What happened to our scene?

[Jaaakkkeee]

There is a scene and it congregates in New Noise.

[Guest Gladstone]

There are too many gigs now in my opinion. Seriously. Tunnels and Drummonds for example, there's three stages there with bands on almost every night, it has oversaturated the gig scene to fuck. It's not a big deal going to see a gig anymore because there are so many that there'll be another 3 or 4 tomorrow. And if your favourite band are playing on a Wednesday night and you can't quite be bothered hauling yourself along, just wait a couple of weeks and they'll probably be playing again.

/old guy

Yeah - I was thinking about that very thing yesterday actually.

My first trip to Moorings at the weekend made me think that they've probably got it spot on. Gigs on a Friday and Saturday and that's it. Tunnels and Drummonds trying to put on gigs every night of the week would be fine if they were putting on top quality touring bands every night of the week and pulling in the punters with that, but as it is they've realised (ages ago) that it's less risky to just put local bands on all the time because they can get away with paying them next to fuck all if nobody turns up.

That's not a criticism of Tunnels and Drummonds - just an observation. They do still pull in the odd beauty of a gig, and AGP do put on good touring bands regularly there (as do other external promoters), but for gig spaces of that size, I think it would be good if they did something a bit more imaginative with the places, and then the city would really benefit from a small Drakes-esque place for regular local band gigs (but not 7 days a week!).

[FOX]

Yeah - I was thinking about that very thing yesterday actually.

My first trip to Moorings at the weekend made me think that they've probably got it spot on. Gigs on a Friday and Saturday and that's it. Tunnels and Drummonds trying to put on gigs every night of the week would be fine if they were putting on top quality touring bands every night of the week and pulling in the punters with that, but as it is they've realised (ages ago) that it's less risky to just put local bands on all the time because they can get away with paying them next to fuck all if nobody turns up.

That's not a criticism of Tunnels and Drummonds - just an observation. They do still pull in the odd beauty of a gig, and AGP do put on good touring bands regularly there (as do other external promoters), but for gig spaces of that size, I think it would be good if they did something a bit more imaginative with the places, and then the city would really benefit from a small Drakes-esque place for regular local band gigs (but not 7 days a week!).

Good ideas. I do think the number of gigs is too high, but at the same time it allows new bands to break themselves into the "scene" much more easily than if there were a gig a week or whatever with like two opening acts + touring act per week (as opposed to three opening + one touring every couple of days as it is now).

[Lemonade]

Yeah - I was thinking about that very thing yesterday actually.

My first trip to Moorings at the weekend made me think that they've probably got it spot on. Gigs on a Friday and Saturday and that's it. Tunnels and Drummonds trying to put on gigs every night of the week would be fine if they were putting on top quality touring bands every night of the week and pulling in the punters with that, but as it is they've realised (ages ago) that it's less risky to just put local bands on all the time because they can get away with paying them next to fuck all if nobody turns up.

That's not a criticism of Tunnels and Drummonds - just an observation. They do still pull in the odd beauty of a gig, and AGP do put on good touring bands regularly there (as do other external promoters), but for gig spaces of that size, I think it would be good if they did something a bit more imaginative with the places, and then the city would really benefit from a small Drakes-esque place for regular local band gigs (but not 7 days a week!).

I wonder sometimes how the Tunnels stays afloat. I've seen midweek gigs in there where I doubt they've even made enough money to cover the bar staff's wages. That place was so awesome when it opened, now.... well lets not turn this into another Tunnels-bashing thread.

[Jaaakkkeee]

If cellar 35 didn't turn off the pa and stuff when bands played wouldn't it be ideal for the 3/4 small gigs a week where it's only ever going to be the band's chums in attendance anyway?

[Guest Gladstone]

If cellar 35 didn't turn off the pa and stuff when bands played wouldn't it be ideal for the 3/4 small gigs a week where it's only ever going to be the band's chums in attendance anyway?

It would be perfect, but the noise level issues stops it being perfect.

[Jaaakkkeee]

Can't anything be done to help with the noise issues?

[Guest Gladstone]

Can't anything be done to help with the noise issues?

Probably - but soundproofing costs a fuckload of money. That was the main reason that Moshulu closed (apparently).

