Friday 30 Oct 2026, 11:57pm
CONTROL/RESISTANCE is a new Midlands based project rebuilding recognisable pop and alternative songs as darker, heavier, guitar driven alternative rock with electronic and industrial elements.
I’m a 29 year old guitarist/vocalist based in the Midlands. The set, arrangements and production concept are already in development; I’m now looking for the right people to build the live band.
The project is heavily influenced by Muse, alongside modern alternative rock, heavier music, pop and industrial/electronic production.
At its core, this is a live rock band: guitars, bass, acoustic drums and vocals. Synths, samples, stems and electronic production are there to expand the sound, not replace the band.
The aim isn’t to play straightforward rock covers of pop songs. The material is being properly rearranged so the songs feel like our own versions, with click, stems, synths, vocal processing, programmed transitions, unusual guitar effects and a strong visual identity.
Current material includes:
• Britney Spears – Piece of Me / Toxic
• Michael Jackson – Scream / They Don’t Care About Us
• Lady Gaga – Killah / Applause
• Rihanna – Disturbia
• Jamiroquai – Virtual Insanity
• Matt Maltese – As the World Caves In
• Muse – Kill or Be Killed / Knights of Cydonia
The initial goal is an extremely tight 30–45 minute set for showcases, support slots and festivals, eventually developing into a roughly 90 minute headline show.
There’s a deliberate theme running through the project around power, control, media, consumerism, political frustration, complicity and resistance. Longer term, I want to introduce original material covering similar territory.
LOOKING FOR:
BASS
A solid, groove focused player comfortable with rock, pop and heavier material. Locking tightly with the drummer and click/playback matters much more than showing off.
Backing vocals would be useful.
DRUMS
A strong, consistent acoustic drummer comfortable playing to click and incorporating electronic/pop influences into a fundamentally live rock performance.
You need to be able to move from restrained, groove-based playing into genuinely heavy sections without everything being at 100% all night.
SECOND GUITARIST / MULTI INSTRUMENTALIST GUITAR / ELECTRONICS / SYNTHS
Probably the most unusual role in the band.
Primarily I’m looking for another guitarist who’s interested in doing more than conventional rhythm/lead guitar work; electronic textures, unusual effects, synth sounds and sound design are all part of the role.
Actual keyboard ability is useful but absolutely not essential. Modern guitar processors such as Quad Cortex, Helix or Fractal can handle a lot of the live synth/textural work, while more complex parts can sit in the playback stems.
Ideally you’d be comfortable moving between rhythm guitar, lead parts, synth/electronic textures and occasional more experimental sounds depending on what each arrangement needs.
Experience with modelling, MIDI, playback, production or sound design would be a big plus. Backing vocals would also be useful.
FOR EVERYONE
I’m looking for people who are:
• comfortable with click and backing tracks
• interested in arranging and developing songs rather than simply learning existing parts
• reliable enough to build a proper live show
• comfortable with a strong visual/performance element
• open minded about mixing pop songwriting, heavy guitars and electronic/industrial textures
• interested in eventually writing original material
Visually, the project is intended to feel different from a standard covers band: suits/tailored styling, dark lighting, industrial elements and a fairly theatrical stage show.
I’d ideally rehearse somewhere around Redditch/Birmingham/Warwickshire depending on where everyone is based.
There’s no expectation that this immediately becomes anyone’s full time job. I’d rather find the right people, make the arrangements genuinely good and get the show extremely tight than rush onto stage with a half finished version of it.
If this sounds like your sort of thing, send me a message with a bit about yourself, what you play, previous band/live experience, influences and ideally some footage or audio if you have it.