Shure contest winners "Lehmanns Brothers" play Montreux Jazz Festival

Lehmanns Brothers, winners of the Shure “Call for Legends – Live” band contest, played an energetic and well-received concert at this year’s Montreux Jazz Festival, successfully concluding the latest edition of the competition.

The eight-piece funk band from France won the opportunity to perform at the prestigious festival after taking first place in the Shure contest for the EMEA (Europe, the Middle East, or Africa) region.

Lehmanns Brothers appeared completely in their element at Montreux, which draws some of the biggest names in music to the picturesque Swiss town on the banks of Lake Geneva. Playing an outdoor stage just a few paces from the water, the band quickly won over the audience with their catchy combination of funk, hip-hop and neo-soul.

“The crowd wanted to dance,” says singer Julien Anglade. “So we gave them the funk!”

The concert was the culmination of the band contest. Besides professional video and audio recordings of their special gig at Montreux, Lehmanns Brothers also received €5,000 in gear from Shure.

The initial phase of the Shure “Call for Legends – Live” competition took place from September to December 2016. All entrants were required to be based in the EMEA region and have a strong track record of great live performances. So bands were asked to upload a video of a gig in front of an audience to ensure they had what it takes to earn the coveted spot at Montreux.

“We’ve worked a lot for this. We’ve got a new set. This festival is a really important event for the band. It’s amazing to play here,” says bassist Pierre Sanges.

The competition exceeded all expectations: Over the course of 12 weeks, a total of 516 groups from 35 different countries entered the contest. After whittling that down to a shortlist of 21 entrants, a Shure-led panel including members of the UK band Blossoms and representatives from the Montreux Jazz Festival judged the uploaded video performances.

Lehmanns Brothers, who originally hail from the south-western French city of Angoulême, now hope the appearance at the festival will open doors for them, as they shift their career into higher gear.

“Lehmanns Brothers put on an amazing show at Montreux, they are truly worthy winners of our Call for Legends – Live competition,” says Jens Rothenburger, Senior Manager Global Marketing at Shure. “Everyone at Shure wishes the band continued success!”