Best Cities With Great Music Scenes

[Division Monarchy]

Go back to twiddling knobs while pretending to be a musician, because that's all most computer "musicians" are.

But this is seriously curious to me. We just had a discussion about this topic in another thread.

So as a presumeably young person, who probably considers himself open towards new things (all that traveling around would indicate as much), you come to a forum of a music software(!) company and think it's somehow clever to call the musicianship of the present people in question, because they may "only" twiddle knobs.

What about twiddling guitar strings is so much more difficult, creative or musical, that you think it makes you somehow more of a musician than me for example?!

Granted, I might not be the best example, as what I do really is not music in the usual sense, but in any case I don't understand where this extra pride in you comes from of being a musician.

I mean I had to listen to some pretty terrible people on the guitare in my lifetime (not wrong, just bad!) and none of the current singer/songwriter revival appears overly creative to me.
What makes any of them better musicians?!
You know, I didn't choose not to play the guitare because I found it too difficult, but because the sounds it makes were not enough for me.
So I chose a more powerful instrument, the computer.
You wouldn't berate a drummer or tuba player for their choice of instrument, would you?!

Basically, I wonder how many today would consider themselves music makers in the days before DAWs. Like how many people would be singers today without autotune?

[Division Monarchy]

Overarching point for the OP being: there's always a bigger snob.

I'm a shameless music snob.

[TomViolenz]

Overarching point for the OP being: there's always a bigger snob.

I'm a shameless music snob.

Put a link in your signature, so we can see if you have any right to be

And I have no idea what autotune has to do with any of it...

[Division Monarchy]

Overarching point for the OP being: there's always a bigger snob.

I'm a shameless music snob.

Put a link in your signature, so we can see if you have any right to be

And I have no idea what autotune has to do with any of it...

Fair enough. I thought I did before, but apparently I did not. But music is subjective anyway, mine might suck to many. Haha

And I was using autotune as an example, in that there are more pop stars that would not be pop stars without it. I also have a personal grudge against it. Which is really my problem.

[tedlogan]

If everything falls apart for me in London, it's either Edinburgh or Berlin.

[Division Monarchy]

Hmm... I never thought about Edinburgh before. That might be a great option too.

[panten]

Edinburgh is a beautiful & vibrant city; I lived there for a number of years.

However, a good music scene it has not.


Glasgow has a much better music scene but it's a hard city, at least it was about 7 years ago. It has everything from your cheesiest guitar based singer songwriter thing to some real underground experimental Noise music.

I used to attend some of the Diskono nights at the 13th Note Cafe (sadly I think their club venue closed) and they left a lasting impression.

[ian_halsall]

London is cool - I love it here - originally from the North West of England between Liverpool and Manchester but I would never go back there.

I spent my whole adult life here.

Only real downside is that it is expensive - property and rent are ridiculous.

[Division Monarchy]

London is cool - I love it here - originally from the North West of England between Liverpool and Manchester but I would never go back there.

I spent my whole adult life here.

Only real downside is that it is expensive - property and rent are ridiculous.

I spent a few days in Manchester, I thought it seemed interesting especially considering many of my favorite bands came from there. It is another place I am contemplating. How would you rank the current music situation there as far as opportunities for a foreign musician? Or would you recommend London more in that regard, seeing as it is a more international city? I just wouldn't want to go someplace & feel like I'm intruding on a place where there is a sense of local pride.

I've heard Birmingham is OK too, but never been there. Right now, most arrows are pointing towards London, but I'm working my ass off to get the money to move somewhere, so I want to go to the right place for me because moving is not cheap, especially coming from the US & our dropping currency...

[ian_halsall]

age 16-21 I was going to Manchester quite a lot - but I think the scene is not what it used to be with New Order, Factory etc..

It's not so international and it's a small city (less than 1m).

London is huge - massive sprawling place with lots of "villages" - quite big places with their own distinct identity - Brixton, Camden, Islington, Shoreditch, Notting Hill, Clapham, West End, City.

All of these places are probably not that much smaller than Manchester!

It can be overwhelming moving here though - for the first year or so I just didn't get it - but after that - well now I will probably never leave.

[Division Monarchy]

I'm leaning more towards London because of the diversity. It does seem like it offers a lot more. It may be pricey, but sometimes we get what we pay for.

[beatz01]

Bristol.

Never lived there but liked this documentation that has a focus on the music scene there:

http://www.residentadvisor.net/feature.aspx?1360

Other options:

http://www.residentadvisor.net/features ... realscenes

[Division Monarchy]

Nice Beatz01! That's what I'm looking for! Bristol seems pretty dope. I'm def thinking that the UK is where it's at...

[cmcpress]

Berlin is dope. Depends who you know. Did you get involved with the Kreutzberg scene, or the Kompakt crew? Loads of great people and places to meet creative types if you go to the right places.

All cities are the same, London, Manchester, Toronto, Paris...

[cmcpress]

age 16-21 I was going to Manchester quite a lot - but I think the scene is not what it used to be with New Order, Factory etc..

It's not so international and it's a small city (less than 1m).

London is huge - massive sprawling place with lots of "villages" - quite big places with their own distinct identity - Brixton, Camden, Islington, Shoreditch, Notting Hill, Clapham, West End, City.

All of these places are probably not that much smaller than Manchester!

It can be overwhelming moving here though - for the first year or so I just didn't get it - but after that - well now I will probably never leave.

Yeah, Manchester was great beacuse it was small - everyone went to the same rehersal rooms / gig places so it was really easy to meet people - including some names like Rob Gretton (when he was alive), Mark E Smith and so on. The small size was it's greatest selling point - people were "mad fer it", and actually used to come to gigs regularly.

I always found the sheer size of London was it's biggest falling point. In london you get creative ghettos - used to be Shoreditch, then Mile End, then Newham, then Peckham.. etc. The place to be moves around. Also, people in London have a more standoffish attitude - more like "I'm here, entertain me" than "let's have it." Possibly because there's so much to see in London, why go to see an unknown band when you could xyz..

Bristol was good - no idea what it's like now.

IMHO Glasgow is where it's at right now. You've got the Optimo crew, loads of awesome bands. The place is relatively cheap to live, so attracts creative types. And it doesn't have the pretension of London.