Chris Martin star gives band top music marks, Coldplay style

A Bolton rock band has received the seal of approval from Coldplay frontman Chris Martin. Singer Cameron Maunder of OCD entered the band’s song, Shanana, into the 14 to 16 year-old age group section of the rock category of the Make It Break It competition, writes This Is Lancashire. online.

The song won its category, and the Coldplay singer, who won the award himself in 1995 when it was known as the Yamaha Rock and Pop Awards, gave Shanana the highest mark of any song across all the categories. The awards are organised by the Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts (LIPA) and Yamaha music. Hundreds of songs were entered into the competition which was judged by Chris Martin, Bolton-born DJ Mark Radcliffe, EMI head of publishing Guy Moot and Grammy award winning record producer Steve Levine. Mark Radcliffe said: “The song really motors along. OCD have crafted a perfectly decent radio pop song.”

The band line-up is completed by twin brother Kurtis and older brother Jack. They have won an all expenses paid music course at LIPA, a recording session and an A&R meeting with EMI. They will also play at the Make It Break It awards ceremony on October 31.

Cameron said: “We’re very excited, we keep looking at the pictures of the auditorium. We’re going to put a lot of practice in beforehand. “We’re very nervous about meeting the guys from EMI — I still can’t believe we’ve won.”

The boys, who are pupils at Smithills School, have also won a £500 Yamaha voucher for the school to spend on music equipment. Last year the band won a national competition on BBC Radio 1 to open up the main stage at the Underage Music Festival in London’s Victoria Park.