Band debut goes digital for Billingshurst singer Janey Smith

Billingshurst musician Janey Smith finally gets to make her debut with her new band Iconic Eye.
Janey SmithJaney Smith
Janey Smith

It won’t quite be the live-audience rock concert she’d been hoping for; but for the moment, taking part in a paid-for live-stream is the best she is going to get.

The “best in unsigned artists from across the UK” are combining online for the premiere showing of Rockdown, with organisers Better Than Live excited to host Iconic Eye, Voodoo Sioux, Piston and Wolf Jaw on Saturday, October 3 for the first-ever Rockdown live stream.

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“Iconic Eye have been going quite a long time,” Janey says. “I am not sure how long, but I joined them in February. The story of my life! Just before lockdown. It was all very exciting. I was going to be involved in writing the new EP. I was really excited. It was what I wanted to do. Their style is rock, melodic rock really, the stuff I love… I am a big Bon Jovi fan!

“And then lockdown happened… interesting times. It was strange. It has meant that I could focus on writing, but obviously there were no live shows. But now everything is recorded for the EP apart from my lead vocals, and then it will go on sale on December 1.

“But obviously the bizarre thing is that we have no live shows to promote the EP, which is key for bands.

“It is all about touring; it is all about the merchandise; but luckily we are at least doing this live-stream thing before the EP comes out. I will be singing their back catalogue.

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“Iconic Eye are quite Midlands based. I am the only southerner. A friend of a friend of mine messaged me on Facebook and asked if I would be interested in joining them.

“It will be my debut with them… online! It is really strange to think that my debut should be happening online. But it is a paid-for gig, and that is important. I have always felt really strongly about live music. When you have a band, you get asked to do charity things, and you try to do your bit, but I always feel really strongly that this is our life, that musicians should be paid for performing, that people should be buying hard copies of CDs. We are just trying really hard to find ways to keep going. It is difficult. Rock is about big sweaty venues and getting in there with the crowd!”

Inevitably, Janey’s work with her other band Supersonic 70s has also dried up: “The last show we did was March 15, and then lockdown happened. It was such a shame because our tenth-anniversary show was going to be at the Capitol in Horsham in March.

“All the Supersonic shows have been moved to next year. They are theatre shows. They need theatres. The first one we have got scheduled is December in Wales, and I can’t see that happening. The other shows have been moved to January, February and March, and you have just got to hope that those are going to be able to happen.”

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Artists at the live-streaming event are: Iconic Eye at 7pm; Voodoo Sioux at 7.45pm; Piston at 8.30pm; and Wolf Jaw at 9.15pm. Tickets are £10.

This site for the Better Than Live live stream on October 3 is https://www.betterthanlive.co.uk/event/rockdown/The band’s website is https://www.iconiceyemusic.com/

The band’s new single Now That I’ve Found Love can be found at https://youtu.be/l1WbnX1ZnmA

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