Norfolk Music scene. What's it like

[toneknob]

11 hours ago, Stub Mandrel said:

Not sure why I clicked on that, but I'm glad I did!

Good intit! When I grow up I want to be a Morris Dancing straw man.

 

[Stub Mandrel]

2 hours ago, toneknob said:

Good intit! When I grow up I want to be a Morris Dancing straw man.

 

Or a skateboarding 'Oss...

[leschirons]

My brother lives just outside Dereham and regularly has a choice of half a dozen gigs to go to.

Norwich seems to be the epicenter though, especially if you're into blues/rock. Dave Thomas (ex Blonde on Blonde) runs (or helps organise) the Fine city blues festival I think and I have a mate who seems to play the Dereham Blues festival every year and it always seems to be packed in most venues.

Might even move there one day. I love Norfolk.

[lownote]

It's patchy. Mostly its only in the urban centres, the rest is a bit of a desert - hey, music is where people are.  Norwich in particular has a number of great venues. The Reindeer especially seems to have music almost every night, the Walnut Shades is another, and there a handful of others.   The regional standard is quite high.  The Dereham Blues Fest features  A/B list national acts and lot of pretty good local bands. The same people (Stewart and Doreen Aitkin) are behind the very good Norfolk Blues Society jams at the aforementioned Walnuts Shades.  Out in the sticks there's not a lot.  An exception is the Burston Crown, which attracts high quality acts from Norwich, Cambridge and even London. Which is odd because its bleeding miles from anywhere.  One of the best blues acts in the country, Charlie Harper, plays there if he's in the mood.  There is a jazz club of quality in Norwich, and a great funk jam at the Reindeer. I have less knowledge of further west and east. Being stuck behind a tractor may be taken more than one way, as you will find if you take your news from the sometimes quite funny spoof news magazine, the Suffolk Gazette.    The usual greeting is a high six.  

Edited February 6, 2020 by lownote12

[leschirons]

8 minutes ago, lownote12 said:

It's patchy. Mostly its only in the urban centres, the rest is a bit of a desert - hey, music is where people are.  Norwich in particular has a number of great venues. The Reindeer especially seems to have music almost every night, the Walnut Shades is another, and there a handful of others.   The regional standard is quite high.  The Dereham Blues Fest features  A/B list national acts and lot of pretty good local bands. The same people (Stewart and Doreen Aitkin) are behind the very good Norfolk Blues Society jams at the aforementioned Walnuts Shades.  Out in the sticks there's not a lot.  An exception is the Burston Crown, which attracts high quality acts from Norwich, Cambridge and even London. Which is odd because its bleeding miles from anywhere.  One of the best blues acts in the country, Charlie Harper, plays there if he's in the mood.  There is a jazz club of quality in Norwich, and a great funk jam at the Reindeer. I have less knowledge of further west and east. Being stuck behind a tractor may be taken more than one way, as you will find if you take your news from the sometimes quite funny spoof news magazine, the Suffolk Gazette.       

Isn't there a blues venue in Norwich called "Murderers"?  I heard about it about a year ago.

[Teebs]

12 minutes ago, lownote12 said:

The Dereham Blues Fest features  A/B list national acts and lot of pretty good local bands.

Will see if I can interest Mrs Teebs in a visit to the MonsterzInLaw for this - sounds good!

[lownote]

1 minute ago, leschirons said:

Isn't there a blues venue in Norwich called "Murderers"?  I heard about it about a year ago.

Yus, you was right, but last I heard the blues element had been ejected, and now infests a place called the Louis Marchesi in Tombland.

[lownote]

5 minutes ago, Teebs said:

Will see if I can interest Mrs Teebs in a visit to the MonsterzInLaw for this - sounds good!

Not least because most of the pubs, cafes and bars in Dereham host a band at some point.  It's not called the 12 bar blues for nothing. The fest ends  with an open jam on the Sunday if you fancy taking your bass.

Edited February 6, 2020 by lownote12

[Ricky 4000]

On 29/01/2020 at 10:42, Teebs said:

Fakenham.

 

On 05/02/2020 at 09:07, DorsetBlue said:

Fakenham.

So that's a real place? (just askin').

[Teebs]

2 minutes ago, Ricky 4000 said:

 

So that's a real place? (just askin').

Yarp, I think so!

It's got a race course & everything!

[lownote]

14 minutes ago, Ricky 4000 said:

 

So that's a real place? (just askin').

Can't be, else it would be called Realingham

[Ricky 4000]

2 minutes ago, lownote12 said:

Can't be, else it would be called Realingham

Is that a real place? 😃

[pete.young]

1 hour ago, lownote12 said:

IOut in the sticks there's not a lot. 

Do you know what's happening with the Locks Inn at Geldeston since Grain Brewery took it over? It used to be a great gig when Colin was in charge, but Grain Brewery have a poor track record in this respect  IMO (they stopped all the music in the Spreadeagle in Ipswich when they took that over).

[lownote]

6 minutes ago, pete.young said:

Do you know what's happening with the Locks Inn at Geldeston since Grain Brewery took it over? It used to be a great gig when Colin was in charge, but Grain Brewery have a poor track record in this respect  IMO (they stopped all the music in the Spreadeagle in Ipswich when they took that over).

Ah quote directly from their Facetube pages: "We’re currently filling our last few slots for bands over the summer. If you’re interested in playing at The Locks, get in touch at [email protected]; include a little bit about who you are, weekend availability April-September and a link to a video/recording." This very eve they host a touch of the Oirish, musically speaking.  More than that I cannot say.  My impression of music there was soured by an early encounter with a  rock band setting up inside with 4x12s, 2x15s and Marshall amps in a bar space the size of my spare bedroom. Ludicrous. For the un-anointed, the Geldeston Locks is collectible because it's easier reached by water (the Broads) than by road.  On a side note, I do find Grain's beer extremely acceptable, a good deal more so than Adnams, the usual local brew. 

Edited February 6, 2020 by lownote12

[pete.young]

That's good. I've played outside there a few times (under a gazebo), a perfect way to spend a sunny sunday afternoon.  It's a great venue, and I've no complaints about Grain beer, it's very good.

[steantval]

5 hours ago, Teebs said:

Yarp, I think so!

It's got a race course & everything!

And a Wetherspoons.

[DorsetBlue]

On ‎06‎/‎02‎/‎2020 at 23:28, steantval said:

And a Wetherspoons.

...and a Chocolate factory (with factory outlet in the town centre).

We love Norfolk and would live there in an instant (if there was any work in my field). On the other hand, it is pretty much the same as Dorset, just flatter,

[Frank Blank]

Norfolk Music scene. What's it like?

...a bit flat at the moment.

[Stub Mandrel]

1 hour ago, Frank Blank said:

Norfolk Music scene. What's it like?

...a bit flat at the moment.

You could say it has it's ups and downs.

But it doesn't.

[steantval]

On 06/02/2020 at 09:38, toneknob said:

Good intit! When I grow up I want to be a Morris Dancing straw man.

 

Pig Dyke Molly Morris Dancers, the Kiss of the scene.