Most Productive Music Towns/Cities

[Mykesbass]

1 hour ago, BreadBin said:

I'm going to respectfully disagree, there's loads in that list that are fairly common knowledge. 

Just looked through the list. A lot of big names in there, and I didn't realise Nik Kershaw was born in Bristol. Not something the good folks of Ipswich would want you to know!

[redbandit599]

I live in Brightlingsea  - population evidently 8679.

We've got Sam Ryder and When Rivers Meet.

So that's a 1 in 2893 chance of being a 'known' musician. 

Take that city boys....🤣

 

[tauzero]

Tamworth hasn't done too badly. http://www.tamworthbands.com/bands/index.htm

 

Most famous are Magnum, Wolfsbane, and Julian Cope.

[Mykesbass]

5 hours ago, tauzero said:

Tamworth hasn't done too badly. http://www.tamworthbands.com/bands/index.htm

 

Most famous are Magnum, Wolfsbane, and Julian Cope.

That's a healthy local scene over the years.

[BreadBin]

13 hours ago, Mykesbass said:

Just looked through the list. A lot of big names in there, and I didn't realise Nik Kershaw was born in Bristol. Not something the good folks of Ipswich would want you to know!

And don't forget Bananarama...

[BigRedX]

19 hours ago, Stofferson said:

Nottingham is ace

 

Nottingham is ace (at least compared to Mansfield it is). 😉

 

However considering it's size and the fact that it has a vibrant local music scene, it doesn't seem to be able to produce the number of nationally well-known artists that other similar cities seen to do. And some of the best known "Nottingham" bands have had to move away from the city and ignore the fact that they came from there in order to get any real success.

Edited September 6, 2023 by BigRedX

[ahpook]

Leeds, where I had the misfortune to grow up has been pretty fertile.

 

The Pale Saints

The Wedding Present

Scritti Politti

Age Of Chance

Gang Of Four

Chumbawamba

 

Oh, and of course...U-U-Utah Saints

 

 

Edited September 6, 2023 by ahpook

[Mykesbass]

11 minutes ago, ahpook said:

Leeds, where I had the misfortune to grow up has been pretty fertile.

 

The Pale Saints

The Wedding Present

Scritti Politti

Age Of Chance

Gang Of Four

Chumbawamba

 

Oh, and of course...U-U-Utah Saints

 

 

Did like the Pale Saints back in the day. Very classy pop music.

[Mykesbass]

24 minutes ago, BigRedX said:

 

Nottingham is ace (at least compared to Mansfield it is). 😉

 

However considering it's size and the fact that it has a vibrant local music scene, it doesn't seem to be able to produce the number of nationally well-known artists that other similar cities seen to do. And some of the best known "Nottingham" bands have had to move away from the city and ignore the fact that they came from there in order to get any real success.

You're putting down a town that brought to the world...Paper Lace 🤔

[ahpook]

Just now, Mykesbass said:

Did like the Pale Saints back in the day. Very classy pop music.

 

Still 'one of those bands' for me. Still love them.

 

Ian Masters' bass playing was a huge influence on my playing...lots of chords and drones.

 

In fact, I'm off to put 'In Ribbons' on now 👍

[Stofferson]

50 minutes ago, BigRedX said:

 

Nottingham is ace (at least compared to Mansfield it is). 😉

 

However considering it's size and the fact that it has a vibrant local music scene, it doesn't seem to be able to produce the number of nationally well-known artists that other similar cities seen to do. And some of the best known "Nottingham" bands have had to move away from the city and ignore the fact that they came from there in order to get any real success.

Anything is better than Mansfield.

But regardless of success Nottingham has a huge vibrant music scene, but yeah, not much in the "famous" ranks. 

Does Jake Bug and Sleaford Mods count, I don't know I don't listen to them.

Ten Years After?

 

anyway yeah, Nottingham is great, but maybe not if you want to get famous.

[Leonard Smalls]

1 hour ago, ahpook said:

Leeds

The cradle of Goth!

I briefly DJed with Marc Almond there, as well as living downstairs from Dave Gedge for a year, and was a member of the band which spawned Utah Saints, New Fast Automatic Daffodils, Snapdragons, Cassandra Complex as well as having a member who went on to be guitar in The Rollins Band and another member who made a living eating food and writing about it, as well as having a famous agony aunt mum.

In fact I was the only member who never found any sort of fame...

[BigRedX]

43 minutes ago, Stofferson said:

Anything is better than Mansfield.

But regardless of success Nottingham has a huge vibrant music scene, but yeah, not much in the "famous" ranks. 

Does Jake Bug and Sleaford Mods count, I don't know I don't listen to them.

Ten Years After?

 

anyway yeah, Nottingham is great, but maybe not if you want to get famous.

 

IIRC Ten Years After were Mansfield-based?

 

Jake Bug has pretty much fallen off the radar after his one moderately successful album. Sleaford Mods seem to be doing better, but I just can't shake the image I have of them from their very early days when they supported the band I was in and were astoundingly underwhelming.

 

Bands form Nottingham who have done well after leaving the city - Stereo MCs, posh boys from Ruddington (I was at school with them), and Tindersticks who started of life in Nottingham in the 80s as various far more musically interesting bands before deciding to move to London and become Nick Cave Lite.

[Barking Spiders]

21 hours ago, JoeEvans said:

I live in Bristol and have done for years; I love it, but although the music scene is great, it does tend to include a lot of pretty niche bands and some very enthusiastic archivists, perhaps leading to over-estimates of its scale... If you take out Massive Attack, Portishead and Roni Size, there aren't many names in there that people outside the city will know.

