Chris Grayston

Last updated

Chris Grayston
Also known asC. Grayston
OriginEngland
Genres Happy hardcore, breakbeat, punk rock
Occupation(s) Record producer, music promoter, talent scout
Instrument(s)Keyboards
Years active1990–present
LabelsFuture Music
Fusion Records
Hectic Records

Chris Grayston (born 1971) [1] is an English music promoter, event organizer, record producer, musician, label owner and talent scout. He is currently employed as a music consultant including working for acts and record labels. [2]

Contents

Biography

Live and Unsigned and Open Mic UK

In 2007 Grayston organised and co-founded Live and Unsigned, an annual music competition for unsigned acts in the United Kingdom. He has served as events director and head judge for the competition. The competition annually attracts 10,000 participants, and after a series of live judging panels, ends with a summer National Grand Final at the Indig02 as part of Live Fest.

Through the competition Grayston has discovered a number of acts, including 2007 winners B-Kay and Kazz, who later achieved a top 30 hit in the UK charts with the single You Know it's Right.

Grayston discovered participant Josh Dubovie in 2008, who went on to represent the United Kingdom at the 2010 Eurovision Song Contest. In 2008 he also discovered Welsh indie/electronic band Kiddo360, which won the Grand Final and later went on to win a Vodafone Award.[ citation needed ] Nathan Sykes performed in 2008, before he joined The Wanted. [3] In the same year, Grayston was involved in setting up the first Open Mic UK, as a spin off of Live and Unsigned.

In 2010, the competition winners were The Lottery Winners and Scottish band The Detours. [4]

Future Music was incorporated in 2013. [5] The original Live and Unsigned company was dissolved in 2014. [6] In 2015, Future Production was incorporated. The company runs Open Mic UK. [7] [8]

Book and companies

In 2016, Grayston directed company Future Music was dissolved, and TeenStar incorporated. [5] [9] The same year Grayston published a book called The Secret to Success in the Music Industry. [10] [1]

Controversies

Following Luke Friend's appearance on 2013's X Factor and subsequent top 40 hit, Future Music threatened to sue Friend for alleged breach of contract. Future Music argued that "the winner must give TeenStar, run by Future Music, first refusal on management services within 18 months of winning", in addition to "appearances and promotion for an 18 month period from the end of the competition for a minimum of 5 times." Luke Friend's management company, Crown Management, have stated that "Our client was saddened to have received this claim from Future Music with whom he worked amicably for some time, including during his time in X-Factor. The claim has absolutely no basis in fact and will be robustly defended. We have every expectation that our client will be vindicated in due course." [11]

Personal life

Grayston has three children, and in 2016 lived in Shirley. [1]

Discography

Albums

Singles

Compilation appearances

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Manga Entertainment</span> US anime distributor

Manga Entertainment was a producer, licensee, and distributor of anime in the United States and the United Kingdom. Originally founded in the UK in 1987, the UK branch became Funimation UK and Ireland in 2021, also currently known as Crunchyroll Ltd. since 2022, while its U.S. branch was absorbed into Starz Inc..

The Student Radio Association (SRA) is a representative body which supports and acts on behalf of the UK student radio community, comprising radio stations that are associated with or linked to a place of education. It is a not-for-profit organisation, which exists to encourage and facilitate communication between student stations. It was dissolved by Companies House in May 2018, but was reincorporated on 30 August 2019 as the Student Radio Association Ltd Ltd.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Music competition</span> Contest that rewards the best musical performer

A music competition is a public event designed to identify and award outstanding musical ensembles, soloists, composers, conductors and musicologists. Pop music competitions are music competitions which are held to find pop starlets.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The NEON</span> Building in Newport, Wales

The former Newport Odeon, currently trading as The NEON, is a large Grade II listed building in the city of Newport, South Wales.

Eel Pie Publishing was a publishing house founded by musician and author Pete Townshend in 1977, and named after Eel Pie Island. It was part of the Eelpie Group of Companies including Eel Pie Recording Production Ltd which was set up in 1970 by Pete Townshend.

The Conference of Drama Schools (CDS) was the organisation which represented the top 21 accredited UK drama schools in the United Kingdom from 1969 until 2012.

Kevin David McGrath is a British businessman, philanthropist. and Executive Producer of an Oscar and BAFTA Winning Film [3]

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Live and Unsigned</span> British music competition

Live and Unsigned is a music competition in the United Kingdom for unsigned bands and vocal groups to perform live for substantial prizes. It was founded 2007, and has attracted over 40,000 entrants annually since its inception. Competitors perform in their own genre and style to a paying audience and judging panel. The competition tours the UK holding auditions and finals in various areas and regions, and the Grand National Final is held in London The O2 in London being the last used.

