Published: May 06, 2008 09:23 am            

Answering the call

London based, Christian rock band, Delorean Grey to perform at July Jam

By Brad Hicks | Staff Writer

Delorean Grey, a Christian alternative rock band based out of London, will perform at the upcoming July Jam, a festival in which the aim is to spread a positive message to youth around the region.

The group is the continuation of another band — Overglow in which Shane McCowan was singer and Steve Hampton was guitarist. While some of the band members have changed, McCowan said he and Hampton have been together for about eight years.

“The members have changed, but me and Steve stuck together,” McCowan said. “We’ve always worked well together.”

The band, which has been together about three years, got its name from two pop culture items, one a science-fiction comedy, the other a dark, gothic horror novel.

“It’s a combination from the character ‘Dorian Gray’ [from Oscar Wilde’s only published novel] and the car from ‘Back to the Future,’” McCowan said.

On April 26, the group won the annual “Open at the Jam” band competition, which was held at Grace Fellowship Church in Pikeville. McCowan said it was a great experience for the group to perform and meet some of the other acts looking to spread the same message.

“It was wonderful,” McCowan said. “We made a lot of friends.”

While it was the group’s first time competing, McCowan said the band’s message and the opportunity to perform were more important than vying against others.

“I always dislike the competition,” he said. “I’d rather just play a concert any night. This is our ministry. This is what God has led us to do. We try to play as much as we can.”

Delorean Grey performs predominantly at churches and Christian clubs. The group is slated to play at the upcoming Fire Fest at the Laurel County Fairgrounds on May 17, The Ichthus in Wilmore on June 13, and the Atlanta Fest ‘08 in Atlanta, Ga.

“We go from Illinois to Georgia and from east to west about the same distance,” McCowan said.

Coming right on the heels of “Open at the Jam,” Delorean Grey released their “Answer EP” album. For McCowan, completion of the album after months of work was satisfying.

“That was a project we had been working on since January,” he said. “It was really exciting.”

Delorean Grey’s “Answer EP,” which is available on iTunes, includes five original songs and two acoustic versions.

With their win at the “Open at the Jam” competition, Delorean Grey earned the right to open on the second night of July Jam, an annual two-day Christian Rock festival held in Pikeville. Other bands performing will include StorySide:B, Santus Real and Pillar. McCowan is anticipating the chance to play alongside these nationally-recognized Christian Rock acts.

“It’s sort of very cool for an independent band to play with these national bands,” he said. “It’s always really cool to play with other bands and learn from bands that play more than you and have toured more extensively than you have.”

According to their Web site, July Jam is an interdenominational, faith-based event that intends to spread the positive message of the gospel of Jesus Christ through the influence of Christian music.

The event kicks off on Friday, July 18 at the city park in Pikeville. Tickets are on sale now. Floor tickets are $12 and general admission is $10. Groups buying 10 tickets will get one free. Also, those buying one ticket will get one free for a child age 9 and under.

Tickets can be purchased via Ticketmaster online or by calling (606) 422-1793.

For more information on July Jam and the bands performing, visit www.julyjam.com.

For more information on Delorean Gray, visit www.deloreangrey.com.

        

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