MySpace Editor

MySpace Layouts MySpace Editor Icons Collage MySpace Graphics MySpace Codes
A FEW COMMENTS ABOUT RAISETHEROOF FESTIVALS FROM THE NORTHERN MUSIC PRESS AND BEYOND...
“The night was a roaring success with the West Indian Centre packed to capacity and all music being greatly appreciated by the crowd.”
- Emma Weeder, Traffic Magazine, issue eight March 2008
"Raisetheroof (is) a collective big on diversity, audience involvement and affordability ... In short, its going to provide an impressively inclusive cross-section of just how much Leeds has to offer."
Greg Elliot, Sandman Magazine, February 2008 issue
"The one-of-a-kind indoor festival returns once more: guaranteed to be unmissable."
- Tom Richardson, NME, January 2008
“Raise the Roof places a real emphasis ..ring the boundaries between audience and artists and this was accomplished tonight”
Emma Weeder, Traffic Magazine, issue eight March 2008
"The audience aren’t here for any one act, they’re here because they know Raisetheroof put on nights with a great atmosphere and pristine sound... this is how to get people out to watch new music in Leeds"
Duncan Evans, Sandman Magazine, March 2008 issue
THE STORY OF RAISETHEROOF.......
Raisetheroof began with a few Cardiff University students with a little too much time on their hands. Instead of going to lectures, which they found really boring, Roxy and Bea started planning house parties. Weeks and weeks of preparation went into these house parties and many assignments were ignored. At a party on valentines day a pink boudoir chillout area was constructed. At another extremely hectic party, the house was turned into a jungle complete with a canopy made out of real foliage stuck to the roof and massive paintings of forests stuck to all the walls, with each room playing a different style of dance music. Needless to say the deposits on their student house were NOT returned.
Somebody said "that last party blew the roof off" and so raisetheroof was born. These house parties became so popular in Cardiff that Raisetheroof was forced into the clubs due to health and safety reasons, and subsequently Raisetheroof hosted Cardiff events at the Fun Factory, Journeys, The Cardiff University Union and had a legendary collaboration with the CherryBomb collective at The Toucan, the first mini-festival where they realised they also had a taste for live bands as well as dance music. Roxy then decided that the only thing she was any good at was planning ridiculous parties, so moved straight to Leeds to study events management msc.
Now based in Leeds, and drawing on the support and resources of a thriving DIY music scene, Raisetheroof has honed its identity and a core set of beliefs: Raisetheroof is about providing something a bit unusual either for free or at an affordable price, and it is a call for the audience to get involved in every possible way. Our nights are not just about the music but about the random extras as well. We take great pleasure in thinking these random extras up. We dont bother with naming a band the headliner because all of the bands should be headline quality, not in terms of fame but in terms of how good they are musically. The look of a night is as important to us as the sound of it. We don’t want there to be clear distinctions between the ’paying customers’ and the people that are making the whole thing happen; we like to blur the boundaries between performers and participants.
Above all its about providing an environment where people can feel completely comfortable painting their faces, wearing bowler hats, dancing like bellends and having a damn good party.
With advice from Oblong Community Centre and the Scarman Trust we have had funding from Burley Can Do, The Scarman Trust and have won a Big Boost award from the National Lottery. We are by no means rolling in it however, and a lot of our support comes from YOU, in your donations and most of all from your participation and enthusiasm at Raisetheroof nights.
All profits from Raisetheroof nights go towards the future print costs of No-TiTLE Magazine, your mixed genre free music mag! Long may it continue xx