I have a question about Manchester and its music scene.

We are seeing comebacks from nearly everyone of the big indie names that you would associate with Manchester; New Order, Stone Roses, Happy Mondays...even talk of a Smiths reunion not being far off.

My question is this: Is Manchester clinging on to its musical past in order to put the city back on the musical map?

Id like people to think about the reasons why Manchester isnt producing any artists like these anymore. Why do we always associate Manchester's music scene with bands who havent been around for ages? is it time for a new wave of bands to emerge from the city? Or perhaps a singer/songwriter? How has the industry changed since the 80's/90's?

Id like to get as many different opinions as possible.

You might hate indie music and suggest that Manchester is better known for other acts like Take That or M People (yes remember them?)

Are there any new bands that are from Manchester who just arent getting any coverage, but are worthy of it?

I'd say there isn't much about at the moment... or at least, record labels just won't sign up bands. It's alot easier to send out a popstar and make a few quid where as with bands and because they have never really been mainstream, it takes patience for them to build up a fanbase and for the money to start rolling in, record labels want instant results and instant results usually come from shows like x factor where kids will buy your music just based on your image believe it or not. The older bands are not returning because they are clinging onto anything, they are just returning to do gigs because the fans want it (not to mention they probably make some decent money out of it)... these bands don't choose to be taken notice of, the media are just excited because there's nothing else about at the minute. If we're honest, these bands shouldn't be able to get a look in... but they will because the industry is so cr*p at the minute.

Two notable bands I'm loving at the moment are from/based in Manchester, Wu Lyf and Everything Everything. The latter band were nominated for the most recent Mercury awards and up for two Ivor Novello awards. The music is there and thriving, there is just no Brit pop type movement the media can latch onto and promote.

This.

Ren Harvieu, from Salford, is getting tons of love from 6music at the moment.

The Smiths won't reform

Hurts...

I can't see it either.

Why don't the rock bands accumulate a fanbase without getting a record deal? Then the record labels would sign those bands since they'd already have a fanbase and they can get more instant results.

People can only take note of a band that is out there and releasing music... there are bands that do what you say, but they only get the odd support slot for another band. What you suggest is simply not possible, they need money behind them and need to be pushed out not just in the UK... but right round the world.

Wu Lyf did this, they created a club for want of a better word, for fans who had seen their gigs in Manchester. You paid to be part of it and they used the money to record their album. Record labels soon came sniffing.

i dont see anything wrong with manchester supporting its music heritage... alot of the original indie groups got in the act when there was a buzz around the club scene, formed, and made history.

i cant see this happening now in manchester or anywhere because music has run out of bright, new, original ideas..

Yes, also The Courteeners. There was a group called The Whip but they didn't really take off http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pQM87Y4CfSQ

Kid British http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ggyouIEG6I4

Elbow are from Manchester and have won a mercury award there are quite a few Manchester bands but are not classed as pop so do not get put on Radio playlist

Most of the rappers that get record deals are quite famous before they actually get signed (record labels basically just choose the ones with the most hype around them to sign to be honest), so I think rock bands could potentially do that too.

They might have more difficulty with the actual "getting signed" part but I don't see any reason why they can't do the "getting famous" part, since a lot of others have done it.

Happy Mondays - Step On

Stricly speaking, Elbow are from Bury

Bury are part of Greater Manchester so they are from Manchester too

Manchester is the home for internationally famous music school called "Chetams School of Music"

In my opinion it's no different to a raft of bands from that era, from across the country, reforming. I don't think anyone expects a bunch of reunions to kickstart a new Manchester scene. Even I, who think the place is the centre of the universe, aren't expecting anything like that.


Things change. Influences change. The Manchester these bands grew up bears little resemblance to the Manchester of today. If and when my album finally gets off the ground, it will be influenced by the brighter, more forward-looking Manchester of today, not the dingy citadel of the 70s and 80s.


To be fair, Liverpool probably has the same millstone around its neck with the Beatles despite the multitude of bands to come from there since.


I only listen for new artists to come up and couldn't really care less where they come from. Manchester has earned its place in the musical legacy of this country and that is enough for me.


In the age of the Net, you can make your own coverage and reach more people than ever before.

I used to think the same thing, but people find a way to pull new genres out of the ground. But rock and indie? I can't see anything new coming out of that. Popular music is cyclical; we had a guitar band revival in the early to mid 00s until everything became stale and sterile. Now we're onto dubstep and other electronic genres - even with 80s revivalists like Hurts.

it was just a Zeitgeist. You can never duplicate it. I'm ambivalent toward all the regrouping. It appeals to my nostalgia, but should the memories remain in the past !?

Yep.

You can't recreate experiences to be as good as they were, as junkies have discovered. You have to go in search of new ones.

Are the ting tings coming back? The hurts almost took off big time.

They are back.