antiMUSIC - The Music Site with an Attitude!

LUXX � THE MUSIC INDUSTRY'S NEXT BIG THING

By Kim George

"Not since Godsmack have I felt so confident that a band will explode as I feel Luxx will�If Luxx doesn't break in 2001, I'll have to become a shoe salesman." That confident quote came from a press release issued by PGM, well known and highly regarded in the music industry as Paul Geary Management. PGM is the company that manages hard rockers Godsmack and Reveille. In June 2000, PGM added the female fronted band, Luxx, to their line-up.

The name Paul Geary should ring a bell; he was the drummer for the popular mid 80s band, Extreme. Paul's experience as a successful musician, grouped with his management skills, knows success when he sees it. After all, who could imagine him being a shoe salesman? If Paul says Luxx will be successful, you can rest assured they will be.

Luxx are far from new to the music scene. They are a rock and roll band with members from New York City and England. The band consists of four members, all of which compliment each other: Katrina Chester (vocals), Ian Hatton (guitar; formerly of Bonham and The Honeydrippers with Robert Plant), Dave Silver (drummer) and Benny Selzer (bassist). Although Selzer was recently added to the line-up, the band has been together for about five years, touring the world relentlessly (as often as 300 gigs per year), both as a headliner and as an opener for major acts.

The band has a well-deserved reputation for putting on one hell of a live show. Much of the band's electrifying stage presence is attributed to the already legendary lead singer, Katrina Chester, who is affectionately known as "Kat" by her family, friends and fans. Ian Barrett, of Boston radio station WAAF, sums it up perfectly when he says, "This is one of the best live rock and roll bands I have ever seen." If Kat's name sounds familiar, it may be due to her significant guest spots on other CDs; she appeared on the highly acclaimed second Trans-Siberian Orchestra album ("The Music Box"), for which she was awarded her first Gold Record from Atlantic Records. She is also featured on the new Godsmack album, Awake, where she performs the intense Middle Eastern Chant on the tracks "The Journey" and "Spiral."

Luxx have released two albums. The first was their self-titled album on Push Records in 1998. A year later they followed up with Hydroponic, released on their own label, an imprint of All-Indie Records. With little or no label promotion, the band went on to sell over 3,500 copies of Hydroponic, verifiable through SoundScan. Of this figure, 1,400 plus units were sold alone at their live shows in the recent months. That in itself proves a point.

With regard to the band being female fronted, it's time to dispel the preconceived notions. As Kat herself says, "I know there has been so many pre-conceived notions and categories over the years, but in all honesty, we pride ourselves on not being the norm or harping on the fact that, "Yeah, I'm a girl." It's rock and roll and it's music and that's that. We are just freaks like the rest of them." After you hear Kat's vocal range, it's evident she has star quality. Her rasp voice is compared to that of the late Janis Joplin and her energetic stage presence has been compared to No Doubt's Gwen Stefani.

The musical influences of Luxx are very diverse. Vocalist Katrina Chester grew up listening to Etta James, Judy Garland, Al Jareau and Billy Holiday. Her father was one of the most recorded drummers in history and she attributes much of her love of South African music, notably for percussion, as a result. Mostly Middle Eastern Music, such as Nahzhma and Ali Forka, inspires her. Guitarist Ian Hatton's musical influences range from Freddy King and Jeff Beck to Radiohead, Beck, and Rage Against the Machine. Benny Selzer, bassist, has a love for classic bands such the The Doors, The Beatles and The Stones to newer bands like Stone Temple Pilots and Alice in Chains. For drummer Dave Silver, he grew up in a musical family, listening to and playing everything from Frank Sinatra to Led Zeppelin. Silver's influences include the funkier bands, like Parliament and James Brown to 90s bands, Soundgarden, Stone Temple Pilots and the now defunct Nirvana.

Currently, Luxx are in the studio writing and recording music for their upcoming album. The band recently inked a deal with Universal Records. They are in development with them now and are hoping to get the record released on Uni/Republic in Spring/Summer of next year. The band's obvious goal is to make the best possible record. Of course, Luxx want to get back on the road full force, which is what they love doing most and known best for their intense performances.

With little or no promotion up to this point, Luxx have still received great recognition on the on-line world mainly due to their loyal fanbase following, intensifying live performances and the hard working Luxx Street Team. The band was named "Recommended Band/Site of the Month" on the popular Godsmack site, XXX Get-Smacked! XXX, and won Best Alternative (Indie release) of 2000 on the reputable music site, RocknWorld.(antiMUSIC's sister site) The Luxx Official Website is also leading the "Top Rated" category of band sites at Rock Search. With the proper promotion and backing from a major label, grouped with the reputable management skills of those at PGM, Luxx are unstoppable and will undoubtedly be the music industry's next big thing.