Comments on: Music: Local = Good?

By: iain

iain — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 11:56:37 +0000

Jim said “if there is a growing professional approach to how things are developed, supported and reported upon and how, most importantly, bands/musicians themselves approach a potential music career then this is industry approach we will benefit from”

Could not agree more Jim!

By: Jim Ewen

Jim Ewen — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 09:56:12 +0000

There is a Scottish Music Industry Association currently being developed that is intended to look at the things of which we speak. So far I would suggest that it is, again, predominantly central belt reps that are sitting on the board but need not be the case. Certainly some local voice would be good in the mix. Then again, if you create enough noise off your own back then people take notice!

Being a self contained, knowledgeable and professional scene is the way to go. That said, playing devils advocate, no cash and people continually giving time for free, at all levels, tends to breed that which we would want to avoid. Aim high with high expectations I say. Of course this is all based on the talent on the ground and if that sucks nae hope.

By: thekiosque

thekiosque — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 09:38:48 +0000

Agreed Jim, and Aberdeen is seen (and acts) as if it’s a separate entity within that ‘Scottish music scene’. Personally I’m starting to see that as a good thing and one that should be built upon.

Here’s Song By Toad from Edinburgh’s take on the debate http://songbytoad.com/2009/10/multi-writer-blogzine-thingies/

Some interesting points about blogging in general in the comments…

By: Jayne

Jayne — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 09:36:36 +0000

All I have to say on the matter is that I like this blog because I get the impression it’s discerning. I don’t think that The Kiosque would cover any old pap just because it’s in Aberdeen, and I wouldn’t want it to go down that road.

I get the impression the content has been ‘filtered’ by genuine music fans that know their stuff, and for me that’s a good thing.

cheers

Jayne

By: Jim Ewen

Jim Ewen — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 09:23:46 +0000

Part of the, thinking, may be in there is no direct attachment to the ‘Scottish music industry’ in this part of the world and therefore we suffer from being seen, or acting, as parochial, with no ‘real’ contribution to make to the wider picture (the south). We probably require, or at least wouldn’t suffer from some more recognition or voice at an industry level in order to be seen as ‘knowing what we are talking about’ by anyone out-with the locale. I am not suggesting here that we don’t know what we are talking about and this is far from the case but an inward looking ‘scene’ is a tricky one.

All this said if there is a growing professional approach to how things are developed, supported and reported upon and how, most importantly, bands/musicians themselves approach a potential music career then this is industry approach we will benefit from. It certainly can’t hurt!

By: thekiosque

thekiosque — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 08:58:27 +0000

Spot on about the Sons & Daughters thing ‘Joy’. I said something similar in an email to a friend just the other day…

By: Joy Orbison

Joy Orbison — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 08:42:57 +0000

I agree a little with The Pop Cop. There’s a lot of so-so bands getting coverage on that blog, but I’m not sure that It’s really worth getting bent out of shape about it. Probably best to give people the opportunity to simply make their own mind up on what is worthy by paying for tickets to see them or buying a self-released CD etc.
However, when I cast my mind back over the last few years towards bands that have had a widely exposed and carefully manicured gestation period, very few have actually proved to live up to this level of exposure. I might be being paranoid, but after the debut Franz Ferdinand record made Glasgow some sort of musical epicentre (apparently), Sons & Daughters were so universally lauded by ‘oor medya’, that our southern cousins took a backwards step and began to retreat firmly back to Shoreditch as quickly as I can find a new 4-piece ‘indie band’ that are decked head-to-toe in Topshop on MySpace. In my opinion, the whole ‘pick a dozen and plug ‘em to death’ approach is simply going to make things worse rather than better.
There’s no doubt that exposing little known bands in this way is having a positive effect on local music scenes in Scotland and at the moment, Aberdeen is a decent example of this.