Next Sunday sees Brighton venue, The Hydrant plays host to Black Sunday IV, a local all day metal fest that showcases some of the best in local music, including previous SRG interviewees Sonace who will be opening the show. I was lucky enough to be able to talk to the man behind Black Sunday, promoter Shaun Lonergan, in advance of the show to get an idea of what kind of thing to expect.
SP: So Shaun, how did you get into promoting and how long have you been doing Black Sunday for?
SL: I used to play in a metal band called Synbiote as a vocalist and I found it a real buzz playing in the band and organising the shows; I enjoyed it, so I got interested in promoting. Then doing both at the same time got to be a bit difficult and unfortunately over time the band fell apart so I got more into promoting. I got to know the people at the venues and to start with I was only doing a few shows at a time, but then I thought, I want to do more of this. So I started getting into the club work and ran a really successful club night, which got reviewed in Kerrang magazine as a place to go in Brighton for a good night on a Saturday. For one reason or another the night fell apart so I thought I’d work independently as a promoter in future.
Black Sunday’s been going for about three years. The first Black Sunday was like a test because I didn’t know what it was going to be like, I mean I was fucking nervous but that one went really well. The second one didn’t work out as well though, it was like 28 degrees [Celsius; 82 degrees for our American readers – SP], really hot and only about sixty people or so turned up. Who wants to pay seven quid to go into a venue on a day like that or who would rather pay seven quid towards a crate of beer and sit on the beach? So I re-thought my whole plan, organised it a lot better and Black Sunday III earlier this year went really well, so I thought, sod it there’s another bank holiday coming up, let’s put another one on.
SP: So I guess you’re on a tight budget then?
SL: Yeah of course, but it’s not a money making thing, you have to put money in but as long as I make back what I’ve spent I’m happy. The thing is you can’t predict a show; you can’t predict the unpredictable. I did a show last year in December at the Freebutt called Headbangers and Thrash with Divine Chaos headlining, Terrathorn and a couple of other local bands. There was snow and sheet ice on the roads, and I thought I was going to have to cancel the show because no one would want to come out. Loads of other local promoters cancelled their shows because they thought the weather would stop people coming out. We got to the Freebutt on the day and it was like, shit… there was ice and snow everywhere but loads of people came down, it was probably the best show I’ve done. Like I said, you can’t predict the unpredictable, and all shows are unpredictable.
SP: What inspired you to start up promoting in the first place?
SL: When I was playing in a band we were always looking for gigs and another band helped us out and gave us a stepping stone; we ended up supporting the likes of 3 Inches of Blood and Orange Goblin. You know, my main reason behind what I’m doing with Black Sunday is to look after the younger bands, the developing bands, building up their self esteem, their confidence, getting them more notability. It’s got to the point where a lot of bands I’ve worked with have gone on to do well. The first Black Sunday back in 2007 had bands that are starting to get really big now, like Divine Chaos and there’s a band I worked with two years back called Stone Circle who’re getting pretty big, they just played at Bloodstock last week. But yeah, it’s always been about looking after the younger bands. It takes a good couple of years to work your way up the food chain and the stuff I promote, like Black Sunday gives them a place to start.
SP: How do you go about picking your bands?
SL: The purpose of Black Sunday is that it’s a local all-dayer. I usually bring back the best local band from the previous Black Sunday, who’ve got the best stage presence, pull the best crowds, you know the crowd favourites from the day, and then I put them further up the bill next time so they’re kind of co-headlining.
SP: So Black Sunday’s about local music primarily then?
SD: It is yeah, the majority of it. The line up is mainly local bands but I always bring in a guest headliner. This time it’s Terrathorn who are a really good thrash band from Southampton; well, the vocalist lives in Brighton but the rest all live in Southampton. They’ve played Bloodstock, they’ve got a music video out [See below - SP], they’ve been on Skuzz TV at some point doing an interview. But picking the bands is down to musical merit, who’s the best you know?
SP: What have you got planned for the future?
SL: Well, year by year I’m getting… well, not bigger as such but more established. For the last Black Sunday I had eight bands on, this time I’ve got nine. If I can get The Hydrant again on a bank holiday weekend I’m looking to expand it to a two day show with eight or nine bands a day and get a load more local bands on board. Do it on a Saturday and Sunday so people have their bank holiday Monday for their hangover. I’m only starting off small but if things go well maybe in a year or two try and move it to a bigger venue, but only if I can afford to do it. Bigger venues are so much more expensive. And I’m setting up another all dayer on October 7th, I just got the date confirmed. I’ve got some big bands coming down from London for it and I’m going to get some local bands on as well, try and turn it into a nine, ten band bill.
SP: So what’s that one going to be called?
SL: [Laughs] I don’t know yet, I’ve only got the date! I’ve got this headlining band from London called Fleshrot and they’re really, really fucking good death metal. And since Synbiote split last year I’ve been out of action as a vocalist for a bit and I want to join another band because I miss singing. I do enjoy getting on stage and the energy that goes with it.
The final line up for Black Sunday IV is:
TERRATHORN
DEMENTAL
MOTHER RUIN
PYRE
SEVEN YEAR KIZMET
HER LAST WORDS
DROWN IN ENTROPY
SONACE
Check out headliners, Terrathorn's official video for their track No Pets Allowed
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