Reamonn to support Status Quo at Venue Cymru, Llandudno

Nov 5 2009

REAMONN, one of Europe’s hottest bands, have set their sights on the UK, and it appears it will be only a matter of time before they achieve world domination.

The band, which is based in Germany, formed more than a decade ago after lead singer Rea Garvey decided to take the plunge and swap his native Ireland for Stockach, a small town in the south- west of Germany, having been there once before with his previous band.

Since forming, the five-piece has conquered the European music scene, performing at worldwide music event Live8 in Berlin in 2005, as well as Live Earth in Hamburg in 2007.

Last year, Reamonn performed at Berlin’s famous victory column, The Siegessäule, before a crowd of 200,000 people, including the then presidential candidate Barack Obama.

The group will be arriving on British soil this month for their UK tour supporting rock legends Status Quo, and their uplifting songs, which have been described as being on the same wavelength as Coldplay, Creed, Maroon 5 and U2, are guaranteed to win over music lovers here.

Having already received good feedback from British fans on social networking sites, Rea admits he and the band are looking forward to reaching a new audience in the UK.

"We’ve been together for 11 years and had huge success in Germany. We’ve now found a team in the UK who have given us a great response. People have really woken up to the album and been really enthusiastic towards it," he says.

"The album is the product of two years of writing and recording and we’re excited to see what people in the UK make of it. At the moment, the response from the UK has been phenomenal, many fans have been following us on Facebook and giving their support."

In recent years, the band has expanded its musical taste by working with artists including Nelly Furtado and singer-songwriter Lucie Silvas. Rea also lent his vocals to DJ Paul van Dyk’s trance hit Let Go last year. Last month, they were nominated for Best Band at the 1 Live Krone 2009.

After the band worked with talented producers and composers they even discussed their latest material with the man with the Midas Touch, Timbaland.

Rea said: "We met Timbaland and it was only supposed to be a five-minute meeting but he ended up listening to our music and chatting to us.

"He said we needed to go more towards the darker side, then I tried to write more about things more painful to talk about."

However, Rea prefers to write about strengths rather that weaknesses. Although they are also looking forward to performing with Status Quo, Rea feels it is important not to lose sight of their own sound.

"One of the big things I’ve had to learn is to allow influence, but at the same time maintain identity."

When asked what’s next, Rea replies coyly: "Success has its own path. Every time a new opportunity comes along you have to be ready for it."

The band’s album, Reamonn, was released on September 28.

Reamonn will be performing with Status Quo at Venue Cymru on November 13 and 14. Contact the box office on 01492 872000.