BRISTOL'S MUSIC SCENE

BRISTOL MUSIC | The trip-hop scene of the '90s put Bristol on the music map

Bristol is well-known for its music scene. But is the city doing enough to help its up and coming bands? And who will be the next successful act to follow in the footsteps of Massive Attack?

Think of Bristol, and most of us think of successful acts like Portishead, Massive Attack and Tricky.

But it's been a few years since any new Bristol-based artists have broken through and achieved national success.

So is Bristol in danger of becoming a musical backwater? Or is it a question of lack of exposure and investment in its many exciting and original talent?

The Bristol scene

Bands like Mooz are in the new wave of bands coming out of Bristol

Bristol's music scene has a reputation for innovation, experimentation and quality.

In the past the city has been home to a wide range of artists who've drawn their inspiration from the city's wide ranging musical cross-currents.

Most of us remember the heady days of Bristol's trip-hop scene in the late '90s when Portishead, Massive Attack, Roni Size and Tricky broke through into the mainstream.

So why haven't any major new bands, solo artists or DJs emerged onto the national scene from Bristol over the last few years?

A competitive music industry

Some argue that Bristol has the talent but it lacks the 'push' to get its artists more widely recognised.

DJ Bungy - but can he make the jump to national recognition?

One local musicians says, "If we were in Cardiff or Newcastle, we would have loads of cash chucked our way."

Others aren't so sure that it's just a matter of money.

The UK music industry is incredibly competitive, with only one in about every 5,000 artists getting signed to a deal. It's a tough business.

With the recession, record companies are taking few risks with new acts.

It's a far safer bet to invest in TV Pop Idols and manufactured bands, and to concentrate on established artists.

It costs about £1/2 million to launch a new band on a major label so it's not surprising that record company bosses are playing safe.

Breakthrough talent

Massive Attack's new album, 100th Window, has just been released. But don't be fooled into thinking that that's all that's going on in the Bristol music scene.

There's a lot more happening. Here's our quick tour of a few names who could just make the headlines in the future.

Redefine could break through from the Bristol music scene this year

Bob Jones, from Replay Records in Bristol, reckons that the whole scene now is such a mixture of influences that it's had to tell what direction it will go in next.

But there are some great new West Country bands coming through, like Big Joan and Mooz.

Both of those bands are on the Sink and Stove label run by Bristolian Ben Shillabeer.

Mike Darby runs another Bristol label, Sugar Shack Records. His bands are pure rock, punk influenced, guitar bands. The two big names on Sugar Shack right now are Redefine and Madnomad, who Mike describes as "really art, really out there".

Also look out for DJ Bunjy who isn't simply content with just scratching at a turntable himself. His own band Laid Blakare a fusion of soul, reggae, blues ……. you name, it's in there.

Band Aid

So what can be done to help young bands to step up a level?

Mooz - could be first to break the news of Bristol's new emerging scene

Some musicians think that Bristol City Council should be investing more in new talent, not least because of its European Capital of Culture 2008 bid.

The city hosted the Radio One Sound City event in the late 1990s and this provided a shop window and showcase for Bristol's emerging talent.

But some have criticised the lack of follow-up action to help bands. Today's Bristol bands are largely having to do it for themselves.

But the good news is that there's plenty of help out there on everything from 'how to get noticed' to 'dealing with record companies' and 'developing your own record label'.

The Musicians' Union, Meta Music and Radio One are just a few of the organisations offering advice and tips to bands and DJs on making it to the top of the music industry heap.

What next?

Mooz, Redefine, Madnomad, and Big Joan are just some of the names to look out for in the future.

The message is clear - there's a lot of talent in the city, get out and check it out. If crowds flock to the gigs, then it's going to be hard for record companies to ignore the artists.