[Paranoid Android]

Thread makes me think of this

[The Milner]

Ill probably get flammed for this, but i agree with the OP. I know what he is meaning. We had a fantastic little scene up here for a few years, lots of close bands, big crowds that would go along to most gigs, yes it was quite cliquey at times, but we had a fucking ace laugh. Its a lot different now a days, the kinda bond between bands doesnt exist to the same extent and the bond between the bands and the crowd doesnt seem to exist in the same manor. You could go to a Quik gig or a Liber8t or even a POO gig and people knew the words to the songs, used to have a great time and it was more like a night out with a huge group of people, you just dont seem to get that up here now. It probably was just a thing of that period up in Aberdeen but its sad its not there any more. The scene hasnt died, gigs still happen and good bands still play, but there is not the attachment there used to be. Drakes closing played a big part in it, and when Moshulu/Bassment closed it basically disappeared altogether. I highly doubt we will see the days of Ross/Jamsey run Moshulu or Drakes ever again, which is very sad imo.

[-HH-]

Spot on Milner, we were a music community. Not a bunch of people who atteneded shows, everyone knew everyone. Everyone partied together and it was great, those days were pretty cool.

Bands like Liber8, Quik, POO, Sirius, 10 Easy Wishes, X-Certs, Flight 19, Eddison,Contra, Black Atom and so on. Every Friday night you were def going to be at Moshulu, and everyone was just one big party. Now you go into Exodus, Korvoa or Tunnels for a night out and it's all little groups of 3 or 4 and hostility.

Jamesy, Ross and Paul were really the only people throwing shows, and they would always be well attended. Now thier are 600 promoters throwing shows everyday to 50 mates.

[Stroopy121]

....doesn't that make it more of a scene now rather than the clique you're describing from 'back in the day'?

xx

[Soda Jerk]

There are too many gigs now in my opinion. Seriously. Tunnels and Drummonds for example, there's three stages there with bands on almost every night, it has oversaturated the gig scene to fuck. It's not a big deal going to see a gig anymore because there are so many that there'll be another 3 or 4 tomorrow. And if your favourite band are playing on a Wednesday night and you can't quite be bothered hauling yourself along, just wait a couple of weeks and they'll probably be playing again.

/old guy

Disagree. Most cities have major gig clashes every night. It's the options available that make a scene thrive. My problem is that I have zero interest in most bands around here.

[Stroopy121]

Disagree. Most cities have major gig clashes every night. It's the options available that make a scene thrive. My problem is that I have zero interest in most bands around here.

Due to them all being #cunts you want to #fight?

xx

[Adam Easy Wishes]

It's just changed. The focus of peoples' attention has changed. It's all well and good for people who have been around the Aberdeen music scene for the best part of a decade plus to say that it's "not as good as it used to be" or whatever; but is that not just because it's not exactly HOW it used to be?

There is a music scene in Aberdeen, and yes - you may not see 400 odd bodies pack out a Jesse James/King Prawn gig at Kef anymore, but it's the way the 'music scene' is going across the country, not just in Aberdeen. I have no idea what 'THE KIDZ' are into nowadays, but it'll be something, and whatever it is will be popular.

[EDIT= BTW, do we know who the OP is yet?]

[Jaaakkkeee]

Pop punk and ironic #LAD banter.

[Guest Gladstone]

Disagree. Most cities have major gig clashes every night. It's the options available that make a scene thrive. My problem is that I have zero interest in most bands around here.

I think I'm somewhere between your view and Lucky's. There's nothing wrong with live music every night of the week if it's going to be well enough attended, but for a city of Aberdeen's size and population, I don't think it's realistic to have Tunnel 1, Tunnel 2, Drummonds and Lemon Tree busy 7 nights a week with the kinds of bands that are on at Tunnels and Drummonds every night. At the weekend, you add Moorings into that mix as well as Music hall on the odd night and Cellar 35 and Snafu. If you had 3 or 4 Cellar 35 size places, then what you're getting at would probably work, but the same local bands playing about 3 or 4 times a month in 3x300 capacity (cue, Flash...) venues 7 nights a week means that not enough people will remain interested. Places like Drummonds and Tunnels could be absolutely amazing if they took some more risks on decent touring bands and promoted it well, giving local bands good support slots etc etc.

