Whats everyone's opinion of the current Sheffield music scene?
There's no doubt that Sheffield has produced some great musicians over the years, such as Joe Cocker, Pulp, Human League, Moloko etc, but there doesn't seem to me to be much good live music?

There are obviously some good bands around but there does seem to be a wealth of dull bands that lack originality and content.

......Be nice to get some Jazz in between the Sheffield Jazz gigs at the millennium Club. The One- Eleven Jazz Club has closed and I can't believe a City the size of Sheffield has no regular Jazz Club or an International Jazz Festival every year.

You are out of touch mate.

theres always been tons of punk / metal / rock / dance / indie bands around sheffield

its been dead since the early 80's....

i left in about 92 and it was still highly active in those scenes

Smokers Die Younger
Arctic Monkeys
Milburn
Glenhill

are all gonna make it big or biggish soon I reckon

come on sheff-rock!

try the grapes have lots of new bands on there every week,my sons band is playing there tonight and again on monday go down take a look at all the bands that play there give them some support you could be amazed at the home grown talent round sheffield at the moment

Originally posted by AndyK
......Be nice to get some Jazz in between the Sheffield Jazz gigs at the millennium Club. The One- Eleven Jazz Club has closed and I can't believe a City the size of Sheffield has no regular Jazz Club or an International Jazz Festival every year.

Lescar, Ruskins, Showroom, Green Room do regular live jazz music.

There's also a weekend music festival on August 6th & 7th in Sheffield City Centre (Summer Sounds) with Jazz, Classical, Folk and Pop music.

Plenty going off, you just need to look.

Anybody involved in Sheffield music, from bands, studios, promoters, writers, venues, free parties, fanzines and whatever else knows this is the best Sheffield music has been for a long time.
We have got more signed bands than we have ever had, more venues putting on live music, new club nights that are getting recognition on a nationwide scale and people are starting to take notice around the country.
just because mattnite doesn't know about it doesn't mean it's not there.

Carl, the Arctic Monkeys have made it big already! They even got some Colin & Edith airtime the other day!

As the proprietor of the Classic Rock Bar, I can see where the author of this thread is coming from. Most of the music heard by the bands was of course rock, and I can only speak about this genre of music. Having hosted live music on a nightly basis as well as an open mic night, I do have to say that the quality of most of the bands was OK. There were some outstanding performances - those were the nights when the place was packed as the audience appreciated what they had come to hear.

On the OK nights, the bands had played before to a crowd and were getting a feel for what they were doing, trying new tracks and experimenting. I think it's fair to say that this covered a lot of the local bands.

There were of course the really, really, really sh*t bands who could hardly hold a note together and Simon Cowell would hold his head in despair. But the ethos of the Rock Bar was that everyone got a chance.

If the author of this thread walked into a bar or a venue where a live band was playing and there wasn't a huge audience, it's likely that s/he found one of the OK or really cr*p bands.

They're not all bad, but I appreciate your sentiment. You just have to sift through the many up and coming musicians who've strived to learn their chords and are passionate about their music enough to want to play to an audience and choose the ones you would like to hear again. They are out there. I promise. Music is so subjective; I've noticed some posts here stating the names of bands. Not everyone will like these bands. You have to find what you're looking for.

I suggest reading the reviews in the Sheffield Telegraph, they will give you a hint about what to aim for. Pick up some free magazines found at the end of bars, there may be something to catch your eye.

Try not to be disillusioned. You've just been in the wrong place at the wrong time.

od really. there are some quite good unsigned bands about (screaming mimi, mothership, falling, Arctic monkeys, redhouse etc etc)

but they get little coverage. we have a very limited gig scene for signed groups/singers.

jazz, alternative is very poor.

The Classic rock bar going has left a massive hole in Sheffield music.
there was a jazz club on Arundel st but that closed down a couple of months ago. I only went once and it seemed very expensive. £10 to get in but that was for a name act and on a Saturday night.
For the signed bands i think things are going to turn around over the next few months. Hallam University have got a great venue on there hands but I'm not confident on the people who run the venue if it's the same people who ran the NMB. I wouldn't trust them to know how to wipe their arse going on past experiences.
Zero is going to give the leadmill a run for it's money when the new side is open.
Under the boardwalk has been sorted out and is a cracking venue by all accounts.
The City Hall is having a massive revamp and should be open in October
It's not all bad.

the leadmill plays shocking music... Same old indie tat. I really wish some clubs would be more adventurous... theres a club in b'ham and on a certain night it allows people to plug in their mp3 players and play 3 tracks of whatever they want!!! I think they are looking for new/rare/cool stuff but that kind of freedom is amazing.

