One of the things I miss since moving from London is the opportunity to see bands. Not that this was an opportunity I've been able to avail myself of very often since the kids came along, but at least the option was always there. Most weeks in London it was possible to find a few decent gigs that I would kid myself I could get along to.
Since moving to Colchester I've found it rather odd that a town that is so obviously musical, is so off the map for touring bands. I'm not thinking here of Odeon-filling acts - the town doesn't have that sort of venue, and with a 'mere' 100,000 inhabitants, it's probably a little small. But what about the sort of up and coming bands that you can see night in, night out in London, and plenty of other towns around the UK? The sort of acts who are on their way up, but who are still 'paying their dues' (crikey, does that show my age?)
It's not just Colchester. The nearest large towns, Ipswich and Norwich (okay, not that near, but I'm struggling here!) are not especially well-served either. Why is East Anglia on so few touring schedules?
I noticed this today when Graham Coxon's tour dates were released. As a lad who grew up in Colchester, you could just about hope that he might play the town. Okay, no surprises that he's not, but what about the rest of the East of England? Nope, the nearest place to see him is Cambridge - or London of course.
And it's not just bands. Stewart Lee is one of my favourite comedians, and he is taking his latest show around just about every fleapit in the UK, but as far as I can see, there are no gigs anywhere in Essex, Suffolk or Norfolk. What gives? Our money not good enough for you?
As a relative newcomer here, I'm amazed by how much local music there is in Colchester. There's barely a night where there isn't a handful of live acts to choose from around town, and at weekends there are a huge amount of acts playing and no shortage of venues. There are also about four or five musical instrument shops and umpteen free listings mags.
So it wouldn't seem that there is a lack of appetite for music. Colchester is also a university town. Student Unions were awash with bands when I were a lad, but there doesn't seem to be much occurring on Wivenhoe Campus. Are students too engrossed in their books to want to see bands these days? I find that hard to believe.
It wasn't always thus as this clip of a young AC/DC playing at Essex University shows from 1978. Would this happen today?
There are honourable exceptions to my generalisations of course. Colchester Arts Centre has a varied schedule, but I'm sure there's room for a few more acts heading east and saving us from the trek up the A12 to London. Come on Essex promoters, let's get a few bigger names out here.
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3 comments:
Colchester isn't all that bad as a place. There is plenty going on if you keep your ears to the ground and eyes peeled - Michael McIntyre was on last month at the Mercury in a suprise gig, and as you rightly say, the Art Center has a number of good things happening.
As to why promoters leave it off the list, I think you put banged the nail on the head. There isn't really a venue big enough to hold all these acts, despite being the fastest growing town in England at the moment. There is of course Ipswich and the Regent, but that's about it.
Keep Colchester Cool does well to highlight music with the Colchester Free Festival and so forth, but how do you attract the bigger acts without a venue bigger than a few hundred capacity? Maybe it's time to look at the old cinema on Crouch Street....
Colchester Free Festival was great this year, as was the Wivenhoe one. It just shows how many interesting local acts there are that would benefit from the ability to support some bigger names - as well as the experience, it might open a few doors for them.
I suppose the flip side of the coin is the absence of name acts coming through the region is that there is more of a do it yourself attitude with people doing their own thing, which can only be good.
In terms of venues, I am surprised that the University doesn't do more. Not sure what space they have up there, but they do a lot of club nights, so there must be something. Maybe ents committees don't have the money to put on acts any more.
Also, what about Charter Hall down at the Leisure Centre? I love the fact that their seating plan section has a layout specifically for cage fighting - http://www.charter-hall.co.uk/Article.aspx?art_id=319.
I hate to say it, but only in Essex?
You are quite correct, only in Essex would such a venue exist. The Charter Hall has a great space, The X Factor used it when Olly Murs was in the final a few years back, and it looked impressive.
The Uni has space for DJ's and the like in their clubs, but I don't think they have anything to support a major artist.
I think what the town needs is a venue with the ability to hold 2000+ people. Only then will it start to be taken seriously as a stop off point for acts.
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