signing out…

 

As a conclusion to this blog, I have come to realize that Newcastle does have a very present and alive music culture no matter what genre. When thinking about what is underrepresented in the media, local Newcastle music isn’t on a national level, or even state level, however, there is a very strong representation in the local media circuit. Without actually looking for information about gigs, events and bands – this task has made me realize it that you stubble across this information readily all over the city. Little posters, magazines dedicated to local gigs and the presence of live music in general is everywhere. I truly think there is a strong connection between the community and the music world here in Newcastle and that makes me very happy to see!

I really love Newcastle’s music scene, I have been a massive consumer of the local music scene, and a happy one at that. Until my next blogging adventure…

ROCK ON NEWEY! XO

 

Angus Arley – solo artist

 

Lately, I caught up with a old friend that is one of Newcastle’s shiniest stars in the making. I asked him what he has been up to and what he thinks of Newcastle’s music scene… this is what Gus had to say…

1. How long have you been playing music for?
i’ve been singing since i started school way back in the kinda days and had vocal training throughout high school. i mostly did choral work and musicals until i decided to pick up the guitar in yr 10 and start writing songs (so that about 10 or so years now i guess). 

2. How would you describe your style?
passionate and freeform acoustic ballads, all very centred on my voice rather than my guitar. ive never learnt to read music or play the guitar so the song are derived from alot of experimentation of placing my fingers on the strings and i think the songs reflect that and go where they stumbled upon.

3. What influences your music?

id like to think that my music is a mix of all that i hear whether i like it or not. i take a lot of my concept of song structure (or lack there of) from artists like jeff buckley, radiohead and something for kate… but i also try and fuse this with everything else from old jazz and blues to folk or rock music. i think having a universal voice but grounded australian accent are essential to providing comfort and truth in songs, and ive based my level of australian-ness i guess from people like paul dempsey from something for kate.

4. Where is your favorite place to play in Newcastle and what do you love about it?

definitely the Lass O’Gowrie… its such a dark and seedy joint somewhat akin to a underground brick jazz den.. it is close, intimate and generally accepting of all genres with a house cat that drifts along the bar at times. 

5. What do you think Newcastle’s music culture?
i think it still suffers from a country town coverband hangover but there are still plenty of places for local music to be heard and there is so much diversity and support for it… its still an environment where bands can go about the task of working on their performance and songwriting craft with the support of friends and other bands, who are from different genres.

6. Do you have any favorite local acts?
ive got a few mates in bands who are doing well at the moment, Vaudville for one.. they’re sound is fat and monstrous(and i mean in a good way).

7. If you could give any advice to the young musicians in Newcastle, what would it be?
work on your songs as much as you can and go to as many gigs as possible because the more bands you know the easier it will be to get support slots to build your experience.

8. Would you change anything about the music scene in Newcastle?
id like to see some more mainstream bars start to develop original music nights on the off peak nights so music fans could do a crawl of sorts from night to night like some do with $10 pub schnitzy meals.

9. What is next for you?

well… i havent played a gig for a while due to being back full time at uni, so i think its time to polish up some new material and get something regular going, because once you start performing you miss it so much when youre not.

to hear more of Gus – head to his Myspace web page;

 http://www.myspace.com/angusarleycrowley

 

Just in case..

i already published this on the “music scenes” page. But when i looked at my number of posts on here this didnt appear probably because its a page and not a post. Just in case, I wanted to put it on the main page so it was accounted for for grading purposes.

We are examining the under represented music scene of Newcastle Australia. To do this, we must examine this subculture in order to fully understand the meaning and values of this music scene. I would say that subcultures are certain values, attitudes, beliefs, styles and ideas that belong to and are shared by a certain group or class. I also believe that whenever style and music intersect, is where you will find subcultures. In the Clarke, Stuart Hall, Jefferson and Roberts’s article titled, “Subcultures, Cultures and Class”, they made a point that subcultures take shape around distinctive activities and focal concerns of different groups—specifically concentrating on youth subcultures. This article concentrates on style and the different types of youth subcultures. I believe that this is a very necessary topic in relation to teh Newcastle music scene because in order to understand different music, it is essential to understand the groups that listen to it and how they act as a certain subculture. Music itself is essentially a subculture in the sense that it differentiates from the wider culture. In the “Subcultures, Cultures and Class” article, the authors make an interesting point that youth leisure and youth consumption go hand in hand. I agree with this completely. The more free time a person has, the more time they have to go shopping, discover new music, and feed into the new trends and styles of the time. Youth today I feel have more free time and have access to more money and have different financial responsibilities than any other previous generation. Therefore, I am expecting to learn about a really dynamic music scene in Newcastle. This scene IS a subculture with its own attitudes, values, beliefs, dress code, language and rules. We need to focus on the audiences AS WELL as the musicians. It is important to evaluate both in order to sufficiently critique and analyse this music scene.

