What's Wrong with Manchester's Music Scene?

What's Wrong with Manchester’s Music Scene?

Manchester has long since taken the mantle away from Birmingham as England's second-city in all but name alone with it's abundance of sporting successes, the movement of major business and industry to the area and of course it's legendary musical history. Joy Division? The Smiths? The Happy Mondays? The Stones Roses? Oasis? All these hugely influential and successful bands call the State of Mancunia their home, so why is it that a city so steeped in musical tradition has one of the shoddiest local music scenes in the country? Let me tell you...
Everyone is in a band. Or so it seems. The large student population is obviously a fertile breeding ground for aspiring musicians to meet like minded folk and start a new project. Combine this with the fact many people move to Manchester specifically to join a band or to get their current group more exposure and you get a saturated market. Now there's nothing wrong with having hundreds of bands to choose from; variety is the spice of life and creativity should be encouraged. However, and this is where the real problem lies, there is simply no quality control. I’m not saying that there is a dearth of great bands out there; this couldn’t be further from the truth. They are just hidden away beneath the pile of Oasis and Libertines clones that bore the pants off most gig-goers with their tiresome aping of said bands.

Any Tom, Dick & Harry can strap on their instruments, throw together a few chords then call any one of a number of promoters in the area to ask for a gig. The promoters who actually do what their title suggests will usually ask for a demo and some information about the band (e.g.. how long they've been together, where else they have played, what their aims are) before carrying out some background research and making a decision. Typically, if the demo shows promise and the promoter thinks he can sell them, they'll be booked for a gig and then will see what happens. If they feel the band isn't upto scratch then they'll politely decline and suggest that a bit more time is spent in the rehearsal room before taking to the stage. A good promoter will get adverts placed in the local press (which is usually free) and perhaps even on local radio. They will also promote upcoming shows at venues around town and will most certainly have an internet presence. If the event goes well the band may even get a slice of the door profits, but in any scenario the artist will at least be given a couple of guestlist passes and some free drinks for their efforts. You see, a good promoter will be able to pick a good band and promote an evening of entertainment that will have the punters coming in. A snowball effect will then occur, with gig-goers realising that this promoter is putting on consistently good shows week after week and so they come back and bring their friends until the promoter has to hire out a bigger venue to appease demand.

Now counter this with the numerous sharks masquerading as promoters. These people are the ones whose first question to a band looking to get a gig will be "How many people can you bring down?". If this happens to your band then HANG UP IMMEDIATELY! They are not bothered about you, your music or the fans. They are only care about how much filthy lucre you can make for them. If you say you can guarantee 25 plus people down then you will be offered a slot immediately and be forced to agree to sell X amount of tickets at around £5-£6 each with any below that number having to be paid for by the band themselves. This instantly guarantees the 'promoter' a profit and so all they have to do is hire the venue then sit on their backsides whilst watching the money roll in as the bands market themselves over MySpace & Facebook and to all their friends & family... essentially doing all the promotion work themselves. You won't see the 'promoter' advertising the event in any local listings, there'll be no internet exposure, no posters around town, no flyers being handed out at other gigs and definitely no radio - that would require real effort! It's these promoters that fill venues up around the city with bands that clearly aren't ready to be there, thus putting music fans off unsigned nights because they know that the quality is likely to be decidedly ropey, and even if one of the four bands on show is any good, paying the price of a CD to watch them and over £3 for a drink doesn't represent value for money in the grand scheme of things.

So what can be done about this? It's simple really, and it's already being done by a few folks in Manchester who take pride in selecting bands that they like to play their shows rather than those who can quickly bring in a given amount of people because it's their first gig. These people take pride in their events and choose bands as an investment, as a good performance will bring back fans in their droves, meaning next time the promoter puts them on they are likely to see more people through the doors.

I like to give credit where credit is due, so here are a few nights that I've enjoyed recently;
Buff Bang Pow! - A quality evening all-round. Tickets are cheaper than most nights in Manchester (about £2 for advance guestlist or £3-£4 on the door) and are occasionally free! They sometimes offer drinks specials which are always a bonus, as everyone enjoys a few pints to accompany the music, with DJs sometimes booked for after the live music ends. Run by the lovable Buff girls, these nights are well worth getting down to.

Designer Magazine - A real leader in Manchester that is run by a thoroughly nice chap who lives and breathes the local music scene and does things in the right manner. They were recently involved with the excellent Northern Quarter MAPS Festival and you couldn't walk around the city centre without seeing fly posters on walls or brochures in bars. There were also features in the M.E.N., Xfm, and even on BBC Radio 1. That's what I call promotion! Compare all this work with that of another 'Festival' that happened the week after and you'll get the picture. Seek and ye shall find people…

Fiction-Non-Fiction - Lauded on the unsigned scene as having perhaps the best unsigned bands performing week after week, FNF is all about the music and having a good time. They FNF boys have even organised bands from overseas to play their nights, and are putting on Saturday evening shows over the summer in addition to their traditional Tuesday slots at the hip Tiger Lounge.

Of course this isn't an exclusive list, just some of the promoters that I can assure the reader will put on top-quality events. Manchester has worked hard to gain a reputation as being the hub of new music in the UK, so it would be a shame for this to be ruined by a few people who are in it for the money. With bands like the Ting Tings and the Courteeners topping the charts and proudly declaring their love of Manchester, the industry focus will be shifting up from London once again as record companies migrate north looking for the next big thing. How long that focus remains here will depend greatly on the quality control that is put into place throughout the city's venues...