Local/Unsigned/etc...

Over the last year I've started to return to the gig going fold. A few bands of varying stature - Beta Band, Merz, Basement Jaxx, Gomez.... but MOstly local smaller gigs.

My MOst regular drinking hole tend to have live music a couple of times a week, mainly of an "alternative" nature. Acoustic, open mic, djs, full on bands. A lot of funky jazzy type acts, and a fair bit of harder guitar stuff too.

I know a few people playing either alone or in bands too. Going to their gigs also means hearing a few other bands I wouldn't, perhaps, have known of otherwise.

It's reasuring to hear how much music is being made out there. Fair enough, a lot of it is crap, or at best, OK and average, but there's some really good stuff too. I've heard a few that I'd gladly pay out for an album, and it shows how much luck and such is involved in 'making it' or not.

What about you? Seen any acts that you feel are worth looking out for?

 

I have seen many support acts last year some which where very small the two most notable is the Bravey and The Futureheads, both bands have now come big but weren't when I saw them. Another one is Mickah P Hinson who I saw peform at a local pub, they were playing one of his songs on the radio the other day which shocked me it a bit!

The two small bands I am fallowing at the moment is the Longcut (the hottest new band in Manchester) and Performance (a manc band which sounds a bit like New Order and Kratwerk). I would be surprised if both of them didn't become big.

I've not seen many gigs lately though At the monent it seems I have seen every indie band in currently in the top 40 because of the stupid amount of gigging I did last year. This year I haven't been to many.

 

I promoted live events and managed bands for about 6 years altogether and having seen how it all works from the bottom to the top (well, £1million signed bands anyway) I can assure you that it's a combination of 40% luck, 40% who you know and 20% talent.

One of the things that led me to get out of the scene was constantly seeing bands that could/should have been huge that either blew it for themselves or, worse still, never even got the chance to blow it for themselves. Combine that with the fact that a lot of the bands I did see get signed really weren't at all what they made out and it became a little depressing.

Not sure if you're interested, but if you have some spare time to listen to some new bands, my friend presents a BBC Radio show consisting solely of unsigned new talent (generally of a reasonable standard and a fairly varied selection too). The show can be heard online at:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/wiltshire/content/articles/2005/03/24/underground_show4_270305_feature.shtml