Music > Interviews
Ben Taylor promoter "This is Music"
05/05/24
Live music- an incredible opportunity for aspiring musicians to take to the stage for the first time and have access to a powerful platform which will allow them to connect further with the local music scene.
From gaining new listeners and reaching a wider audience, to meeting fellow musicians and potential promotors, the connections which are possible for aspiring musicians from a gig or festival are endless!
On the 16th June, ‘This Is Music’ will be bringing their incredible celebration of UK Guitar Music to The Brickmakers- ‘Feelin’ Supersonic’- in aid of Prostate Cancer UK. This week, I caught up with Ben Taylor, who is the Norwich Events Promoter for ‘This Is Music’, to give us a backstage pass to what incredible guitar music we can look forward to at their upcoming event next month!
What can we look forward to at ‘Feelin’ Supersonic’ (how did you choose who was to feature/ play)?
You can look forward to three stages of new UK indie guitar music , bands are travelling from across the whole of the UK to play , it will be a day of great music from midday till late .We also have food stalls to make sure you don't go hungry while enjoying the music . I chose the bands from my own scouting of bands through Instagram, Facebook, Spotify etc , I then approached a number of them to play , some couldn't make it but the fact I have 16 artists from outside Norwich it shows there is a lot of talent out there willing to come to Norwich.
The artists I chose also have a lot of influences from the 90s era of UK music , the madchester, shoegaze and Britpop scenes and i wanted to show that lineage is still there and should be something we celebrate. The history of that music goes further back than the 90s , from The Beatles, The Rolling Stones through to punk , new wave and the 80s greats such as the Smiths and Echo and the Bunnymen.
What inspired you to create this event?
I was inspired to create the event after travelling the country the previous 3 years watching bands and thinking how they need the opportunity to reach more people . I briefly put on a series of gigs at Voodoo daddy's last year in Norwich and from doing that I knew there was a number of bands who wanted to and were willing to travel to Norwich to play .The indie guitar scene is in dire need of more support of this kind and its getting harder for bands to get around the country to play. I wanted to do my bit to help these bands continue to thrive and hopefully survive .
What do you hope for it to achieve?
I hope the main thing we achieve with the event is to get these bands the attention I feel they deserve and get them some new fans . I also hope it makes an impact that starts to create more interest in Norwich in coming to see live music that you might not be familiar with as that is something that still needs improving. Also it's the reason I'm keeping it affordable to hopefully encourage people to take a chance on the event .
What inspired you to pick ‘Prostate Cancer UK’ as your chosen charity (and how important do you believe the work of this charity is)?
Prostate Cancer UK is close to my heart as I lost my dad to the disease in 2022 , from seeing his suffering towards the end and knowing how common it is becoming for men to get this form of cancer, any support I can give research in this disease I will .
Also by making it a charity event I also hope it will encourage people who might not have necessarily attended this event a reason to come along and perhaps become a fan of some bands playing, then everyone's a winner .
Your Acoustic stage features many local musicians, so how important do you believe it is to support the local music scene of Norwich?
I felt it was important to have some local talent on the bill , familiar faces will help draw people in and also its a chance for these artists to play with some acts who are establishing themselves nationally. It helps both artists . The local scene in Norwich is thriving at the moment with acts such as Pleasureinc. ,Floral image , Suds and Gabby Rivers selling out gigs regularly in the city . The idea of my event was to give artists from other cities a chance to play here as I'm sure the Norwich artists will agree , the chance to spread your wings is important in the progression of any band .
What do you love most about the UK Guitar music scene?
At the moment I love the fact its as healthy as its ever been, its just getting ignored by the national and mainstream media, hence the importance of events such as Feelin' Supersonic . You will often hear that Guitar Music is dead etc but it couldn't be further from the truth , it's alive and in rude health , it just needs more recognition . Its being made into an underground scene but it deserves its place at the table again .
Who has shaped the current UK Guitar music scene?
I would say with my event , it's the 90s greats such as the Stone Roses, Oasis, The Verve , The La's and The Charlatans who have shaped this scene , but I think the history of guitar music is still a perpetual influence , The Beatles, The Stones , Led Zeppelin, The Jam, The Smiths etc. I'm noticing a big influence from grunge in a lot of new young bands as well , Nirvana still are a big shaper of guitar music . Shoegaze is also a big influence on a number of new guitar acts . As I said before the UK has a history of producing great guitar bands and long may it continue .
How do you believe the UK Guitar music scene will develop/ change in the future?
I'm hoping events like Feelin' Supersonic will start to encourage an interest in guitar music again. I feel the scene is steadily making a comeback in people's consciousness. It just needs to be able Cross borders literally , as in the bands need a healthy network and gig circuit to be able to extend their reach from outside their hometowns and cities .
The loss of revenue from the effects of streaming has a had a knock on effect in bands being able to afford to tour etc . In the past bands would be signed and labels would pay for recordings and tours etc , it's not a common thing now so people really need to show their support by coming to these smaller gigs . Guitar music in itself is as healthy as its ever be , the talent is there and always will be . It will continue to develop as long as the support is there , that's the main thing .
What power do you believe live music holds?
From attending small gigs across the country , the past few years and hosting my own events , I've felt the buzz again of being close to a young band making its first steps and feeling the energy and excitement coming off the stage . Its great to see other people seeing a new band and being impressed , it feels validating . You can't beat the energy of a good live gig, it's a joyous experience .
Have you got any plans for any future events or gigs?
I hope off the back of this event I can continue to do gigs in the city and bring some exciting new acts to the city . I'm finding new bands every week that I'm excited about and I think we are in for a good time in terms of guitar music and live music in the next few years , so let's hope this is just the start of a new golden era .
To keep up to date with the work of ‘This Is Music’, then you can head to their Instagram (@thisismusicnorwich)!