City Focus blog: Belfast
Blog by Michelle Lloyd under Artist Managers, Creative & Branding, Finance, Law & Music Business, Live, Media, Music Publishing, Music Training & Careers, Record Labels, Recording & Production, Selling & Distributing Your Music
In the third instalment of our City Focus Blog we take you across the Irish Sea to bustling Belfast. We have enlisted the editor of Belfast’s music and culture website The Thin Air, Brian Coney, record label owner Neil Brogan who also plays in local band Sea Pinks, Ross Haymes from the city’s bright new things Hurdles and Scott Jamison who's band GO WOLF featured on French dance label Kitsuné’s most recent compilation.
As Northern Irish songstress Bronagh Gallagher so eloquently puts it: “If you are a blues head, if you are a reggae head, if you are a techno head, if you’re just a wee groover – there’s always somewhere in Belfast that’s doing it”. And the city’s musical reputation went international in 2011 when the MTV Europe Music Awards were held in the Odyssey Arena which saw music heavyweights descend and created a perfect opportunity for the city to shine on the global music stage.
But Belfast isn’t just a great place to listen to music it’s a place that thrives on creating it too. Of course Van Morrison is one of the city’s best known musical exports, but the likes of Ash, Snow Patrol and Two Door Cinema Club have also put it on the map. Despite Northern Ireland being small, its artists are actually responsible for selling over 100 million records combined.
But what is the reality of being an emerging musician in Belfast at the moment? Is there a healthy scene? Neil from Sea Pinks isn’t convinced: “I’m not too sure that there is a good emerging scene in Belfast. I guess you could say there are plenty of bands, a few of which are good. If you cast the net a bit wider to Ireland in general then yeah there are loads of good bands and some from across the North e.g. Autumns & The Cyclist in Derry, Documenta Drone Pop, Girls Names and Sea Pinks (obvs) in Belfast, to name a few.”
Scott from GO WOLF on the other hand was a bit more optimistic: “I think the whole scene in Belfast could be described as ‘emerging’. We are very aware of the bands that have gone before us and paved the way for the musical reputation that Belfast has now. There is a very tangible sense of a unified music scene.”
Similarly Ross from Hurdles is hopeful that things are on the up in the city: “When big acts like Two Door Cinema Club made it out of the city there seemed to be a lot of hope that loads of bands would follow suit, but it didn’t seem to happen and things got a bit stagnant. It’s mostly a geographical thing for a lot of bands - it’s hard to tour the UK and increase your fanbase and mid-level acts rarely make the journey over here so support slots are limited. But things are definitely heading in a positive direction; there’s loads of talent here, it’s just a case of getting it showcased in a viable manner."
One thing that’s definitely set to give things a boost in the area is the arrival of Generator NI, the new government based music business support programme that has been rolled out across the water after its success in North East England. Covering 4 main areas their programme consists of hosting events and seminars featuring music industry specialists and creatives, financial support for artist’s showcasing costs and business delegation costs at specified festivals and events outside NI, mentoring and talent development.
So, what else is on offer in Belfast for upcoming bands and artists? Here are a few recommendations from those in the know.
Gig Venues in Belfast
Brian (The Thin Air): “Two venues immediately spring to mind, for the same reasons: the relatively new but increasingly established Voodoo Bar and the significantly more cloistered and clandestine Menagerie Bar in the Holylands area of the city. The management in both of these venues are keen and independent supports of local live music. They ensure a regular stream of shows from both local and international acts and Voodoo, in particular, has steadily established itself as a nigh on indispensable platform for young, emerging talent in Belfast, for artists and bands of virtually every ilk.”
The city also boasts the Limelight 1 & 2 who host some bigger shows, plus Katy’s Bar who regularly hold unsigned band nights. Queen’s University’s Student Union run a series called ‘Radar’ which regularly puts on new acts, as well as more established ones, and has become a staple of the Belfast scene.
Don’t forget to check out the Venues section of The Unsigned Guide for further information on Belfast’s gig venues and details of how to get in touch and play.