I go and see gigs there from time to time. They have not had a decent clubnight there for years.

A guy has got an application in with the planning authorities to build a three floor live music venue on Sidney Street, near Niche. Sounds noisy :help: hope the neighbours who live nearby don't mind!

I'd love to open another Classic Rock Bar - just trying to find affordable premises to get the ball rolling again. :help:

Sheffield Music is the best its been for years.

Go to http://www.soundaloud.com

And www.l2sb.co.uk

Originally posted by brewnog
Carl, the Arctic Monkeys have made it big already! They even got some Colin & Edith airtime the other day!

If past songs/bands are anything to go by, expect Radio One to really start plugging the artic monkeys spring next year - the single will be released (rereleased?) aroudn then too i reckon and it will get much higher up the chart and thats usually the step up indie bands need.

OOO and a JO Whiley live lounge session! I wouldn't put money against that happening.

its not too bad, there WERE far too many oasis wannabee's still going round the clubs but luckly i think they are dying out a bit.

SILVERJET
SUPERSONIC WINDS OF NEPTUNE
WANTED
DEADLINE

4 bands ive seen before that are above average standard and could easily go onto better things.

artic monkeys isnt really something i enjoy but the hype will carry them through and its kinda a style that gets chart play so they should be played all over by this time next year.

Originally posted by scaramanga
the leadmill plays shocking music... Same old indie tat. I really wish some clubs would be more adventurous... theres a club in b'ham and on a certain night it allows people to plug in their mp3 players and play 3 tracks of whatever they want!!! I think they are looking for new/rare/cool stuff but that kind of freedom is amazing.

That would probably be the noWax nights that are held all over the place and funnily enough ran one of the rooms at the Leadmill on bank holiday August this year :thumbsup:

http://www.nowax.co.uk/playlists/28augsheffield.html

The music itsself is good, it's just the veneues that are terrible... that's if they stay open long enough to actually get a any bands to play or any club nights proeprly running... :rolleyes:

Sheffield is on the up. More great bands are coming out of Sheff than in the last 20 years!

Originally posted by d00mw0lf
The music itsself is good, it's just the veneues that are terrible... that's if they stay open long enough to actually get a any bands to play or any club nights proeprly running... :rolleyes:

And whose fault would that be, then?

Indeed - the council need to be open to music culture in Sheffield and nurture it. Look what it does for Manchester!

Originally posted by JarvisCocker
Indeed - the council need to be open to music culture in Sheffield and nuture it. Look what it does for Manchester!

Damn straight. You don't get a reputation as a culturally dynamic city without encouraging culture where it's created - at grass roots level. For some reason Manchester's council understands this but Sheffield's doesn't seem to.

Let's hope the new Zero venue and any others get the encouragement they need and deserve...

the venue situation is changing. A few new venues have started cropping up in Sheffield over the last few months

Originally posted by carcrash
the venue situation is changing. A few new venues have started cropping up in Sheffield over the last few months

That's excellent news. If it works out, all we'll need is a couple of good independent labels and we'll be rocking.

Yeah the Lescar on Wednesdays. I've been about 4 times when jazz was on. It's good fun. Don't know if it's still on though as I'm not living in Sheffield at the moment...

We really do need a good independent label. There is Thee SPC who put out some great stuff on 7 inch vinyl
http://www.theespc.com/
A mate of mine has set up a online disribution company for Sheffield music which seems to be going very well.
http://www.thelaundrette.co.uk/

A lot of the foundations are in place for Sheffield to have a very healthy music scene for a good few years.

I think the scene is pretty good, personally - you just have to look for it.

As others have noted, the venue problem seems to be being sorted - slowly - and there are a number of new nights springing up.

I DJ at the Nelson on a Tuesday, and although I play far more extreme music than many would deal with (industrial/extreme metal/dark alt/electronics), my numbers are on the up rather than down - and with what appears to be an enthusiastic bunch of freshers from both uni Rocksocs this year things will hopefully get even better. I do play a number of local bands, too - such as 3ulogy, Red20, 65daysofstatic...and if there are any others that fit in with what I do (plug: amodelofcontrol [dot] com for full playlists etc), please do get in touch.

The potential loss of Batfink (currently searching for a new venue) leaves a big hole in the goth/whatever "scene", again it comes down to venues...

I haven't really heard much of the Sheffield bands but from what other people have said it sounds good

The nelson have started putting gigs on recently haven't they?.
The 80's bar are opening as a live venue. Under the boardwalk (DnR live) are back open. The cricketers are putting gigs on again as well as the usual venues.