PledgeMusic was an online direct-to-fan music platform, launched in August 2009. It was started to facilitate musicians looking to pre-sell, market, and distribute projects; such as recordings and concerts. It bore similarities to other artist payment platforms as ArtistShare, Kickstarter, Indiegogo, Patreon, RocketHub and Sellaband.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Open Mic UK</span>

Open Mic UK is a live music competition run by Future Music Management in the UK for singers, vocalists and solo artists. Acts compete at regional auditions to get the chance to perform live at live music showcases to reach an annual national final, which is held at indigo at The O2 complex in London and The National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham. The event, which offers a recording contract and investment to the final winner, was described by Joel James of BBC York & North Yorkshire as "one of the toughest competitions in the country."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Trinity Band</span>

The Trinity Band is a five piece musical group founded in 2004 from Derby, England. The band consists of Rukus (rapper), Dwaine Hayden (singer), Craig Dawkins (keyboards), James Dawkins (drums) and Pete Sharpe (bass).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Live Fest</span>

Live Fest is a bi-annual music festival held at The O2 in London. According to its organizers, it is the largest indoor music festival in the United Kingdom. In the first festival on 23 July 2011, some of the headlining acts included Zane Lowe, Tinchy Stryder, Roll Deep, The Hoosiers, and Funeral for a Friend. Prominent genres of music at the festival include urban, pop, rock, and indie.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Boathouse, Twickenham</span> Business in London, England

The Boathouse is a commercial property located at Ranelagh Drive, Twickenham in England, which housed music and film studios.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lucy Spraggan</span> English singer-songwriter

Lucy Honour Ruby Spraggan is an English singer-songwriter. Spraggan was a contestant on for The X Factor in 2012, and she was the first contestant in the show's history to score a Top 40 single and album before the live shows aired, with her independently released album Top Room at the Zoo. Following the show Spraggan signed a recording contract with Columbia Records, and she has released six studio albums in total.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">TeenStar</span>

TeenStar is a singing competition in the United Kingdom, it is run by Future Music. The competition is open for singers, vocalists and solo artists to enter either in their teenage or pre teen years. Acts compete at regional auditions to get the chance to perform live at live music showcases to reach an annual national final. The first Grand Final in 2013 was held at the indigo at The O2 in London, and more recently at The NEC in Birmingham, The Beck Theatre in Hayes, and in 2019 the competition returned to The O2.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nathan Sykes</span> English singer

Nathan James Sykes is an English singer, best known as a member of the boy band The Wanted. In 2013, Sykes appeared with his bandmates in the E! channel reality television series The Wanted Life. After the band's hiatus in 2014, Sykes embarked on a solo career. His debut single, "Kiss Me Quick" was released in July 2015. It reached number-one on the US Dance Club Songs chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Over and Over Again</span> Song by English singer Nathan Sykes

"Over and Over Again" is a song by English singer Nathan Sykes. The song was written by Sykes, alongside Harmony Samuels, Carmen Reece and Major Johnson Finley, and was released in the United Kingdom on 18 October 2015 as the second single from his debut studio album Unfinished Business (2016). The song peaked at number eight on the UK Singles Chart. A remix featuring American singer Ariana Grande was also released as a single on 15 January 2016.

Harpinder Singh Narula is a UK-based Indian businessman, the chairman of DS Constructions.

Link Up TV is a music promotional platform based in London, United Kingdom. It has the second largest rap-based promotional YouTube channel in the United Kingdom after GRM Daily with over 11,111 videos uploaded, 1.7 million subscribers and 1.6 billion views. The site is owned by Rashid Kasirye and Enea Tanku, with the YouTube channel being launched in 2008 and the company being incorporated in 2012.

SPORTbible

SPORTbible is a sports focused social media publisher with headquarters on Dale Street in Manchester's Northern Quarter, United Kingdom. SPORTbible is part of LADbible group and describes itself as "one of the largest communities for sports fans across the world".

References

  1. 1 2 3 "The secret to music success from Southampton's own Simon Cowell". Dailyecho.co.uk. 3 September 2016. Retrieved 20 May 2020.
  2. "Head of A&R Chris Grayston singing competition judges | Open Mic UK". Archived from the original on 13 May 2017. Retrieved 16 January 2017.
  3. "Music Video - Nathan Sykes - Nathan Sykes". Baeblemusic.com. 7 October 2016. Retrieved 20 May 2020.
  4. "Winners". Live and Unsigned. Archived from the original on 2011-05-16. Retrieved 2011-05-02.
  5. 1 2 "FUTURE MUSIC LIMITED - Overview (free company information from Companies House)". Beta.companieshouse.gov.uk. Retrieved 20 May 2020.
  6. "LIVE AND UNSIGNED LIMITED - Overview (Free company information from Companies House)". Archived from the original on 1 December 2017. Retrieved 26 November 2017.
  7. "FUTURE PRODUCTIONS LIMITED - Overview (free company information from Companies House)". Beta.companieshouse.gov.uk. Retrieved 20 May 2020.
  8. "Music Competitions | Music Competition". 26 November 2017. Archived from the original on 26 November 2017. Retrieved 20 May 2020.
  9. "TEENSTAR LTD - Overview (free company information from Companies House)". Beta.companieshouse.gov.uk. Retrieved 20 May 2020.
  10. "The Secret to Success in the Music Industry | NEW HAVEN PUBLISHING Ltd". Archived from the original on 18 January 2017. Retrieved 16 January 2017.
  11. "Luke Friend denies alleged breach of contract". mirror. 10 April 2015. Retrieved 7 November 2015.