Gig Promoters in Belfast
As we’ve already mentioned, Radar come recommended as doing a particularly good job of promoting new music in the city, as do the team at Transmit (Pure Savage). Strange Victory are also putting on a variety of shows from small up-and-coming acts to larger scale gigs. With young, local talent in mind; Decky Savage at Transmit, Jonny McKee at Shizznigh and the aforementioned Brian Coney from The Thin Air are all worth getting in touch with.
If you’re looking to book gigs in Belfast or beyond, the Promoters section of The Unsigned Guide currently contains contact details for over 250 gig promoters spanning the whole of the UK – an invaluable tool when looking to book shows.
Record Labels in Belfast
Belfast’s independent record labels seem to be thriving at the moment and local labels striving to help acts from the area include No Dancing, Di Di Mau, Broken Melody Records, Champion Sound Records and Neil’s own label, CF Records. Although a little further afield, Derry’s Small Town America label is also doing stellar work.
Find out the best way of getting in touch and submitting your music to the above record labels and whole host more in the Record Labels section of The Unsigned Guide directory.
Recording Studios in Belfast
Brian (The Thin Air): “Start Together Studio at the Oh Yeah Centre is undoubtedly the best recording studio in the city. The team that work there are world-class producers that have helped produce some of the finest Irish records of the last 10 years. Younger bands with more modest budgets needn't shy away from the studio though - the Start Together guys work with all kinds of acts, with passion and integrity firmly at the crux of their ethos.”
Neil (Sea Pinks) also offers first-hand approval: “The engineer at Start Together, Ben McCauley, is super-fast and very versatile. He engineered the recent Sea Pinks EP and the last Girls Names record which I played drums on.”
Other studios worth having investigating include Millbank and Graham House Studios. You can find specific details of the studios including information on rates and equipment by referring to the Recording Studios section of The Unsigned Guide.
Record Shops in Belfast
Ross (Hurdles): “Head Records in the city centre has a decent selection on offer. Hurdles played a live session there as part of Belfast Music Week which was a lot of fun. Local bands can get their CDs in the shop really easily as well which is pretty cool.”
The city is also home to Dragon Records in Wellington Place, the infamous Good Vibrations and a monthly pop-up record fair at The Oh Yeah Centre.
Music Press in Belfast and Unsigned Radio Stations
Since the sad demise of AU Magazine there is very little in the way of music press in Belfast. There are however a handful of great online platforms giving coverage to emerging acts with reviews and features, primarily The Thin Air and Chordblossom.
The Thin Air website also have a section of their website showcasing local acts. Check out Hurdles in their live session below:
The Thin Air website also have a section of their website showcasing local acts. Check out Hurdles in their live session below:
The Across The Line radio show on BBC Ulster provides plenty of opportunities for local bands to gain exposure with features, interviews and live sessions. Community radio station Blast 106 also has a local music show presented by James Magill who always has his finger on the pulse, reporting on the best local gigs.
Take a look in the Regional Press, Radio Stations and Regional Websites sections of our directory and you will come across contacts for Belfast and further afield that will offer emerging bands and artists coverage.
Music Artwork & Designers in Belfast
When it comes to getting the finest artwork for your CDs and releases, plus design for websites, social media pages and merch, Belfast has it covered. Paul Irwin of Ogopogo Design (who chatted to us last year about how he marries music and design together) can help with all manner of graphic design including logos, CD inlays and posters. Also check out Vicki Firth who can aid with website design and branding.
Bands to watch in Belfast:
So now we’ve given you an idea of what the great city of Belfast has to offer aspiring musicians, let’s see who the acts are who’re currently making waves in the city. Our top tips are Affleck, Alana Henderson, Go Swim, Cross Eyed Mary, Seven Summits, Blue Whale, Cruising,
Next month our City Focus blog goes to Cardiff. If you’re an emerging artist based there or run a music-related business from the city and want to share your tips and thoughts on what Cardiff’s music scene has to offer, we’d love to hear from you. Get in touch here and we can chat further.
Tags
unsigned bands, unsigned artists, belfast music scene, oh yeah music centre, the thin air,
