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Lower than Atlantis sign to Island Records - 1st February 2012

Friday night marked the end of long-time Blackstar endorsees, Lower Than Atlantis’ first sold out UK headline tour. Playing to a packed Relentless Garage, Islington, Mike Duce (frontman, guitarist) announced he had some very big news; earlier that day they had signed to the mighty Island Records. Island are responsible for handling the careers of some massive names in rock and pop (Mumford and Sons, Pulp and McFly to name a few) and now LTA will be joining the ranks.

At the after show party, Dec Hart (bassist) told Blackstar, that “this next step will be the biggest for the band” but they’re “ready to take it”. We’ve been working with the boys for the last 18 months and we’re extremely proud for all they’ve achieved. We can’t wait to see where the next 18 months takes them!

Congratulations LTA!

To see Lower Than Atlantis’ new video click here.

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Uli Jon Roth becomes Blackstar’s latest endorsed artist - 19th January 2012

Uli Jon Roth, Scorpions guitarist and esteemed for his contribution to neo-classical metal as well as inventor of the highly unique ‘Sky Guitar’, can now be revealed as Blackstar Amplification’s latest addition to their world-class roster of artists. The Sky Academy was launched by Roth in 2006 and has seen the likes of our very own Gus G (who cites Roth as an influence) attending. Uli has also influenced the likes of Yngwie Malmsteen and Metallica guitarist Kirk Hammett. Roth first tried Blackstar amps in August 2011 looking to find something with vintage tone but with modern sensibilities. He chose the mighty Artisan 100 running in tandem with the Series One 200 giving huge amounts of tone and huge amounts of power; perfect for Roth’s dynamic and emotive playing style.

Roth will be visiting Blackstar at this year’s NAMM Show where he will be signing at the booth. Blackstar Amplification can be found on the KORG booth located in Hall A, Booth 6440. Stay tuned for an artist spotlight video coming soon.

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Blackstar on UK Channel 4 - 19th January 2012

Brit award nominee Emili Sande appeared on the Graham Norton show with guitarist and Blackstar user Wayne Plummer rocking his Series One 104EL34 half stack. Emili has previously written for the likes of Leona Lewis and Susan Boyle and featured on Professor Green’s UK number one single ‘Read All About It’. In December 2011 Emili won the Brit Awards Critic’s Choice Award, putting her in great stead for a very successful 2012. Expect to see Emili at UK festivals this summer!

To see Emili and Wayne’s performance click here

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Blackstar on UK Metalcore tour - 21st December 2011

Blackstar endorsees Architects, Deaf Havana and Heights have gone head to head on a massive UK tour this week. New kids on the block Heights opened using their Series One 1046L6s. Both guitarists Dean and Tom have been using Blackstar since the summer festivals. Check out the first installment of their tour diary here.

Also on the bill are Deaf Havana, with front man James Veck-Gilodi using the Series One 50 head and an Artisan 4x12A cab. Deaf Havana are one of the most exciting bands on the UK scene at the moment. Their latest album, Fools and Worthless Liars, was released last month and has sold over 65,000 copies to date. We’ll definitely be seeing a lot more of these boys in 2012.

Headliners, Architects have toured the world in 2011, with a few notable UK festival appearances under their belts too, such as a fiery set at Sonisphere and an awesome headline set at Heavy Festival in August. Tom and Tim both use Series One 50 heads.

Visit the Architects facebook page here to see all the dates on the tour.

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My Passion and Opeth in Birmingham - 17th November 2011

The o2 Academy in Birmingham was awash with Blackstar amps last weekend with prog-metallers Opeth playing the Academy 1 and dance-punk heroes My Passion supporting Madina Lake in the Academy 2.

My Passion launched on stage with their customary display of energy and, well… passion! Launching into their synth driven wall of sound augmented by John Be’s crushing Series One 1046L6. The crowd exploded into motion. After nailing fan favourites such as ‘Day of the Bees’ and ‘Crazy and Me’, the set ended and it was up to the dressing rooms to dip into John’s birthday drinks supply.

The fire exit door next to My Passion’s dressing room, opened onto the balcony of the Academy 1 where Swedish heavyweights, Opeth where headlining. Powered by the immensely talented, Fredrik Åkesson and his Series One 200 rig the band surged through an incredible set. The last time we caught up with Opeth was at Hellfest, France in July and they haven’t stopped touring since. You will have plenty of opportunities to catch Opeth as they are on tour until Christmas 2012.

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Mike Duce – Lower Than Atlantis drops in for a visit - 17th November 2011

Watford based party punk, Mike Duce from Lower Than Atlantis visited the Blackstar Tone Lounge to film an Artist Spotlight video and talk us through his Series One 1046L6. Armed with a beer and some killer LTA riffs, Mike told us how he uses his Series One 1046L6 to get his signature deep, punchy tone live and in the studio. The boys are currently on a US tour tearing it up across the country, but will be back in the UK in January for their first headline tour of 2012.

