Supporting Live Music

This week is a particularly busy week for music sessions, singarounds and open mike nights. There are eight that I have listed in Forthcoming Events between today and Friday. All give you a chance to perform if you want to, or just listen. If you know of any sessions I haven't listed, tell me using the e-mail address on my Welcome page. The music must be real (not karaoke or performing to pre-recorded backing) and the venue should preferably serve real ale, but I don't insist on this - if I make no comment on the beer in my events list, you can assume it's not real.

If you like music but haven't tried any of these sessions, why not give them a go? I don't list well-advertised events, but my wide range of links includes two jazz clubs, Sefton Arts and the Ents 24 website, which gives a range of concerts, including those at the Southport Theatre, as well as folk clubs and other acoustic music info. I'm aware that the local pub rock scene hasn't featured strongly on this blog, but there are only so many things I can go to! I hope to improve this aspect.

My view of this upsurge in local music is that as commercial pop and rock acts become ever more expensive (a year or two ago I saw tickets for guitar legend Jeff Beck in the tatty Manchester Apollo on sale for £105), affordable local music of whatever style becomes more attractive. It's a similar situation to the 1970s when mega-rock bands became so overblown, the simplicity (and cheapness) of punk led to a rock music revolution. I don't see any revolution at pop chart level today, but if you have a choice of driving to Manchester or Birmingham to see a big name act for £100+ per ticket, or going down to a local pub to see performers or bands for little or nothing, why choose the former? Especially as some top artists lip-synch even at 'live' gigs, although they wouldn't tell you, of course ~ in effect you're paying a fortune to watch your hero miming to the CD! And as for those high energy dance routines by many female pop stars: you try doing them while singing without your voice jolting with the more vigorous movements, and you'll realise the seamless vocal performances that you hear are probably not live. So you're paying just to watch somebody dance.

Another aspect of going to big gigs is that the bars usually sell rubbish beer (often only tins of lager) at vastly inflated prices. Contrast that with a music night in a local pub ~ better beer and no driving contraints either.

I can assure you I have never used lip-synch. 100% live music ~ and it's all around.
The picture shows local rock band, Blanket Apology.