Give it up for City Surrender (From Watford Observer)

Give it up for City Surrender

2:48pm Wednesday 23rd June 2010 in

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Gigging regularly across London, alternative/punk trio City Surrender are clearly well on their way to success having secured the support slot to Girls Can’t Catch at Harrow’s Under One Sky Festival.

Still in their teens, lead singer and guitarist Jonathan Jacobs from Stanmore (JJ), bassist/vocalist Joseph Timan (Jo) from Stag Lane and drummer Chris Williams from Barnet, have already played at Borderline, Camden Rock and Islington’s 02, as well Harrow Live events. They will next play an acoustic set at Harrow’s Soul Survivor Festival on July 4 and the Camden Head on July 18. They have a showcase for record labels planned for September.

Jo, (17) is currently taking A levels in history, economics, music, maths and Spanish at JFS School and JJ and Chris attend the Institute Of Contemporary Music Performance in Kilburn. Aside from their studies, Jo says the band has been building their profile through word of mouth and via involvement with the Wealdstone Music Centre project.

“Rob Lewis and Manjit Kudhail set up the project to open up opportunities for young musicians in Harrow,” says Jo. “JJ put ideas forward and we’re part of a weekly steering group. We’ve definitely benefited from a close partnership with the centre, it’s how we came to participate in Harrow Live and we also played the project launch.”

City Surrender played Under One Sky last year, but now take the main stage with headliners Girls Can’t Catch, Mumzy Stranger & Romy, Sham D and Menis, among others. Performing on the Harrow on the Chill schools stage will be Harrow Youth Gospel Choir led by Shereece Storrod, while over in the Community and Healthy Living Zone you can listen to classical music, poetry workshops and spoken word performances, take part in a banner making photo workshop or watch Rinpa Eshidan’s art films.

The day’s programme also includes sports, free children’s activities and a world food zone, plus for this year most of the festival site is smoke free. Watch the parade at 12.30pm and join in on the flashmob dance afterwards.

For City Surrender, the estimated 3,000-strong crowd will be their biggest gig yet but they’re taking it in their stride. “We’re gaining a lot of experience at gigs through driving ourselves in that environment. We’ve been speaking to musicians in bands we like such as Paramore and You, Me at Six to get their input and advice. Our lives revolve around music. We produce all our songs and record them ourselves – we definitely want to keep control of our music.”

The Under One Sky Festival is on Sunday, June 27, from 12noon to 8pm at the Kodak Sports Ground, Zoom Leisure, Harrow View. Details: 020 8416 8238 www.underoneskyharrow.co.uk www.citysurrender.com/