Last updated 10:28, Monday, 27 October 2008

Overnight fame. It might exist for Big Brother housemates, but not musicians.

The band six10repeater

For musicians “overnight fame” used to be shorthand for years of invisible slog. Rehearsing incessantly, playing local venues, building a fan base, earning a record deal.

Only then was there a chance to reach the people. And if you wanted worldwide success you started the cycle again somewhere else.

But the rules are changing and Cumbrian band six10repeater are children of their multimedia, instant celebrity age. This unsigned act have just gone from relative obscurity to international recognition.

Overnight.

On Thursday last week they went to bed known and loved only by their smattering of fans.

When they woke up on Friday morning millions of people in dozens of countries knew their songs.

These people had never been to a six10repeater gig or bought one of their records or even seen them on TV.

They had bought a computer game.

And not just any old game. Pro Evolution Soccer 2009 is the latest version of the most successful football game in the world. Its predecessor shifted 10m copies.

Hugely successful bands like Muse and Pendulum feature on the soundtrack. And so do a couple of lads from Carlisle and Wigton.

The game’s production company Konami bought the rights to the six10repeater songs Today Somehow and Hearts and Nails after hearing them on the band’s Hearts and Nails EP.

Lead singer/guitarist Stuart Armstrong, from Lowry Hill in Carlisle, and lead guitarist/keyboard player Stu Miller, from Wigton, wrote and performed on the songs.

“It’s brilliant promotion,” says Armstrong. “Our manager approached Konami because they were looking for unsigned bands. They loved it and bought the rights and gave us a one-off payment.

“It’s quite a peculiar thought that people all over the world who have never heard of us will be hearing our songs. I’m hoping if people like what they hear they’ll check out our stuff on MySpace.

“It can be hard work trying to get people to listen to you. If you do it seriously it’s a full-time job. And if you’re not signed it’s a full-time job you’re doing for free. But I’m not complaining. It’s what we want to do.”

Armstrong has not yet tackled Pro Evolution Soccer 2009. He is not a big fan of football or computer games. His passion is music.

Even without the boost provided by Pro Evolution Soccer, six10repeater – “The name came from some old drunk in a Carlisle pub. I have no idea what it means,” says Stu Miller – have been making progress.

They have supported Babyshambles, had several TV and radio appearances and were named best new band by listeners to Manchester radio station Xfm.

Their new EP is currently being mixed and it will be pitched to the many record labels which have shown interest. The band are also hopeful of securing a support slot on Echo and the Bunnymen’s tour early next year.

Sadly, Stu Miller will not be there. He tells the News & Star: “Due to a car accident last year and resulting persistent problems in my neck and forearms, I ended up leaving the band.

“I was in a lot of pain and couldn’t play for more than 20 minutes at a time. I knew it was going to take a long while and a lot of physio for my arms to recover so it was unfair to ask them to just wait and risk going off the boil and losing label interest.”

Miller now lives in Manchester, as do his former bandmates. He works for the Co-operative Society and is still writing songs, and having glimpses of his former life.

“In Manchester the morning the game came out there was a massive queue outside HMV of people wanting to buy the game. That tickled me. Someone sitting in Japan will be playing the game and our song will be popping up.

“I was really pleased. It’s one of my favourite games. I wasn’t surprised they liked it because the songs have got a lot of interest.

“We thought this would show other bands in Cumbria that with enough dedication and hard work, recognition is certainly achievable.”

Miller has played with six10repeater a couple of times since leaving the band and he visited the studio when they were recording their new EP. “I was blown away,” he says. “The new songs are fantastic. I offered a few production tips so it was nice to have a modicum of involvement but they don’t need me now.

“Part of me wishes I was still involved. If I was given an opportunity to help them on the production side I’d love to. As a three-piece [with drummer Chris Tweedie and Daniel Baybutt on bass] they have changed their sound ever so slightly.

“My guitar influences are Mick Ronson, Hendrix, Adam Devlin from the Bluetones and Chad from Mansun, so that element has been lost. But it has been successfully replaced with an equally powerful dynamic which three-pieces such as Nirvana, Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Muse thrive upon. I think they are better now than ever.”

Stuart Armstrong agrees, although he still misses the other Stu. “It’s unfortunate that Stu had to leave. I miss him being in the band and writing with him. But we have to move on.”

six10repeater’s songs can be heard at www.myspace.com/six10repeater