By Harley Quin
November 22 2011

Back in March I told you about my Miami-based rock band, Core Critical. 2011 has been very kind to the Band. Here is an update…..

As expected, hard copy CDs of the Band’s album ‘The Human Condition’ went on worldwide sale in June via our official website www.thebandcorecritical.com. Mp3 downloads of individual songs, or the whole album, have been on sale on iTunes, the official website or Facebook page The Band Core Critical since December 2010.

The same week that the CDs hit the streets, I was featured for an hour on BBC radio in his home town of Leeds. The interview, together with all the songs from the album, are currently streamed 24/7 on the Facebook page Core Critical Radio.

Back in Miami, Core Critical was given a film crew for a whole day. The net result – HD videos of three songs from the album. The Band released ‘Tryin’ to Seem Normal’ to its YouTube channel – TheBandCoreCritical, at the beginning of November and it is already receiving rave reviews. One critic described it as “probably the best video I’ve ever seen from an independent, no record label, no big money rock band”. High praise indeed.

The release was timed to coincide with the Band’s debut on TV in South Florida. Comcast’s Xfinity – Local Bands on Demand launched on November 4 and Core Critical are featured on the series. A potential audience of 1.6 million people can access Core Critical performing their song ‘Cynical’, on demand.

While all this has been going on the Band has also been in the rehearsal studio working on the follow-up album – Upwardly Mobile. Everything is pretty much ready to go. Now, as with most things in this world, it is all about money! In the current world of music, corporate sponsors are an essential element and Core Critical continues to seek business partnerships for the mutual benefit of the Band and its backers.

At the Stoop, I have teamed up with Quinssa to sell Core Critical CDs for £8 at the Supporters’ Club stand in the East Stand bar on the two game days before Christmas (Newcastle and Toulouse), with £3 from each sale going to the Harlequins Academy Fund. All the band members, not just me, really appreciate the support we have had from Quins, Quinssa and ComeAllWithin.co.uk. So much so that we included a thank you in our CD booklet! This is a great win-win idea. We increase our Harlequin fan base and the Academy gets a little financial support too.

“Thanks to Quins, London is our biggest sales market outside South Florida. We want to grow that even more to justify the financial risk of playing at the Stoop, hopefully sometime in 2012. I have never made any secret of the fact that this is one venue that I really want to play with the Band. We don’t do covers, but the guys are already preparing a rock version of The Mighty Quinn!!!”

For more on Core Critical visit the home page of the official website www.thebandcorecritical.com, with instant links to the Band’s Facebook, YouTube and Twitter pages