Pretty much true that though if you're and indie rock fan I guess you'd know Idles. And Nik Kershaw is a Bristol lad. I live half an hour's drive up the M5 and Bristol's been my main place for going to gigs. There are lot of bands former Peel listeners would've known like Rip Rig and Panic, The Pop Group, Blue Aeroplanes, F*** Buttons, Smith & Mighty, Way Out West. But on balance it comes down to just MA and Portishead as the most well known though I guess P didnt see themselves as a Bristol band.

[ahpook]

1 hour ago, Leonard Smalls said:

The cradle of Goth!

I briefly DJed with Marc Almond there, as well as living downstairs from Dave Gedge for a year, and was a member of the band which spawned Utah Saints, New Fast Automatic Daffodils, Snapdragons, Cassandra Complex as well as having a member who went on to be guitar in The Rollins Band and another member who made a living eating food and writing about it, as well as having a famous agony aunt mum.

In fact I was the only member who never found any sort of fame...

 

Fertile indeed !

 

For some reason the whole goth angle slipped my mind. Maybe I'm just blanking out my goth years

 

I served David Gedge when I worked in WHSmiths in Leeds. He bought a Cosmo and something like a Marie Claire. There you go. I've had very few brushes with fame, as you can tell

 

[NancyJohnson]

On 03/09/2023 at 21:49, Mykesbass said:

Following @Barking Spiders Norway thread, which towns/cities have been most productive with local talent?  I'm going for Sheffield, but per capita, again, some of the Scottish towns can stake a claim with Dunfermline (55,000) leading the charge with Nazareth, Skids/Big Country, Ian Anderson and Barbara Dickson. 

 

Where else has grown more than its fair share of talent?

 

 

When Big Country started, Mark Brzezicki was born and still living in Slough.  Tony Butler was London born and lived next door to a lady I worked with, in Owlsmoor, Camberley.

[LukeFRC]

On 03/09/2023 at 22:34, meterman said:

Sticking with Scotland, possibly Glasgow? Lot of bands and musicians came from Glasgow. There’s probably hundreds but off the top of my head there’s:

 

The Sensational Alex Harvey Band

Teenage Fanclub

Donovan

Altered Images 

Belle & Sebastian 

Primal Scream

Hamish Stuart (Average White Band)

The Pastels 

Maggie Bell (Stone The Crows)

The Blue Nile

Del Amitri

Texas

Mogwai

 

 

plus there’s Jack Bruce, and Angus and Malcolm Young from AC/DC, Mark Knopfler, one of Franz Ferdinand, maybe two of Orange Juice, couple of Simple Minds, a couple from The Jesus And Mary Chain, a few from Lloyd Cole And The Commotions (even though Lloyd is English), I mean there’s probably loads more but my memory is not on top form tonight...

 

 

Plus....

Delgados
Frightened Rabbit
Twilight Sad
Camera Obscura
The Phantom Band
Bis
The Vaselines (and Eugene Kelly)
Lewis Capaldi
Franz Ferdinand were formed and started there so they count 


 

[LukeFRC]

Anstruther has less than 4000 people... and the Fence Collective... 

[Mykesbass]

28 minutes ago, LukeFRC said:

Anstruther has less than 4000 people... and the Fence Collective... 

Church Village has 1000 more and CVC - Church Village Collective who are starting to get noticed.

[alant]

5 hours ago, BigRedX said:

 

IIRC Ten Years After were Mansfield-based?

 

 

I think Alvin Lee was from Beeston bit not certain. I knew someone who claimed he lived next door to him in his younger days.

 

[Mickyk]

On 04/09/2023 at 11:27, bartelby said:

I’m going to vote for Coventry. 

How dare you,what about Paper Lace.😂

[Barking Spiders]

I lived in Cheltenham for 20 years. Musicwise it's best known as the birthplace of Gustav Holst, Brian Jones and Richard o' Brien of Rocky Horror fame. Less known, Jaz Coleman of Killing Joke and the ultra chic FKA Twigs are from there too.  It's also where Pigbag was formed. 

[Mykesbass]

11 hours ago, Barking Spiders said:

I lived in Cheltenham for 20 years. Musicwise it's best known as the birthplace of Gustav Holst, Brian Jones and Richard o' Brien of Rocky Horror fame. Less known, Jaz Coleman of Killing Joke and the ultra chic FKA Twigs are from there too.  It's also where Pigbag was formed. 

Sounds pretty good for a town that size. It also has/had a pretty big jazz festival.

[BillyBass]

I was born in Hackney borough, as were|:

 

Sid Vicious, Charlie Harper, Marc Bolan, Paloma faith, Leona Lewis, half of Iron Maiden, Buster Bloodvessel and countless rappers and DJs that I've never heard of.

 

The Kray twins and Dickk Turpin were also born in Hackney, so we have a pretty good selection of famous violent criminals too.

 

Edit: Mr Turpin the highwayman, Basschat sensor doesn't like his name.

 

Edited September 8, 2023 by BillyBass

[Mykesbass]

9 hours ago, BillyBass said:

I was born in Hackney borough, as were|:

 

Sid Vicious, Charlie Harper, Marc Bolan, Paloma faith, Leona Lewis, half of Iron Maiden, Buster Bloodvessel and countless rappers and DJs that I've never heard of.

 

The Kray twins and Dickk Turpin were also born in Hackney, so we have a pretty good selection of famous violent criminals too.

 

Edit: Mr Turpin the highwayman, Basschat sensor doesn't like his name.

 

My London Borough did noticeably worse - Tommy Steele, Max Bygraves, Souixse Sioux, Florence Welch and Charlie Chaplin (who wrote Nat King Cole's hit Smile).

 

We also had the Richardsons and Mad Frankie Fraser.

Edited September 8, 2023 by Mykesbass
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