[Frosty Jack]

I was once part of a scene. There was a solid core of bands and fans who were always either playing gigs together, or attending each others gigs, or just out getting wrecked together almost every night. Then some of the bands split or moved on, and I kind of dropped out of gigs altogether for a while. A few years later I was speaking to some of my old mates, and we were all moaning about how there just wasn't a scene any more, nobody was doing it like we did in the old days etc. Then I decided to ask around, and some youngster told me that I should go to this tiny place on the Castlegate called Drakes.

[-HH-]

Adam I don't agree that this is the case all over the UK, and even if it is doesn't mean we should accept it here in Aberdeen.

I remember the nights of 10EW, Quik, Gilman St, POO, Liber8 all playing packed out shows like King Prawn and so on.

I remember going to watch the 44's alot, now I wasn't a massive fan of the style of music, but I was their as it was good music and good fun.

[Soda Jerk]

Surely the scene has gotten better if King Prawn aren't packing out shows anymore?

There aren't many worse bands than King Prawn.

[Surfer_Rosa]

Bands in Aberdeen these days don't even have those kerazzy and hilarious fake groupie stories written about them. Laaaaaaaame. If they spent time writing about each other's penises as well then da scene would as strong as it was back in the day...

[Adam Easy Wishes]

Adam I don't agree that this is the case all over the UK, and even if it is doesn't mean we should accept it here in Aberdeen.

I remember the nights of 10EW, Quik, Gilman St, POO, Liber8 all playing packed out shows like King Prawn and so on.

I remember going to watch the 44's alot, now I wasn't a massive fan of the style of music, but I was their as it was good music and good fun.

Don't get me wrong, I agree and miss the same things.

But - objectively speaking, because I just don't know the answer - is it not just the case that that group of people/musicians/bands have moved on and there is actually a 'scene' based around new bands etc that we're just not aware of or, for want of a better phrase, 'too old' for?

[-HH-]

What was that Granite City Groupies thing again?

[Guest Gladstone]

Yeah - Adam's probably right. I've never really been part of any "scene" but probably because my band didn't start gigging until I was about 23/24 and we were already too old to be going out every night of the week with guys in bands etc. I've made a load of mates over the past few years through playing gigs and promoting gigs etc. but we're generally all too old for that sort of shenanigans these days.

This http://www.aberdeen-music.com/threads/apr-24-2012-of-mice-men-at-the-tunnels-ab10-1bf.51332/ is the sort of gig that should happen at Tunnels/Drummonds regularly. Not my thing, but by the sound of it a good touring band with a couple of local supports.

[The Milner]

The clique was the scene if you will. It wasnt a group of 10/20 people, it was a huge group of folk who would attend most gigs, a big collective of bands that would pull together for special nights, cd launches, fund raisers ect. Some of the AUBL and AB Music gigs were some of the best local gigs Aberdeen has ever put on, the AUBL all dayers were legendary for a while. As HH says you had all those bands listed, and more, who could all come toether when needed and make a special night, i remember playing in a sold out Kef for a Broken Sunshine EP launch, they were not that great a band, but with the other bands involved we all pulled out the stops to make it the night it was, the chances of that happening now are practically non existent.

Frosty/Adam, if someone was to ask you the same question now, which direction would you point them?

Back then you had a few good promoters, Sharon @ Drakes, Ross/Jamsey @ Moshulu, Paul Stewart @ Kef and Hen @ Drakes and the Tunnels. Now a days there are tons, all trying for the same small gigs with pretty poor attendances for the best part.

I think this site is a perfect example of it all. AB Music and AUBL (before neil stomped all over them ) were brilliant for local bands, AUBL had a list of any local band who wanted to be on there and a few that didnt, with links to songs and backgrounds on the bands, here you could keep uptodate with every gig happening, reviews of gigs, feedback on bands, it just doesnt happen anymore, everything is so fragmented, theres no collection of whats going on up here, finding out about gigs is difficult.

At the end of all that im not sitting here trying to be an old fart saying it was all better when i was younger, just in my opinion back then we had a good little collective scene, now we just have a lot of bands.