International Regional and Local Music Scenes
Local Nottingham, UK Music Scene
The local music scene of Nottingham has a fluid affiliation with the international sound
and gravitates toward universal themes. One of the biggest names from the region has been
Edwin Starr, whose 1970 hit "War" sent a message of peace around the world. Other notable
artists from the area have been Ten Years After, Paper Lace, KWS, Deep Purple drummer Ian Paice, Air Supply singer Graham Russell,
Swing Out Sister singer Corinne Drewery, Stereo MCs, Andy Fletcher of Depeche Mode and Iron Maiden
singer Bruce Dickinson. The press typical does not paint Nottingham as a hotbed of entertainment.
If not for Ten Years After it would be hard to have a conversation about the relevance
of the Nottingham music scene. The band made its mark on the world from the late 1960s
through the early 1970s with songs such as "I'd Love to Change the World" and "I'm Going Home."
They gained worldwide attention from playing the Woodstock Festival in 1969.
Paper Lace was one of the bands that helped put Nottingham on the music world map
when they had a string of three big hits in the mid 1970s including "The Night Chicago Died"
and "Billy, Don't Be a Hero."
Su Pollard gained notoriety in the local scene in 1986 when her song "Starting Together,"
made the national top three, but for the most part, Nottingham has not contributed to the
national music scene in recent decades. The type of indie music
that gets national exposure tends to be from big cities and not so much small towns,
although Nottingham is a pretty big city. One of the most well known venues of the independent scene
in Nottingham has been Rock City. Other notable venues include Stealth, Rescue Rooms and Bodega Social Club.
Since 2010 Nottingham has been getting attention for artists such as Jake Bugg and Dog Is Dead.
Other up and coming acts include Nina Smith, Mark Del and Kirk Spencer. Nottingham Music Hub
partners with local organizations to try to expand opportunities for local musicians, especially
children. Numerous studies are beginning to show that learning music helps students learn more
about other subjects. The more awareness is raised by local support groups about the power music
can play in education, the more the scene can develop professional musicians.
While a local music scene implies live entertainment, a dance scene many times just involves a DJ
playing popular dance music. Dancing crowds want to hear familiar beats, while
homegrown music lovers want to be dazzled by melodic storytelling or sounds that
they may not be able to hear on the radio. People have got to lose the notion that
the radio is the only place to hear legitimate music or the only medium that can write
music history. Once this myth is shattered,
it's possible for thousands of bands and not just a few dozen
at a time to make money making music. Nottingham has plenty of talent, such as
Harleighblu, who released her debut album "Forget Me Not" in 2013. More talent will gain
attention the more people make the search for local talent a priority.
|
