Arts Council England teams up with Oasis and NME magazine
Oasis invites fans to play unheard tracks in partnership with NME and Arts Council England
Their new album doesn't hit the shelves until October 6, but Oasis fans across the world are set to get an exclusive preview of ‘Dig Out Your Soul', in a groundbreaking partnership between Big Brother Recordings and music magazine NME supported by Arts Council England's ‘Take it Away' scheme.
The band, who have inspired the likes of Arctic Monkeys, Kasabian and The Enemy have teamed up with NME in a musical first, which will see the magazine release the sheet music and lyrics to three brand new tracks - ‘Bag It Up', 'The Turning and ‘(Get Off Your) High Horse Lady' in an exclusive companion disc giveaway.
Packaged as an official collectable item featuring a unique Big Brother catalogue number, the Oasis ‘NME Dig Out Your Soul Songbook' will be free with NME's September 17th issue and will also include a CD-Rom packed full of content, exclusive artwork and behind the scenes photos.
The songbook will invite fans to play the as-yet unheard tracks themselves by filming their efforts and uploading them to a dedicated microsite housed at www.oasisinet.com/digoutyoursoulsongs . This radical move adds a new dimension to the ‘free music' debate with the Manchester four-piece keen to reward their die hard fanbase by offering a unique user experience - and encouraging the next generation of Noel and Liams to pick up their instruments.
Noel Gallagher of Oasis said, "The gift of music is very special... and anything that can bring music into a kid's life is an incredible thing."
Oasis fans will be encouraged to interpret the new tracks in their own style, and on whichever instruments they please. A lucky winner will be personally chosen by the band will win a unique VIP experience to the Oasis gig of their choice anywhere in the world.
Conor McNicholas, NME Editor said: "We are ecstatic that NME has been able to work with Oasis to give our readers the very first taste of ‘Dig Out Your Soul'. The songbook really does mark a world first in including fans in the excitement of a new album release. With Arts Council England on board helping kids pick up instruments, this covermount could inspire and enable a new generation of Gallaghers right across the country."
The Oasis NME Dig Out Your Soul Songbook is backed by the Arts Council England's Take it away scheme which has given out £6m worth of interest free loans to budding musicians over the last 12 months.
Mary-Alice Stack, who manages Take it Away at Arts Council England, said "Take it away is about helping people to get started learning and playing musical instruments of all kinds. We're delighted to be involved with this songbook and competition, because we're sure it will do just that.
For more information please visit www.takeitaway.org.uk
About OASIS
Oasis are among the most successful British bands of all time having sold nearly 50 million albums worldwide, of which 13 million in the UK alone, and have received 151 platinum awards. Their album "Be Here Now" remains the fastest selling album of all time in this country, having sold nearly 700,000 copies in three days on its release in 1997. Their 1996 Knebworth House gigs at the time broke the record for the largest audience of any outdoor concert held in the UK - with 250,000 fans attending over two nights. They have won five Brit Awards, 8 Q Awards, 13 NME Awards, and the most prestigious Ivor Novello Award, Songwriters Of The Year. In February 2008 "Definitely Maybe" was voted The Best British Album From The Last 50 Years by Q Magazine. "(What's The Story) Morning Glory" came second. Their seventh studio album, ‘Dig Out Your Soul' sees a worldwide release on their own Big Brother on October 6th. The first single, ‘The Shock Of The Lightning' is out the week before. Oasis announced their biggest ever arena tour last month. All 180,000 tickets sell out within an hour of going on sale.
About NME
NME is the longest published and most respected music weekly in the world. Every week it gives its readers the most exciting, most authoritative coverage of the very best in contemporary music.
About Arts Council England
Arts Council England works to get great art to everyone by championing, developing and investing in artistic experiences that enrich people's lives.
As the national development agency for the arts, we support a range of artistic activities from theatre to music, literature to dance, photography to digital art, and carnival to crafts.
Great art inspires us, brings us together and teaches us about ourselves, and the world around us. In short, it makes life better.
Between 2008 and 2011, the Arts Council will invest £1.3 billion of public money from government, and a further £0.3 billion from the National Lottery, to create these experiences for as many people as possible across the country
About Take it Away
Take it away is an Arts Council England initiative that offers an interest free loan (0% APR) between £100 and £2000 for people to buy musical instruments, supporting musical equipment and tuition, through a network of participating retailers across England. The loan is repayable in 10 parts, made up of a minimum 10 per cent deposit and nine monthly instalments. The scheme is open to all UK residents over the age of 18.
The Take it away scheme is operated by ArtCo Trading Ltd (a wholly owned subsidiary of Arts Council England) in conjunction with the Musical Instrument Finance Company (MIFCO). The scheme is being promoted by Arts Council England in partnership with the Music Industries Association (MIA).
Related Links
http://www.youthmusic.org.uk/news/general.jsp?ID=667
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