See the video here:- Lower Than Atlantis Video

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Firewind complete Euro and US/Canadian tour - 11th November 2011

Greek power-metallers Firewind, featuring Blackstar endorsee Gus G (Ozzy Osbourne), have just completed their biggest tour to date. Starting in Southampton, UK in September and ending in West Hollywood, Los Angeles. Firewind have travelled thousands of miles bringing their own brand of epic power-metal to thousands of avid fans. The Ozzy axeman could be seen throughout the UK, Europe, the US and Canada rocking his mighty Series One 200 rig with Series One 412B cabs.

Click here to see Firewind’s video, World On Fire

HT Studio 20 on the Letterman show -13th October 2011

Friday 7th October saw James Mastro, accompanied by his Blackstar HT Studio 20 combo, performing with esteemed American singer/songwriter Garland Jeffreys on The Late Show with David Letterman. The band performed “Coney Island Winter”, a track off Garland's new album "The King of In Between".

Click here to see James and Garland Jeffreys in action.

Musician’s Planet Show - Sweden -13th October 2011

The Musician’s Planet Show took place on the 1st and 2nd October in Stockholm and played host to some of Sweden’s finest Blackstar endorsees - Electric Boys, Crash Diet and Mustache. They met several lucky fans in the FITZPATRICK AB booth during their signing sessions.

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Cult Blackstar endorsee The Enid to play Birmingham Symphony Hall - 7th October 2011

On 15 October 2011, Birmingham Symphony Hall will showcase the exclusive collaboration of Northampton-based band The Enid, with the world-renowned City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra. Stepping into new territory, the CBSO will encounter the world of progressive rock in a landmark show for both the internationally recognised Orchestra and this cult symphonic rock band. The Enid’s guitarist Jason Ducker currently uses the Series One 200 and Series One 4x12 cab.

Young Guns at the HMV Forum in London - 22nd September 2011

High Wycombe rockers Young Guns took to the stage at the HMV Forum in London complete with Series One 100 heads and four Series One 4x12s. The gig marked the end of their biggest headline tour to date and was certainly eventful! Despite an incredibly well handled technical issue with the venue’s power, Young Guns rattled through their hits while several thousand fans gleefully screamed along to every word front man Gustav Wood sang. It was a strong and slick performance that clearly highlighted why they have progressed so quickly to one of the UK’s most promising up and coming bands. Young Guns have grown alongside Blackstar over the last years and we're extremely proud to have them onboard.

Click here to see Fraser Taylor rocking his Series One 100s performing Weight of the World live at the HMV Forum.

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Gus G. Clinic blows Guildford away - 16th September 2011

Gus G. (Ozzy Osbourne, Firewind) treated 150 fans, plus countless more watching the live online stream, to an extremely exclusive and intimate guitar clinic at The Boileroom, Guildford hosted by Blackstar Platinum dealer Anderton’s Music. Gus took questions from the admiring audience and played through a set of Firewind classics plus a few choice Ozzy licks. Jaws dropped as fans got to see Gus’s incredible playing talent close up.

There were three Blackstar Series One 412B cabs and three Series One 200 heads powering Gus on stage. He even plugged into an HT-1R through a Series One 4x12 to conclude the event. The tone and volume amazed all in attendance.

For the first time, the Blackstar team streamed the clinic live and took questions from fans watching the online. If you weren’t lucky enough to be there you can watch the clinic here.

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Fiction Reform Guitarist has Tone That Takes the Cake! - 16th September 2011

Fiction Reform is a punk rock band from Orange County, California that formed in 2009 and features former members of influential O.C. bands Bullet Treament, The Deal and Civet.

Guitarist Aaron Chabak has been using a HT STAGE 100 head and Series One 4x12 cabinet to anchor the band's sound during rigorous touring in support of their debut album "Revelation in the Palms of the Weak", which was released by Basement Records in April of 2010. Their song "Small Silhouette" has been featured on "ESPN's Sports Center" and "Rob Dyrdek's Fantasy Factory" television shows and the band was honored with a "Best Live Band" nomination at this year’s Orange County Music Awards.

When asked about his Blackstar rig, Chabak said "We were looking for new gear for our bass player Tom when we came across the HT-Stage 100 at our local shop. I ended up buying the head that day and adding the Series One cab a short while later. I haven't had a need for any other amp since, the Blackstar projects in a way that retains enough clarity to separate it in the mix from the other instruments". The band has been back in the studio this month working on new material for their sophomore release, due for release in early 2012.

Recently, guitarist Chabak celebrated his birthday and was surprised by his girlfriend and band mates with a custom Blackstar HT-5 cake - definitely a first for Blackstar!

Take a listen to the band and keep an eye out for tour dates at www.fictionreform.com