The Alex Manford Invitational 2008

In 2007, a show originated in the dearly departed Schooner Tavern which tried to at least highlight some bands that many felt weren’t getting the attention they deserved. Since that small event, across the months, person upon person, band upon band, music fan upon music fan constantly asked the same question: "When’s the next Alex Manford show?"

The concept for the new event began in early 2008 when radio presenter Benjii Jackson began receiving word that a number of bands were disillusioned with the scene and wanted something to happen. Project 30:05:08 was initially set up to plan a simple night dedicated to representation of different musical styles with a simple statement to the bands involved: “treat others as you’d be treated yourself.” The mission statements were clear and the targets intended were to expose a strong set of bands both breaking through or in need of a leg up, and build a healthy communal vibe amongst those involve.

In late March 2008, visitors to the Project 30:05:08 MySpace page were informed that there was indeed to be another Alex Manford gig. But something a lot more grandeur than it’s 2007 “Benefit” show.

From the simple five bands in the previous Alex Manford show, the interested peaked with the original figure doubling initially before finalizing on twelve performers from Auckland and Wellington who have all expressed a deep interest and agreement of the overall mission statement. The Alex Manford Invitational 2008 will be twelve bands across two venues in one night, with acoustic performances outside the venue which will no doubt pique curiosity amongst foot traffic.

Looking set to be one of the strongest debuts in Auckland, and a fitting counter point to New Zealand Music Month, May 30th looks to be more than the sleeper hit of this year – it looks to be the birth of something incredibly special and passionate.

PERFORMERS INVOLVED:
Battle Circus, The Bengal Lights, This City Sunrise, The Incredible Hexadecibels, Kittyhawk, Decortica The Hungry Eyes, The Randoms, Calamity Jam, Sherpa, Seno vs. Frank, Satan’s Little Sister, Seno vs. Frank, Andy Gibson, Andrew Keoghan and more to be announced.

Event listed by Elephant Publicity

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