Well it’s been an amazing year in the local music scene. Hometown talent has toured the world with Brian Vollmer and Helix having gone to Europe and then across Canada in this a their remarkable 40th year of playing as well as recording a killer LP “Bastard of The Blues”, Sarah Smith crossed the pond and not only recorded an amazing album “The Journey” in Germany but toured across Europe only to come back and do tours in the United States and across Canada with Ken Ross. Doug Varty is playing a New Years Eve gig in Bermuda and in 2015 will be in the States and Jamaica. Jason Mercer (Australia Tour) and Archie Gamble (Caribbean Tour) have dream gigs that any musician would crave as they tour exotic spots and get paid well for doing it – not to mention playing with crack calibre musicians along the way. Locally a raft of bands/artists released albums and are slowly but very surely building their fan base by doing so: Abandoned Souls, Damn Pigeonn, The Mojo , Racing the Low , AstoriaRocknRoll, NAIL, Opus Rex, PERSIST, Laura Rock, Denis Gauthier, Lucky Widmore, Kira Longeuay, Ken Ross and many more. The London Music Task Force was formed and came up with initiatives to help put London on the map for Music and events. While we lost some venues, they were replaced with new ones that are doing quite well, patrons are returning to the local live music scene and are talking about local live music a lot on social media and in person. Mainstay local music stores Bellones Music, The P.A. Shop, Sales & Rentals and Walters Music :: London are doing well as their customers have remained loyal to them or they have attracted new ones due to being able to give the customer that feeling that they are important when they enter their place of business. Venues are holding their own in spite of a draconian Liberal government that once more is trying to meddle in how they run their business. Open Mics and Open Jams are doing well as musicians are understanding the ever important networking aspect of them, and realize that they are a very vital tool to get the public to hear and see who they are – not to mention the sheer pleasure of just getting out and hanging with your peers. All in all 2014 was a watershed moment in local live music as the local scene seems to have found its footing and people are wanting to savor the immense talent that is available 7 nights a week be it showcases, Open Mics, intimate acoustic shows, Country, Rock, Indie, Metal shows – it is starting to rise from the ash’s. There is still a long way to go and there is area’s of SW Ontario that still are struggling with the local scene – but there is signs of hope and that’s what is important. As we head into 2015, Barb and I here at Allstage wish everyone the best for their families and the large network of amazing friends we have encountered this past year – there is much excitement in the air for the year ahead – and we look fwd to much better things to come for everyone. Thanks to all that make the local Live Music Scene such an amazing part of our lives for sure – be safe, look after each other and lets hope 2015 is even better for all.
Posted on: Tue, 30 Dec 2014 16:51:45 +0000
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