CALLING all young singers, bands and musicians – a club in Brentwood wants you to perform at its popular youth centre.
The Hermit Club in Shenfield Road has been running for 25 years and, following a brief closure last year due to funding problems, is now back in action and on the lookout for more young performers.
Peter Sills, 68, restarted the club in January and since then it has again become popular with youngsters in the area.
The club hosts live music on Wednesday and Friday nights and a new event called Neon will start on Saturday nights from June 8 from 7 until 9pm.
Although the audience swells to quite a crowd most evenings, Mr Sills explained that most of the bands are a little older and he is having trouble finding younger groups.
The musician and teacher from Billericay said: "Some performers are a bit intimidated – they think they have to be a really high standard but this is their club and we need them to get more young people coming to the Hermit as it's for teenagers.
"So many schools must have musicians and we hope to attract these younger groups. We are interested in any type of music from indie, rock and heavy metal to ska and folk."
Neon is a disco suitable for school Years 7, 8 and 9.
On Fridays and Wednesdays the club aims to attract 13 to 18-year-olds too.
Mr Sills added: "The older ones can go elsewhere but this gives the younger teenagers somewhere to go.
"We have one wonderful little band, Cloud Nine, who are only ten years old and are starting to play round local schools as well as at the club.
"They write a lot of their own material."
Mr Sills explained why he got involved in the club.
He said: "My big passion is teaching music – for the last 20 years I have done nothing but teach.
"I teach at three music departments for schools in Chelmsford and my background is as a professional musician.
"I was brought up in a jazz club so I didn't really have any other choice," he laughed.
Any bands that are interested in taking part should contact Mr Sills by e-mailing hermitclub@hotmail.com, visiting face book.com/hermitclub or by calling 01277 249313.