Reference:

Clarke, John, Stuart Hall, Tony Jefferson, and Brian Roberts. 1975. “Subcultures, Cultures, and Class.” In The Subculture Reader. Ken Gelder and Sarah Thornton (eds.). New York: Routledge. p. 100-11.

This entry by user: jocelynn16

The Importance of Strikeback 06

Although this festival happened in 2006, I tried to find information on more recent years. I didnt come across any recent information but i feel as though the 2006 Strikeback was extremely relevant to our topic of Newcastle local music. Strikeback started out as a small town band competition and became one of the fastest growing festivals in the Hunter Valley region. In 2006, 55 bands were scheduled to perform. Some of these bands were national headliners but the festival stuck true to its roots and included many local bands as well. I think it is a good idea to mesh the two together because the major artists can mentor, help, and inspire the local artists as well as brigning a diverse sound to the festival. “Event organiser Laurie Mahon spoke to Fasterlouder, confirming his dedication to the Hunter’s culture and community, “I see amazing potential in the musicians of the area, and want to give them an opportunity to strut their stuff alongside Australia’s biggest names” (fasterlourder.com). By everything I have read and observed, Newcastle is really supportive for new and local artists. “This support of musicians seems to be an uplifting trend in Newcastle” (fasterlouder.com). Strike back 06 was a great way to represent all of the extreme talent living in Newcastle. It exposed the local bands at a national level type concert which is really unique. “If all regional cities and towns provided the same opportunities to local bands as Newcastle presently does, and with any luck will continue to do, Australian music would certainly see many more young regional musicians receiving the renown they deserve.” (fasterlouder.com).

Reference:

www.fasterlouder.com.au

LIVE

Another local publication that strives to keep the community up-to-date on the local music scene is LIVE, a supplement that appears every Thursday in The Herald. I forget how many pages it is (will have to report back on that one; I’ll guess around six or eight) and contains information, reviews, articles and news of upcoming attractions on the Newcastle theatre and music scene as well as the latest offerings at the cinema.

Each week in the supplement is a short section called “Straight Up” which is a short series of questions answered by an artist. Although only short, there are advantages for both the musician and the reader: the musician can plug his/her upcoming gig in Newcastle, and readers of LIVE either become aware of a new artist that they might like to go along and see; and for musicians who already have a bit of a profile, readers usually find out a quirky fact or insight into their personality (last Thursday’s (22 May) edition featured James Ash from the Rogue Traders; who knew he would be happy to eat nothing but curry for the rest of his life and has been in the ‘biz for 20 years? I didn’t…). And, as we have discussed previously in this course, gaining an insight into an artist’s personality, values and views of the world assist music consumers in expressing their own identity and forming their own views. As Buckingham notes,

“the ideologies expressed by the musicians in which many…students indulge is felt to reflect their own ideologies. Many students…felt that their emotions and personal politics were expressed by musicians and treated as subject matters in their music. This creates identification through consumption of music that allows young people to express their own world views through mere fandom of a particular artist or genre of music…” (in Bark, 1999, p.5).

As I said, although it is only a short section, it can still be effective. A reader could pick it up and see that Ash has been in the business for 20 years and has been involved in many different styles and genres. Who’s to say that someone wouldn’t pick this tiny interview up and think to themselves, “Well, I’m interested to see and hear more about his music and where he is after 20 years”?

LIVE also contains short articles about little-known (or well-known, for that matter) artists about to release a CD or who are doing a gig in Newcastle; again, this is also useful to learn the story of the artist, how they got to where they are, influences on their music, views and opinions etc.
There is also a little box on one page called the “Music Box” which is another guide to new music, offering reviews, descriptions of music and gig details of an unknown artist or band.

Finally, there is a comprehensive (as in, 2-3 page) gig guide of all upcoming live music in Newcastle which is obviously an extremely handy ‘one stop shop’ of all the happenings in and around Newcastle.

LIVE is only a short publication but is definitely worth a look if you are interested in further immersing yourself in the Newcastle music scene and want to discover some new music. Something that I think would improve the quality and usefulness of the guide is to perhaps include more reviews, particularly of live performances.

