for 2010, Yashin have just announced a full UK support tour with Glamour Of Thee Kill who are currently on tour with Dragon Force.
'We are really excited to be on the road with Glamour as they have a big following and have played some sick shows with some amazing bands'.
So any message to your fans on the Isle of Man?
'Thanks for sticking with me over the last year, buying our music and remember to keep checking our MySpace site www.myspace.com/theyashin) for information on Yashin's 2010 Manx gig , we will be back!'
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Weather for Isle of Man
Saturday 04 February 2012
Today
Heavy showers
Temperature: 5 C to 8 C
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Wind direction: South
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