Article on Blackpool Music scene circa 2007

This article first appeared within a publication entitled "UKFY". This was a locally based and produced fanzine of the local Blackpool music scene and I include here for posterity and your indulgence.

As a sidenote please be advised that FELCH was a Blackpool music collective that centered around more heavier and experimental music. The collective and it was just that a collective in the true sense of the word, with bands that were part of this working together in partnership in staging events and putting on gigs. The FELCH scene and collective could now be said to have disappeared but, in many respects it still exists on one form or another due to the fact that some of the bands that were members still exist today and other bands made up of members of other associated bands are still active. Anyways here it is...

Blackpool Rocks!

Any harrowed gaze upon the windblown stretch of heart-wrenching neon, with vagabonds and miscreants claiming the town’s energy does not exactly flood the heart with glee or hope for inspired musical discovery. However like the simplistic stall games that provide misgivings of simplicity and fairness the Blackpool Music scene is actually a surprising flourishing entity.
My personal and relatively short-lived involvement within the music scene has seen a blaze of development and growth flourish within this town. That is a key point to note as well. Blackpool is after all a town that is still vaguely standing on the memory of tourism, like some deluded captain going down with the ship while the water flows all around him. There is no wealth of population, multiculturalism or student population yet the musicians and all others connected don’t see this as an obstacle.

It is true attendances at gigs is not always of the highest level perhaps due to some of these reasons or perhaps for other reasons, which may be discussed at a later date, however the sheer wealth of variety in musical styles, events and more significantly quality and innovation is more significant.

When other scenes are looked at around the country in more ‘suitable’ locations whilst these scenes seem to flourish stronger than Blackpool’s they have seemingly a genre specific scene. Various cities around Britain seem to produce and develop bands that have a similar sound, but to me the best thing about the Blackpool music scene is perhaps in a hark back to the good old days of Blackpool is quite literally it’s variety.

The Felch scene continues to thrive and pick up new devotees and members like an avalanche gaining momentum, there is also a thriving Indie scene with many other notable highpoints of bands and artists falling somewhere sound wise in the middle, but certainly not representing the MOR. Almost every musical genre is represented or referenced with respect and ingenuity. Blackpool truly possesses some of the most varied, impassioned musicians and bands equal to any other regional collective.

Perhaps the despair of residing in a dead end town ignites the heart and soul to strive for more or to be fully aware of your place and not be satisfied. Whatever the reasoning Blackpool Rocks!