Reference:

Bark, B. (1999) “Them” vs “Us” – Music, Youth and the Struggle for Identity [Online], Available http://www.cultsock.ndirect.co.uk/MUHome/cshtml/contributions/bethann1.html

27 March 2008

The Loft Youth Venue Music Program definitely rocks!

I am studying abroad here in Newcastle and the very first night I moved here I was walking around with some friends from my study abroad program around the beach downtown area where I live. I came across this little venue called The Loft. There seemed to be a lot of high school aged kids all surrounding the outsides and it sounded like a band was playing inside. Intrigued but not planning on doing anything that night, I have always wondered what The Loft was all about. While researching on the web for this assignment I found a website dedicated to a project that The Loft is corroborating with the Newcastle City Council to provide a safe local music scene for the youth of Newcastle. It is called The Loft Youth Venue Music Program. This program is generated through the New South Wales local government cultural awards. Here is a summary of the program on their website:

The Loft Youth Venue Music program is a multi-faceted program to foster and develop local music in Newcastle in a fully supported drug and alcohol-free environment. The program ranges across a number of activities including:

* Organised after school and holiday workshop music programs
* EMERGENCY band nights for new and emerging bands
* LOADED, the annual major gig which features nationally recognised bands across three stages with up to 24 local support acts
* Managing the DAVE ARKLESS MEMORIAL Fund which offers opportunities for local bands to undertake a musical project
which they would not normally be able to afford.
* Supporting and mentoring local youth entrepreneurs in the process of organising gigs including use of the Venue’s small gig
space
* Supporting and promoting local Aboriginal and African musicians.
* The GARAGE and BEATFIX, the Loft’s weekly radio podcasts

I think that this is a great project and it really is the key and solution to representing Newcastle’s music scene along with providing a safe and friendly environment. I am impressed with the Dave Arkless memorial fun that provides opportunities to local artists. That is just the thing local underrepresented artists need to get them on their feet. This award was recently won by a band titled Men Who Drip with Germs and the award provided the band with funding and mentoring in order for them to record and produce their first cd.

The Newcastle City Council is funding this project to provide workshops such as a hip-hop recording workshop live sound production classes, along with contests through radio stations and live podcasts on the internet. I love the idea of the Emergency band nights where they feature new and emerging bands. The use of the word emergency is definitely fitting since there it is such a difficult scene to break into and to get noticed. The program also helps these bands organise other gigs and is a huge support network for all Newcastle local music. Visit the website at: http://culturalawards2008.lgsa.org.au/projects/13-the-loft-youth-venue-music-program

Also, the home website of the New South Wales government cultural awards page is:

http://culturalawards2008.lgsa.org.au/

The website has much more info and I highly suggest you check it out! theres also a blog featuring media press releases and others blogging about the value of culture and supporting the local scene.

Some Photos from the website:

On venues and concerts

As Jocelynn has already touched on, part of what makes the Newcastle music scene great and unique is the wide range of venues available to house live music performances. Consequently, Newcastle is able to accommodate various music genres and markets, from little-known indie or pub bands playing at the Cambridge or the Bar on the Hill, to sold-out arena shows by artists such as Pink or the Veronicas at the Newcastle ‘Ent Cent.’ Regardless of the band, artist, genre or amount of records sold, chances are that there will be a suitable venue for them in Newcastle.

All this live music obviously has many advantages and serves a wide range of purposes. One might wander down to the local pub on a Friday night to chill out to some tunes, wind down from the week or set the mood for the weekend. At the other end of the scale we consider shows by international artists held at the Entertainment Centre. In terms of bigger national and international acts, consumers from all over the state are usually only given the chance of travelling to Sydney or Newcastle to see such artists. In these cases, it could well be suggested that people travel long distances to see a show at the Entertainment Centre and perhaps make a bit of an event of their visit, and therefore the local economy is supported in terms of food, accommodation and other entertainment. Sure, this scenario might not be a common one, and concerts at the Ent Cent may well usually be comprised of a majority local audience, but when a consumer’s only other option is Sydney, I have no doubt that the tourism industry benefits from having big-name concerts here.
As I mentioned, for a long time Newcastle has had no competitor in this regard apart from Sydney in terms of attracting big-name concerts. Add to this, the fact that Newcastle is smaller, less of a ‘rat race’ than Sydney, and is cheaper and yet still offers considerable tourist drawcards (beaches, restaurants, surrounding areas), makes it worth an out-of-towner’s time to come and see a concert, and stay a few days here while they’re at it.

