On The Flip Side: The Brilliant Side To The Local Music Scene

Last week I wrote what was probably the most negative blog I have ever written in my life. I just felt a few things needed to be said and a few people needed to be called out for the BS that they are pulling on a daily basis. As a journalist and as a blogger if I’m not going to say something and out these views out there then who the hell will? And in the end I had such positive feedback I feel vindicated in my ranting. Anyway, those who got slapped deserved it.

As I explained at the time though there is a lot more to the scene than what I ranted about last week and as result I feel I should balance things out a little bit.

Like I said last week there are some seriously talented people out there who are currently killing the scene down here. There are some brilliant bands, venues, promoters and bloggers doing some serious work and you know what I think it’s time they got some shine, so here it is.

I am going to start by naming some of the acts that I think you should check out if you get the chance. They can all be found on Facebook and/or Twitter so if you want to know more just look them up. There are also a few of them that I work with and review on a regular basis so keep an eye out for that if something gets your attention.

Right here are a few names for you… Face Of A Stranger, Out Of Sanity, Almost Easy, No More Numbers, The Crimson Star, The Unchanged and Jackson Jones. This is by no means any sort of definitive list, just the names of a few personal favourites.

I also want to give a special mention to Martyr De Mona. They are on the verge of something pretty big right now. In recent times they have supported none other than Black Sabbath and are about to release a new album produced by Romesh Dodangoda who has worked with Motorhead amongst others. Seriously talented band.

And who are the people giving all this talent a platform I hear you ask? Well I’ll tell you. On the promotion side we have Hils Ovation. If an act is worth hearing they will appear on one of her shows. Check her out on Facebook to get all the latest news etc. Also on a smaller scale there’s Brierley Hill Rock bar, who are doing their best to give bands a chance to perform and showcase themselves. Again look them up on Facebook.

Now being a blogger I think it would be pretty poor form of me to not give a shout out to someone from my own field. So that person is Rebecca Winfield over at RAW Music Online. There are some really good things going on over there, reviews, interviews it’s all there. You know what to do.

I know for many of you I will be preaching to the converted, you know that the local scene in the Midlands and especially the West Midlands is absolutely buzzing right now. But without people going to shows, supporting bands, checking reviews etc the whole thing would fall apart. To a certain extent all of the people mentioned above (Including myself) rely on you, the music fan. So do what you do best, support local talent and support local music. The sky’s the limit.