Nerve Centre, 43 Rosary Road, Birmingham, B23 7RA nervecentremusic@gmail.com
www.nervecentremusic.com
101/RF
3rd October 2011
Unsigned Birmingham band perform chart hit with Wheatus. Birmingham-based rock band and regulars around Digbeth’s music scene, Nerve Centre, had a lucky brush with fame at a community event at Brookvale Park in Stockland Green last Saturday, 1st October. The event included a special guest appearance by Brendan B. Brown, lead singer for internationally renowned act, Wheatus, who performed their smash-hit single, Teenage Dirtbag, with Nerve Centre’s frontman, Ronan Fitzgerald. Brendan’s time at the event was limited, and on his arrival he asked to hear Nerve Centre play. After hearing four songs, he took to the stage, asking to borrow Ronan’s guitar, before asking if the local musician would sing the track, which reached number two in the UK charts in 2000. The event in Brookvale Park was organised by Sergeant Simon Hensley from the West Midlands Police, as a neighbourhood activity to restore community spirit following the recent riots. Nerve Centre formed in Birmingham in October 2007, and have always had strong links to Digbeth: they have played in most of Digbeth’s live music venues, including a sold out gig at the HMV Institute; their album and other tracks were recorded at Muther’s Studio on Rea Street; and Ronan can be regularly seen and heard at the Adam and Eve and the Moseley Arms, where he hosts gigs for Silent Filter music promoters, as well as having arranged the live music at the Digbeth Fun Day. When not in Digbeth, Nerve Centre have played a number of high profile gigs including support slots with John Power from Cast and The La’s, and Alabama Three, as well as being the only band to have played on the rooftop terrace of the GateCrasher nightclub. Ronan said of the experience: “The whole thing was quite personal for me. In October 2001, Wheatus were due to play at my Freshers’ Ball at University College Dublin, but pulled out because they didn’t want to fly over after 9/11. This more than made up for it.”
ENDS Notes to Editor: - A video of the performance is available at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NIC2J0cfqzU - Nerve Centre’s next gig takes place at the O2 Academy Birmingham where they will be supporting Chris Helme from The Seahorses. Issued by Nerve Centre. Tel: +44 (0) 77 8069 0082 Email nervecentremusic@gmail.com