However, quite an interesting shift has presented itself in the last couple of years that would appear to threaten somewhat Newcastle’s position as only the second big-name music venue in NSW – the increasing popularity of venues up the Valley in ‘wine country’ such as Tempus Two and Bimbadgen Estate.

In the last couple of years, these venues have attracted some of the hugest names in music, including (but not limited to):

• Elton John
• Rod Stewart
• Carole King (in her first ever Australian concert)
• Matchbox Twenty
• Santana
• K.D. Lang
• INXS & Simple Minds
• Beach Boys, Daddy Cool and Christopher Cross
• Michael Crawford
• John Farnham
• Dame Kiri Te Kanawa
• Steely Dan
• Lionel Richie
• John Butler Trio
• Kate Ceberano
  (And just quietly, I have it on good authority that Alicia Keys will be playing in the vineyards later this year.)

Anyone would have to agree that there are some significant names on that list, with music spanning several different genres. I don’t know if I am reading too much into it, but it could be suggested that names such as these perhaps threatens Newcastle’s hold on being the only other venue in NSW for big names. The Hunter Valley has heaps to offer concert-goers: a relaxed, carefree outdoor environment in which to enjoy the show, the capacity to house as many people as the Entertainment Centre, and venues surrounded by high-calibre restaurants, wineries and accommodation – many within walking distance or a few minutes’ drive. Both Tempus Two and Bimbadgen have VIP packages available for concerts, which usually involve being served a restaurant meal, seated in the best seats in the house to watch the concert. This is certainly not something you can get at the Ent Cent! ‘Wine country’ also has the added bonus of being able to attract consumers from Sydney; therefore, while it could be suggested that Newcastle might struggle to attract music-goers from Sydney, the large number of tourist attractions in a relatively close vicinity up here has no problem attracting people from Sydney and all over the state.
And no one can question the popularity of vineyard concerts – both Elton John and Rod Stewart played two concerts up here recently, due to popular demand. To attempt to take a drive anywhere near Tempus Two or Bimbadgen and negotiate the traffic (one aspect that could certainly be improved on) on the day of a concert is testament to their popularity. And while previously it could be argued that winery concerts appealed only to ‘adults’, Matchbox Twenty’s decision to stage a show – one that would sell out – up here, shows that such concerts appeal to younger audiences as well. And as someone who has attended several of these concerts over the warmer months and was initially sceptical that the sound quality would be below-par compared to an indoor venue, I can safely say that the music sounds as good as it ever did!

Another reason it could be argued that vineyard concerts are threatening Newcastle’s ability to attract the big names is that many of these artists have either
a) played in Newcastle before but have held subsequent concerts in ‘wine country’ – for example, Matchbox Twenty last played in Newcastle in 2003 before their concert in April ‘08; or
b) have played in Sydney and Pokolbin as opposed to Sydney and Newcastle – as far as I can remember, and Google can back me up, Rod Stewart’s and Elton John’s concerts represented both artists’ first foray up the freeway.

This has ended up being a lot longer than I thought it would be, so I’ll wrap it up. I don’t think the Newcastle music scene as a whole is being threatened by the increasing popularity of vineyard concerts, but I think it could definitely be suggested that winery concerts are encroaching on Newcastle’s position and ability to attract some of the bigger names, especially when it appears that wine country can offer everything Newcastle can in terms of tourism (except beaches, perhaps!) – we have good accommodation, countless restaurants, wine-tasting and vineyard tours (duh!) and countless tourist attractions such as Hunter Valley Gardens, hot-air ballooning and mini- and aqua-golf, among many others. All of these factors make it easy to see why consumers would come up here for a concert and could easily ‘make a weekend of it.’

I for one am really interested to see whether the popularity of concerts at places such as Tempus Two and Bimbadgen (which happen to only be ten minutes’ drive from my place – I’m not complaining!) continues to increase, and what other artists might be attracted to playing up here.

keeping it local

 

The focus of this blog has been Newcastle’s local music scene and exploring the culture of what the local musicians have had to offer. When thinking about local music, I remembered what my local music scene was like back home in Port Macquarie. There really wasn’t much in terms of venues, however there was a very strong sense of community support for musicians (my brother being one himself). Port Macquarie always took pride in the local bands and the council was always willing to give the local acts centre stage at any festival, gathering or promotion. In a fast growing area such as Port or in an already well established city such as Newcastle, keeping the locally produced musicians in the area has many benefits. According to Frith (1993), establishing quality recording/studio pads will;

·         Create and further enhance the music culture in the area – encouraging people to play and listen

·         Encourage people to develop new skills and extend knowledge which increases opportunities for     locals

·         Facilitate greater and cheaper access for musicians

·         Assist in creating dreams and making them a reality

Making sure the local council and government continues to implement funds into the sustainability of Newcastle’s music scene is vital. Music has the potential to the ultimate catalyst for Newcastle’s culture, especially among the youth. I hope to see more local musicians in this area find their voices and start drumming for what could be a city of music.  

