Sounds like a winning plan for Shrewsbury friends

It started, as most things do, over a beer or five . . . Friends Ben Jones, Callum Jones and Joe Pitchford had all been regulars on the Shropshire music scene for more years than they cared to remember.

They'd all played in bands, gigged around Shropshire and got to know other musicians on the local scene.

"I played drums," says Ben. "I guess you could say I'd been around the block. I love playing, all musicians do, but it's about more than hitting the drums or strings. It's also about delivering a great performance."

And part of that, is providing the audience with a great sound. So Ben learned about sound. He learned how to get rid of the muddy, cloudy noises that bespoil local gigs. Then he learned how to mix, to make bands sound loud, clear and sharp.

"I've always been interested in that side of things," he says. "Playing is great fun, of course. We all like to let off steam at gigs. But there are other ways of having fun in the live arena."

Ben was a key player when the Shropshire's Next Big Thing competition ran in 2012, ensuring such bands as Portlights, Arcade Parade, Thomson Oldeman and Thin Vision sounded crystal clear.

Along with his partners, Callum and Joe, he began to branch out. "We were asked to engineer for other companies across the region."

They fixed the sound for their mates' bands and decided to make a go of it, launching their own business in January, Pro Audio Sound.

Based in Shrewsbury, there is rarely a weekend goes by that doesn't see them augmenting the sound at a local venue.

"I think we got to the point where we were so busy that we decided it made sense to form our own company," says Callum. All three continue to hold down full time jobs, but when work finishes at five, they pack up their PA in a trusty green van and head out to local pubs, festivals or clubs.

"We're always on the go," says Joe. "I wouldn't want to count up the number of hours that we work each week. That would be too depressing."

Suffice to say, the boys wouldn't still be with us were it not for their late-night nutritional intake at the local 24-hour McDonalds.

The band of brothers have developed an enviable reputation. They are the go-to guys when local promoters put on gigs, whether at The Buttermarket, Theatre Severn, Shrewsbury Fields Forever or in local clubs and pubs.

"The phone never stops ringing," says Ben. "We do everything at The Buttermarket. We also do all the X Factor guys who they put on, it's a great laugh.

"We've done work at Theatre Severn and around the county. I think the fact that we've all been in bands gives us an edge. We know how the bands want to sound – and we know what the punters want to hear. We try to get the right balance, so everybody's happy."

Ben and his partners are behind the new #ShropshireUnsigned event, which will showcase the best of local unsigned bands during the weekend of June 29 and 30.

They'll be behind a gig at The Quarry, on June 29 and 30, which is part of Shrewsbury Food Festival and will feature an eclectic line-up comprising Geoff Rogers, Libby Gliksman, The Rainbreakers, Thin Vision, Gregory S Davies, Pre Sleep Monologue and headliner Andy O'Brien.

They'll also be behind the desk at Shrewsbury's Walker Theatre on June 30, when BBC 6 Music DJ Chris Hawkins, who hails from Shropshire, hosts the #ShropshireUnsigned finale, featuring The Taste, Arcade Parade, Fight The Bear, Portlights and Fight The Dice.

Ben added:?"We love live music and are delighted to be supporting #ShropshireUnsigned. We're also going to donate £1,000 worth of free PA hire to a local band. We've created a website and we want 1000 people to like it and share it on Facebook."

When we get to 1,000, we'll give away £1,000 worth of hire time, to help another local band get on the road to success.

Further details are available at www.proaudio services.co.uk