When Newport was the 'new Seattle'
Post categories: Archive,ÌýSouth Wales
| 10:44 UK time, Thursday, 15 October 2009
Fifteen
years ago, Newport was at the centre of a resurgence of Welsh indie
music as the world's press praised the likes of 60ft Dolls, Novocaine
and Dub War.
Our Welsh music history site takes a look back at the time, including a 1994 edition of Â鶹Éç Wales documentary series The Slate.
Our Welsh music history site takes a look back at the time, including a 1994 edition of Â鶹Éç Wales documentary series The Slate.
Adam Walton
Bethan Elfyn
James McLaren
Laura Sinnerton
Comment number 1.
At 15th Oct 2009, Joe wrote:This was the year before I moved to Wales, but I remember reading about it in the NME and hearing Lamacq et al talking about it. It was a funny time. I think after grunge and Britpop everyone was looking for the next big thing, which inevitably meant anything vaguely promising became overhyped and cursed.
That still happens, of course, but it's funny to see a whole city become the focus of attention, albeit briefly.
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Comment number 2.
At 15th Oct 2009, Adam Walton wrote:The whole 'New Seattle'-thing came about because A&R and the music media were obsessed with geography as much as genre. No wonder, really, when you consider the effect that Manchester, Seattle and Camden [hell, the Thames Valley!] had had on British music in preceding years.
One sign of the disintegration of the traditional music industry is that things are less geographically obsessed, these days [not as defined by A&R men throwing chequebooks around]... democratization brought about by the internet & the various Â鶹Éç Introducing shows might be helping, too.
Now, instead of geography forming the mould, seems to be more about gender and which 80's electro records you can rip off before anyone else.
60ft Dolls at In the City in 1995 is - still - so fresh in my mind. An amazing gig, Changed the way I thought about music, which - given the rather conservative nature of their albums - might surprise some. They were as close as I've ever got to the Stooges or the MC5. With a young Van Morrison [mostly] on vocals.
I wonder if anyone has a scan of Mike Cole's appearance in 19, or Jackie, or whatever it was. Hunk of the Month, or something. Hilarious.
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