Trespass, formed in Sudbury (1979), calls for venues to back young artists amid a rise in tribute acts, impacting live music development.
Trespass is a heavy metal band with four members. Their new album, “Wolf At The Door,” is popular. Brothers Mike and Paul Sutcliffe originally formed Trespass in 1979. The band features Jason Roberts, Mark Sutcliffe, and others. They played their first show at Sudbury Upper School.
Trespass broke up in the 1980s. They reformed in 2014 and toured Europe and Japan. “Wolf At The Door” is their third album since reforming. Mark Wilkinson created the album’s artwork. He designed covers for bands like Iron Maiden.
Mark, age 66, said releasing the album feels great. The band still has fans worldwide, including places like Australia and Japan. Older bands face challenges nowadays, but heavy rock music has thankfully persevered.
Trespass will perform in Ipswich on March 29 at The Steamboat Tavern. This concert inspired Mark, who asks for more venues to promote original artists. He sees a rising number of tribute acts.
Mark has performed in tribute shows himself. Venues often only book tribute acts currently, meaning original acts get fewer chances. Younger artists are especially affected since live shows are essential for development.
You learn what connects with people on stage. The band thinks there’s a lack of venue support. Mark feels live music has an unfair playing field.
Mark suggests venues use tribute act money to hire original bands as opening acts. This would support the music scene. He says it’s harder for bands to play live now.
