End of the road

IT'S all over! The end of an era! Violet Martinez are no more.

They will be playing their final gig tomorrow (Friday) at Club 85 in Hitchin.

The group will officially disband on that day to follow other avenues, so it is the last chance for fans to see the guys in action.

Pierre, vocals, 19, Josiah, drums, 19, Stubear, guitar, 18 and Daniel bass, 19, have gone in different directions.

Josiah and Stubear have moved to Brighton in order to study music.

Letchworth lad Daniel is now playing bass in indie-tronic Model Horror and Pierre is writing for alternative electronica band Scream Test.

Pierre said: "Violet Martinez stand for live disco tronic music and putting out intense live acts so that every person in the crowd feels like they are part of the show.

"We tried to separate ourselves from the recent indie movement where wannabe Libertines and Borrells seemed to cover every music scene, digging up old riffs and putting them with lyrics about how they just want to know someone's name over and over again

"I suppose it's ironic that we're playing with one of those at our last gig, The Runners.

"Instead we wanted to make people dance and party hard to edgy and catchy pop music that would appeal to any person who would watch one of our live acts.

"We love playing a venue packed full of people who want to hate us, and then by the end of the show have them dancing with us on the stage.

"We sing about our dreams, our sins, waiting for 'it' to kick in, boring teenage parties and tonight."

Their best experiences as a band were playing with Barfly in Camden with ex Test-Icicles member Dev Metal and his new band Lightspeed Champion and playing at the Rhythms of the World festival in Hitchin.

And the future?

"We want to keep playing with our new bands and make sure that more people from here make it massive.

"To be honest we have one of the best music scenes in the country, and as soon as this ridiculous samey indie phase dies down and all the poor bands that all sound the same disappear, people will realise how much talent is here.

"Intense bands like My Passion and Model Horror are the ones to watch.

"Yeah, and hopefully people might remember Violet Martinez."

Say goodbye at www.myspace.com/violetmartinezmusic

Play Music magazine, who attended a recent gig, said of The Runners: "Within seconds they've drawn a crowd of around 200... Blessed with the popular touch, The Runners really do have them dancing in the street. Ones to watch, me thinks."

For more info log on to www.mys pace.com/therunnersband

Also playing on Friday's gig are Look See Proof.