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The Next Alt Rock Music Industry

Its been coming on for a few years now. Still, great bands and venues fall by the side for a variety of reasons. In theory, the grass roots and independent music world, where is no cash or guarantees, should implode. We'd be left with every man for himself to claim the future. Prime time TV giving hundreds of hours of exposure to karaoke contests and our music festivals would need more glamping and gourmet food to support the constant re-booking of already-made headliners.

Or, sod that.

How about the poetic souls and day dream believers taking over? Our dystopian austerity breeds escapist posterity. Instead of imploding the passion is exploding. Cheeky rogues (our extending collective, included) punching above their weight in ambition, scouting potential Glastonbury headliners in small music bars (probably with something - shoes? guitar? - held together by gaffer tape). #HeForShe #SheForHe #SheForShe #HeForHe - whatever, all in it together. Google #Uniqulture Images. There we are. Woven into a tapestry of the last five years or so.

Do you need to get out more?

The very spaces the Music Venue Trust is there for, are a finishing school of Next Music Industry. To be part of it, go to your local gig hub, this is the foot in the door of cottage industry. Literally often cheap as chips, or sometimes even free. Close enough to see the whites of their eyes without looking into a screen. Personal enough to be there at that moment, perhaps exchange some direct feedback at the merchandise table after.

I don't have a degree, I'm not all that academic, but I do follow bands, and manage to keep a roof over my head through self employment of experience. Enough me me me, and more interestingly, uniqulture (a mix of internet on line and inter-networking face to face) works.

The connection is made.

There are many ex-mainstream industry in the small to medium venues. Alongside open universities of knowledge like Recognition, are a posse of passion with a wealth of contacts and opportunity finding the marketable and personable.

Escapsim through word and dance is essential to surviving the horrorism of our system and it's puppet media turning against the British people. On the rock n roll side of things;

Take This Feeling Club. A circuit maker that has always been legendary. Over the last few years it has bloomed to be an essential and credible taste maker. This is timely because guitars, a great 20th and 21st century tradition have been shaping the near future increasingly. Especially since our gold haul for sports at The Olympics. The venues that TF graces are a creative artist development finishing school. We are making a gold half for music to support our entertainment economy. Funders take note.

Clit Rock is glamorously defiant and exciting for a great (#EndFGM) cause. Again, staging events with awesome artists. Serious without taking themselves so seriously that you can't recommend anyone and everyone to join in. They are a force to be reckoned with in the rise of The Cliteratti which our Music Editor, Dizzy Spell, recently articled.

Independent Multi Media talents of New Music inspiration like Kitmonsters, John Kennedy, Playhard Gigs, Joyzine, God Is In the TV, Little Indie Blogs, GigSlutz, Louder Than War etc are alongside BBC Introducing for giving fresh sounds, that aren't already everywhere, a look in. I love that we begin with musical differences but still end with some cross overs in diverse recommendation. For instance, we share our photographer Duncan Stafford with GigSlutz. Both are involved in the Sleaford Mods film, 'Invisible Britain' (definitely where we live). We share photographer Rupert Hitchcox with Joyzine (who also have an on line radio show Wednesdays 7pm GMT).

We connected with End Of The Trail Records through our ArtBeat nights at Amersham Arms (launched with GigSlutz, Optical Radio, MTM.TV and a band interview in the ladies toilet, cos we are well classy like that). End Of The Trail, in turn, kindly got us a stage (and rock n roll seaside adventure) last year at The Great Escape Festival scouting showcase @AltEscape and, like This Feeling, who also hit Isle Of Wight Festival, (we have staged at various festivals).

This year we staged a "Reading/Leeds Festival 2016 wish list" at #TGE15, and added Latest Music Bar in Brighton to our circuit with our return to The Great Escape , then recently expanded it courtesy of Traitors Gate music bar in Grays, Essex joining our plans to unleash more over ambition on 2016.

Half of the above mentioned folk were at the industry n celebrity day out, SoccerSixFest, recently, at Mile End Stadium. Myself courtesy of my Playhard collaborator, Heather Minx.

(pictured; winners, on and off the pitch, musician, Cole Salewicz playing for This Feeling FC snapped by Caffy)

So then, back to where we began in the back room of Amersham Arms. This year 1965 Records, Heavenly Records Jukebox, Jack Daniels, Xfm, Foreign Beggars, Toy, Slaves, These Animal Men and S*M*A*S*H (Flawed Is Beautiful movie premiere), Gordon Raphael and more have joined the amazingness of awesome artists on stage/on decks there since This Feeling launched with Carl Barât & The Jackals at New Year (where the band were auditioned last summer). GigSlutz recently staged a cool Friday night, the On Blackheath Festival party was also here and last Friday End Of The Trail's scouting showcase had doubled in side for it's second episode. The next one is on October 9th and next year, this increasingly influential label adds Liverpool Sound City to their portfolio.

New friends are constantly getting involved in what is starting to really feel like the movement that it is. Savage Nomads (who launched the Traitor's Gate music scene this month) headline This Feeling on 26th September (with Faris of The Horrors on the decks, his brother's band, LOOM, back at Amersham Arms and before that, on the 24th, Lucie Barât and the Au Revoirs, join the ArtBeat party with Nova Twins, White Room and uniqulture road show instigators, Mourning Birds and, in the audience, many of the Future Entertainment Illuminati and cult figures.

All genres of entertainment and, always, music industry and media - grass roots and otherwise - in the house. South East London is just one corner of what is happening UK wide. Music Venues Day is on October 20th. Again in S.E.London at Ministry Of Sound. Bring it. Amersham Arms (New Cross small venue repped by myself) and Traitor's Gate (repped by Ian Hurd of Southend's Golden Cage Media) are repping and already excited to do so.

Onwards all... tipsters n hipsters alike, together; Louder Than War is in print (via W. H. Smith), TheZineUK is a projected exhibition at various locations and the ripples from our collective underground movements are resonating internationally. We, TheZineUK, round up DIY action of audio visual style, arts, performance and technolgy in a picture story. ,

For now, I leave you with 75 seconds of another reputation being enhanced. A bootleg clip of The Dirty Blonds (psychadelic rocking out with cult potential. I was charmed by front man, Sylvester's evening dress, felt like a red carpet was needed onto the stage from the bar) finale minute at End Of The Trail Showcase, 18th Sepember.

Caffy St Luce

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