Reference:

Bennett, T., Firth, S., Grossberg, L. & Shephard, J (eds.) (1993) Rock and Popular Music: politics, policies and institutions, London, Routledge. 

 

an hour with my radio 105.3

I have set myself up with half a block of chocolate, cookies, water, radio on and lap top at hand (it sounds like im preparing for an hour of pain!). My plan is to listen, be open minded and to challenge my thinking about what is being played on Newcastle’s radio station NXFM (105.3).

2:58PM – Lucky I tune in early to catch the last minute of Silverchairs latest single. This is a great sign that the local radio station is still supporting Newcastle’s most successful band.

3PM – News. Only national stories.

3:11PM – So far have had three songs (Dragon with ‘rain’(great song from the 80’s),  Pete Murry with ‘you pick me up’ and The Offspring with ‘come out and play’(great song from the 90’s) and a comedy skit which wasn’t all that funny but not horrible. The first two songs played from an Aussie and New Zealander band which is important to me. I like to listen to local produce.

This was followed by a competition – ‘win a trip to the big brother house’ Ads – 5 minutes worth – annoying. Gloria Jeans – commercial, Better electrical – local, Health – contraception in men – local surgery , Jonahs on the beach – restaurant.

3:20PM – Songs played – Face to Face ‘don’t change’ AND  Powderfinger ‘who really cares’ (again, this song from an Australian band, two thumbs up!)

Local beach watch – surf conditions, weather, waves and tomorrows predictions.

3:30PM – Local news and weather.

 Songs played – Foo Fighters ‘learn to fly’ (woo!), Maroon 5 ‘makes me wonder’ (wishing this band did not turn commercial – loved their earlier stuff), Hoodoo Gurus ‘whats my scene’ (I LOVE THIS SONG, and im a massive supporter of NRL which uses this as their signature song– got me loving it).

[SO, AT THE MOMENT I AM ACTUALLY ENJOYING WHAT I AM LISTENING TO, THERE HAS NOT BEEN AS MANY ADS AS I THOUGHT THERE WOULD BE AND THE MUSIC HAS BEEN TASTEFUL – DIGGING THE COMMITMENT TO AUSTRALIAN BANDS]

3:42PM – Colbie Caillat ‘Bubbly’ (this is the sort of music im not so much into to – but its not unbearable)

Promotion of live music in Newcastle – Ads – Eagles plumbing plus – local business, Oportos – restaurant – commercial, Nola – clairvoent, Health – Mens Contraception. Local traffic update.

3:50PM – Paolo Nutini ‘new shoes’ (have not heard this song before, didn’t mind it), The Wallflowers ‘one headlight’ (I think this is a classic song, im not so sure how I know it but it just seems to be the song everyone knows and loves).

3:57PM – advertising for 2008 superboat series, more ads – pie ad – bakers cottage, holiday coast credit union, health – mens contraceptive, carpet selections – local business.

Local traffic upates

4PM NEWS!

******************************************************************************************************

ok so it wasnt as bad as i thought it would be lol 

i enjoyed the songs, i loved the fact that they played australian bands (silverchair, powderfinger, pete murry and the hoodoo gurus). the thing i hate most about commercial radio is the ads, it is so annoying. it really does irritate me. 

after that, i might actually think about tuning 105.3 into my car stereo – no promises though! 

 

www.newfm.com.au/

CLOSED MINDED AHHHHH

ok, so i have been thinking about some posts & comments i have published. 

i have an obvious hate for commercialised radio and music.

i am going to take it upon myself to listen to NEW FM this afternoon for an hour between 3pm and 4pm to see if it is really all that bad. this is a local Newcastle station so i hope they will be true to the local spirit (what ever that is in the commercial world). 

 

i am making no promises – but am doing this to show i have an open mind and am open to be persuaded otherwise. 

this will be a challenge for me as i dont think i have listened to commercial radio since i was 12 years old. 

stay posted for my thoughts! wish me luck!