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From picking up a guitar for the first time aged just four, Tom Ritchie's life has
been dedicated to writing and performing thrilling music.
Achievements have been many and are a result of talent combining with hard work and preparation.
Although only 19 years old, Tom has extensive experience of writing, arranging, recording and
producing self-penned material for a variety of bands.
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Forming his first band aged just 14 years old, Trade Off emerged in 1999 with masses of
energy and enthusiasm onto the local gig scene of Yorkshire, England.
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Mixing a raw yet accessible rock sound with tight harmonic arrangements, the band were not
content to merely settle for being a school rock band playing cover versions of their favourite songs.
Burning their way through a hectic year the band produced enough material for two well-received CD's.
Moving away from the raw energy of the earlier material, Tom's next band, 'Untold' was an
opportunity to introduce more complex use of instruments and studio techniques.
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Extensive performing and recording followed before the end of his school days brought about a
change in musical direction. The time was right for Tom to commence his first full-time musical project.
Entitled 3am, the band launched onto the live music scene with a series of high profile London dates.
The blend of high-energy power-pop combined with radio friendly vocals and additional influences drawn from
the worlds of rock and jazz saw the band rapidly build up a dedicated fan base.
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Despite being present on the live circuit for only a few months, 3am entered BBC Radio's Raw Talent competition.
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Sailing through the first live heat as the winner, the band progressed to the final which received a live broadcast
on regional television and radio, along with worldwide exposure via the Internet.
Judged by a panel of music industry professionals and celebrities, 3am finished a highly credible second place.
Furthermore, a simultaneous public vote undertaken during the course of the evening saw the band gain
a staggering 57% of the 200,000 votes cast and the band were awarded the title of BBC Raw Talent Band Of The Year (2002).
Following this success the band was approached by the BBC for a variety of engagements over the following months.
The highlight of this period being a performance to a large hometown city centre audience as part of the Queen's Jubilee celebrations.
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Moving to Hull, Tom launched full time into his latest musical venture, forming Pave.
Never afraid of hard work, Pave spent four months rehearsing night and day to produce a polished set of
self-penned Tom Ritchie material.
News of Paves first public appearance quickly spread and a prestigious venue in London was booked.
The subsequent performance wowed the notoriously difficult to impress London audience and representatives
from the London based music industry.
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With a set of radio friendly, accessible pop-rock tunes, Pave quickly set about exciting audiences
with a string of festival appearances throughout the summer of 2003.
As well as extensive live performances, Tom has made two guest appearances on BBC Radio's 'Raw Talent' programme.
The first occasion, Pave was invited to play a live set and to participate in an interview with both the
show host and the public. The second occasion, saw Tom invited back to perform a solo set showcase.
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Early 2004 saw Pave make the recording debut, heading to the highly respected Fairview Studios in Hull,
previously used by The Beautiful South.
Co-produced by Tom, the end result was a promotional EP of high quality material.
Showcasing both Tom's ability to produce well crafted songs that will appeal to a large
varied audience along with a ballad style that connects and appeals to its audience, the EP was judged a success by the media.
Always eager to perform live on a regular basis, Tom has recently commenced playing
regular solo acoustic shows around Hull's pubs and cafes to great acclaim.
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Buoyed with the success generated by the debut Pave EP and the reaction to live performances,
Tom has recently been preparing yet more new material.
Displaying a new maturity in the song writing and production techniques, Wake Up, was quickly seized
upon by international retailing giant, FCUK, who immediately included the track on their in-house
radio-station playlist.
Bringing together high quality craftsmanship with a vocally distinct performance, this new material
points the way forward for yet more musical success for Tom Ritchie.
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Copyright © Nick Quantrill September 2004
Photographs courtsey and Copyright © Tom Ritchie
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Music Reviews -
Clever Brains Fryin', Young Heart Attack, The Bonnits, at The Welly Club 26th Aug 04 By Richard Stead
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I kept telling myself; nah, no way is Keith Flint at Welly Club.
I knew he loved the small venues he plays with The Prodigy but I never thought he
would ever play in such a small place like The Welly.
Well that was all put to one side when first bounced on MC Sir Real and
MC Bad Manner shouting;
Read more...
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Music Reviews -
Morrissey and The Dead 60's on Monday 6th September at Bridlington Spa By Steve Rudd.
Photos By Darren Rogers
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What can I say, other than what an amazing night!
Support band The Dead 60's, who took on the mighty stage at
8pm sharp for their half-hour set, were so brilliant that I'd almost forgotten
that Morrissey was still to come after them. The Dead 60's
are a young quintet impeccably
Read more...
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Music Reviews -
Blind Frog Ernie, Le Shed, Shindigg, Killer of Saints, Displacements at the Piper Club Tuesday 7th September 2004 By Andy Dykes
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I walk through the door of The Piper tonight, straight into a wall of sound
created by three guys who look and sound like a very early Blink 182.
This band is Displacements.
It's hard to figure out exactly what's going on until they introduce a little subtlety.
And then it all starts to sound pretty good.
Vocally, neither singer
Read more...
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Music Reviews -
Sweet n Sour at the Welly Club 19th August - 5678's, 59 Violets and The Morphines By Andy Dykes
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I've heard tonight's openers The Morphines described as something like Ian Curtis singing
with The Clash.
If my musical arithmetic is correct, then The Morphines should sound something like Sham 69.
And they do. A bit.
While the garage rock revival grips the world like nuclear war, The Morphines hark back to an era
Read more...
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