Originally posted by carcrash
The nelson have started putting gigs on recently haven't they?.
The 80's bar are opening as a live venue. Under the boardwalk (DnR live) are back open. The cricketers are putting gigs on again as well as the usual venues.

Nelson: They have, yes. I meant to get the latest list of gigs for my site last night, but was somewhat busy!

80's bar: was wondering what was happening with that.

D'n'R Live: Been there for a private party a few months back, nice place. Good capacity, too.

All told, for alt.stuff things are definitely looking up. It will take time though I think.

There's loads of other things going on at other places too...venues like the Earl, Bar Abbey, Netheredge social club, various "art spaces" around the city.

Just need to go out and have a gander.

Just out of interest, to the author of this thread, where do you go?

I do most of the live stuff at the earl. (PA stuff)
2 left feet have got one of the members of coldcut doing live a live aaudio/visual gig on Friday.
Mappin Street is availible to hire and the electric blanket nights are great from what I've heard.
Over the last year i've done the PA for gigs in all sort of places. Fulwood scout hut was one bizarre gig

Fulwood scout hut!

A gig in there? cool!...Ive walked past it loads of times. haha. Brilliant.

I'm not a huge fan of the blind centre on mappin street, but others seem to like it.

2 left feet this Friday sounds good, may pop down.

It was a birthday party for a 16 year old kid. 150 kids going mad to a death metal band who had formed a few days before and getting wrecked on cheap cider and bad weed.
One of the best nights and worst nights I've had this year.

Lescar has stopped live music (brewery concentratin on food cos of non smoking laws coming in).

Soundaloud is stopping.

Matilda centre got evicted.

Too many indie boy bands wanting to 'make it'...

Moan moan moan...

No fear

FREENOISE (http://www.freenoise.co.uk) IS HERE!!

Taste the Noise.

Eh up,

Can I recommend some of these local acts I've found on My Space.

Stoney, this guy has a deal too as I've also heard him on Jonathan Ross radio 2. Very polished but still that bit different.

Darlings of the splitscreen, their sound is very trendy at the moment with the new wave electronic thing but they have the tunes to see it through a trend.

Slow Down Tallahassee, I would appreciate these aren't going to be to everyone's taste but I think their fab. Fabs a good word for them, check out the Tallahassee bop.

Pollinates, these are so classic pop with tunes that just go round your head all day. Also Nick Banks from Pulp drums for them.

Tiny Dancers, more catchy stuff and you cant really say they sound like a lot of other stuff. Their name is a bit miss leading, not what you would expect them to sound like.

Navvy, Love these but I do love the Fall.

Jarvis Cocker, for anyone that doesn't know he's got a new tune up on his My Space and very good it is too. Featuring Richard Hawley, Steve Macky from Pulp and Ross Orton from Fat Truckers, MIA..

Now theres a cool scene none of your pedictable Milburn, Harrisons ect....

Slow Down Tallahassee, I would appreciate these aren't going to be to everyone's taste but I think their fab. Fabs a good word for them, check out the Tallahassee bop.

Yep, Slow Down Tallahassee are very Fab indeed. Hopefully Thee SPC are going to put out a little something by them before too much very longer.

Best band in Sheffield right now is still Monkey Swallows The Universe who are totally lovely.

Splendid to see the Long Blondes streaking up the young peoples hit parade t'other week too.

I'm not a big fan of Arctic Monkey's, but my indie mates have lots of good things to say about Sheffield and they aren't the crap (stereophonics, kasabian, coldplay, keane) indie loving types either.

There are some great club nights around too: C90, Rough Disco, Tinnitus and a few other bits and bobs.

The hard dance/techno scene seems to have died out a load in Sheffield. Though given the quality of some of the techno events in the last 12 months perhaps that's a good thing. The last 'Crasher I went to was pretty lame too.

It gets a little tiresome paying £5-10 to get in a club and hear the same tracks each week, so I tend to avoid clubs like that.

To be honest, I've been more impressed by nights on at (some) bars, squats and warehouses than I have by anything in Sheffields clubs for a while.

Matilda centre got evicted.

Noooooooooooooooooooooooo! When?

I do most of the live stuff at the earl. (PA stuff)
2 left feet have got one of the members of coldcut doing live a live aaudio/visual gig on Friday.
Mappin Street is availible to hire and the electric blanket nights are great from what I've heard.
Over the last year i've done the PA for gigs in all sort of places. Fulwood scout hut was one bizarre gig

which geezer from coldcut? and where is that at? cheers

its okay but not much of the music i like plays here