a) An endlessly embryonic set of ideas and arguments about pop music between a group of people who put on shows and play in bands and record music. At this point in time it has three main manifestations: recording studio, events and the bands connected. It is not a group of friends. In fact many of the people involved didn’t know each other before it existed. Many of those people have since noticed that they don’t have as many friends as they once did: It began with the studio.1 The studio, although nominally a community, is operated by Michael Page. It is co-run on a vaguely democratic basis by the four bands who use it as a rehearsal space. These bands do not have a great deal in common musically.
b) A studio and rehearsal space is now situated in Manor House.1 It is a self contained unit, comprised of a sizable soundproofed live-room separated by a glass door from the control room. It functions as a rehearsal room for affiliated bands and as a professional but affordable recording studio with in-house engineer. The live room contains two organs, a piano, several amps, a PA and a drum kit. It can also be rented out as a daytime rehearsal space for touring acts. Upstairs there is a small room which contains a toilet and at least one book on the corrupt nature of the music industry : The studio is primarily run by Michael Page with Bill Kenny, but decisions are generally made with some reference to the opinions of the bands.
c) A live event in London, England since early 2008. The most recent occurring on 10rd December 2010 at The Others, Stoke Newington. The next event is Model Boat at The Jamboree on Saturday 18th June 2011. At each event a CD of one track by each of the performing bands or artists is given to those members of the audience prepared to give their email addresses or capable of getting a copy by another method : Although events are primarily organized by core members of the combination of, they only occasionally feature residentbands. They exist as an open forum in as much as anyone with a workable2 idea for a live event can approach with a potential line-up, act, venue or theme in mind. Whether the event is considered appropriate depends on a number of factors.3
- Hermitage Works, R/O 7 Vale Grove, London, N4 1PY [↩]
- “Workability” in the past has mostly been dictated by a mixture of financial constraints, tastes and pragmatism; line-ups have ranged from the semi-famous to the utterly obscure. Bands who want too much money can’t be paid for. The performers have largely been a mix of people considered to be good and people considered to be able to bring an audience without being outright dire. The general aim for the future is to put the emphasis on the former These events so far have taken place in London. [↩]
- Primarily these considerations relate to taste, financial and pragmatic concerns, time constraints etc. These factors are not absolute, but rather in constant dialogue. It has been known for small groups of people to curate line-ups aimed more at satisfying themselves than any larger cross section of the audience. In some cases it has been known for these small groups to comprise almost the entirety of the audience. It has likewise not been uncommon but not unknown for bands of questionable calibre, but with sizable followings, to appear. [↩]