Congratulations to the winners of our Do It Yourself Gig Poster contest: Netherwood, hailing from Orlando, Florida. They rallied their fans and got more votes than any of the other contestants. As a result, they have won a full day of in-person consulting with Bill, our Music Doer. Congratulations, guys.

Netherwood have been together for about three years. The band features John Lazar on vocals and lead guitar, Erica Kirkland on guitar, Kevin Meehan on bass and vocals and James Campbell on drums. They met through social circles and through the university where three of the members work.

When starting the band they were initially influenced by classic rock bands like the Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, Eric Clapton, The Eagles and the Grateful Dead. They also drew influences from bands like Guns & Roses, Pearl Jam and Alice In Chains, plus assorted punk bands from the late 70s and early 80s. All these influences came together to create what they describe as well-crafted and soul inspiring original compositions. They also throw in some radio hits from the last 30 years into their live sets to get the crowd moving and singing along.

The best show that they’ve had so far was their last show on December 17^th: “The last show at Tom & Jerry’s was pretty darn good. What made it so, the fans for sure. It’s such a rush to play for a large gathering of people who dig your music.”

They have some great advice for bands who are just starting out:

“Keep at it. There are a lot of hurdles to making it in this business. Do it because you love it. Pour your soul into it. If it takes extra effort to get the right sound or lights, do it if you feel it will make a better impact. People may not realize all the details but will leave feeling that they had a great show.”

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=endscreen&NR=1&v=uOmM6CAGdPQ]

Netherwood plays monthly shows at the University of Central Florida. They also play Tom & Jerry’s in Winter Park and will be playing there on January 28^th. For a full listing of shows visit their website at www.netherwood.us or at www.johnlazar.net

We congratulate Netherwood for winning the contest and wish them the best of luck in the future. If you’re in the Orlando area, be sure to head out to one of their shows and be sure to bring your dancing shoes ’cause these guys will make you move.