A MUSIC lover is spearheading a pioneering Glasgow project to put unsigned bands across the world in the spotlight.

Part-time cleaner Jamie McDermid is putting the finishing touches to a new shop that will help local bands and artists be heard.

The New Hellfire Club, in the Hidden Lane, Finnieston, will allow shoppers to listen to new music, browse collections of established bands and relax in a library.

Jamie, 34, teamed up with other music fans to launch the not-for-profit project.

They already have dozens of bands as far afield as Canada who are paying £3 a month to have their music stocked in the shop.

Jamie said: "It's hard to get your music into shops when you are an unsigned band.

"So we are selling their CDs or records, we're not charging a handling fee and all the money they make will go to them."

Jamie and the other club members have been trying to find a site for the project for around two years.

He said: "We tried to apply for so many grants and were getting knocked back because they said we weren't retail, but we weren't arts or entertainment.

"We ended up putting our own money aside and bands did gigs for us to raise money."

Club members have been putting together a database that will help shoppers buy new music, by cross referen-cing popular bands with local artists, such as ska-band Esperenza.

Jamie believes the whole project has never been done before.

He said: "We are trying to get people to find something new to love. There are so many local bands out there, even in Glasgow - there are hundreds.

"Half of them have been touring in bars for years and you still won't have heard of them."

Jamie hopes the shop will bring more people to gigs and encourage people to support new music.

He said: "Big bands such as Biffy Clyro come from local ones so we need to support them."

rachel.loxton@ eveningtimes.co.uk