Coral Snake are alive

Contrary to popular belief, Coral Snake are alive and well. Very well in fact. But what have we been doing in the past *counts number of months since last blog 20 months since the last blog post?

Truth be told, 2023 has not looked like what we thought it would look like. We had some big plans that we didn’t quite get to realise, but we’ve learnt a lot, grown a lot, and been able to reflect on what we do, why we do it and how we can do more of it, and better!

But we also had some big plans we did get to realise. We started the year mid-way through the release cycle of our latest EP, Six Feet Under, which we released on 31 March. And boy did we release it in style; we only went and released it at our local HMV, playing a special show in-store. And you can buy the CD at HMV Darlington - yes, we’re on the shelves in HMV! Growing up practically living out of HMV it was a very proud band moment for us.

Speaking of style, did anyone catch us in our fineries down in London in January? We were nominated for ‘Best Hard Rock Act’ at the Radio Wigwam Awards and went down to their spectacular event with a bit of beer money and zero expectations. But we only went and came second! It was again a very proud moment for us because receiving recognition that you’re on the right track doesn’t happen too often. It was a simply wonderful evening shared with some amazingly talented artists and the staff of a station that is simply the best at championing grassroots music.

The summer saw a change of pace for us, but gave birth to perhaps one of our proudest achievements to date. We began working on the music video for ‘Ricochet’, and after many comments about how the track would make for a great wrestler’s entrance song, we let the 12 year old versions of ourselves plan perhaps the most fun, exhausting and rewarding project we’ve done to date. Working with the amazing people at EPW wrestling, and drafting in two incredibly talented videographers in Dan Rhodes and Callum Neve, we were able to unveil our magnum opus on 14 October. After 6 weeks of training to make sure Jamie and Chris were not only capable but safe to wrestle, EPW’s Big Bubba D and Davey Blane unleashed a beating that would make Chris Brown blush. Down and practically out, do they have what it takes to turn the fight around? If you haven’t seen it then check it out below and be sure to comment on YouTube to let us know what you think!

And we may have left quite the impact on the wrestling world it would seem. Some say EPW’s Jack Christo loosely models himself on our very own Jamie, and interestingly the two have never been spotted in the same room together… Get yourselves to an EPW show sometime this year and who knows, you may spot one, or both!

Only one gig in 2023 I hear you say? Well actually we had two more… one a jolly fun private do that saw us detour through Wales by accident, and the other… well it was quite a gig if that makes up for it? We were lucky enough to be invited to play at the brilliant Georgian Theatre in Stockton as part of the SIRF 23 festival. Already one of our favourite venues, we couldn’t pass up the opportunity to grace it’s stage once again, and we were glad we didn’t! Firstly the crowd were exceptional; Teessiders are passionate about their music, that’s for sure, but they are also very open to hearing new things. With a varied line-up over the day that ran the risk of being ‘too eclectic’ in any other town, Teesside embraced and celebrated the mish-mash of artistry to produce a wonderfully fine evening celebrating the best of Teesside, with the best of Teesside. Throw in one of the best stages you can play on, with exceptional sound, ran by a brilliant venue, and it was one of those gigs that doesn’t just remind you why you do what you do, but punches you in the face with it to leave a lasting impression.

So, like all good snakes, we may have been in a state of brumation recently. But we’re refreshed, we’ve shed some skin and are ready for 2024 with everything we’ve got. Stay tuned for some exciting announcements and be sure to check out our socials for all the latest. All we'll say for now is that we've already got more gigs booked for 2024 than the entire of 2023! We hope to see you all very soon.

Stay slippery.

Jamie, Chris & Joe