A group of rockers have taken matters into their own hands by setting up their own record label.

Romford Recorder: Rock band Curse, is made up of a group of firends who met at Coopes and Coborn Company School.Rock band Curse, is made up of a group of firends who met at Coopes and Coborn Company School. (Image: Archant)

Rock bands Curse and Harper decided after years of taking orders from other people that it was the right time to go it alone and form Lock Up.

Curse’s rhythm guitarist and singer, Rob Broadbent, 24, from Stour Way, Cranham, said: “There is a real sense of community in our bands and having our own label means we get to be in control of that.”

Rob grew up in Upminster and went to Coopers’ Company and Coborn School in St Mary’s Lane, Upminster, where he first formed the band with his friends.

He said: “We all loved the same kind of music and knew this was the lifestyle for us, so thought it would be a good idea to make our own group.”

The band decided to call themselves Curse These Metal Hands, a reference to a joke on Channel 4’s Peep Show, but soon realised it wasn’t the most obvious of names.

Rob said: “We got sick of having to try to explain to everyone that this was a reference to the show. When only two people pointed out the joke and no one else got it, it got boring constantly having to tell everyone why it is funny!”

So the boys – lead guitarist and vocalist Jack Herring, drummer Toby Thacker, bassist Robert Carter and Rob – shortened their name to Curse and started playing gigs around the area.

And they have a close link with another band with a Led Zeppelin influence, Harper.

Rob said: “We are all good friends and one of their band members is my brother! So we started playing at the same venues and now we even use the same drummer as we thought it would be easier.”

Harper, made up of Rob’s brother Matthew, Daniel Bhattacharya, Jamie Simpson and Toby Thacker, and Curse began touring around the area but realised that their control was restricted by the people around them.

“I remember once we were playing at a pub but our promotional manager didn’t advertise we were playing there,” explained Rob.

“Not even one poster, which was the least he could have done! So it triggered the thought that maybe we should try to do it for ourselves.”

It was decided among the members that the bands should to try and make it on their own, and they thought starting up their own record label would be the best thing for them.

Rob said: “It was about time that we had our own say in what we do rather than just rely on other people to do the work for us.”

They called their record label Lock Up after one of the band members’ garage where they practise their music and leave their instruments.

Curse and Harper have now released EPs ready for download, and are now looking for more bands to join their label.

Rob said: “We would love to have other bands join our community and play alongside us at our gigs, so if anyone wants to be part of the Lock Up family, then please get in contact!”

n To get more information on joining Lock Up, email lockuprock@gmail.com.