Why we love our BR

(That’s Bristol Rocks you Muppet, not British Rail).

This short article has been neither solicited or asked for. However, I know from my experience of working in child mental health that a little bit of encouragement goes a long way. And as the guys at Bristol Rocks have been tirelessly slaving over said website for a few years now I thought that it was high time that few words of encouragement and a good slap on the back were well over due.

So why do we love our Bristol Rocks? Well, for that one major reason really, it’s ours.

It is a site that seeks to find, promote and encourage the REAL music scene of this fair city of ours, and does it without prejudice and certainly without reward.

What do I mean by this? Well, Bristol is famous for it’s more, shall we say ‘intelligent’ music. Bands like ‘Massive Attack’ and ‘Portishead’ have gone a long way to putting Bristol on the map as a city that produces good music. These bands show that Bristol has educated, artistic and creative talents that run through it just as the River Avon right through the centre of the city itself. 

Much page space in the local media is given to this kind of intelligent talent as well as to the ever popular types of world music that emanates from the more New Age areas of the city. 

All good and worthy stuff. 

However, not so much copy space is given over the majority of the music that runs through Bristol’s veins. The covers bands, the tribute acts, the rock and indie bands, struggling folk singers and the school and youth club bands. The bands that play in the majority of the pubs and clubs throughout the area but that are not given any real accreditation because they are not deemed to be ‘serious musicians’ and their music is not seen to be revolutionary or ground breaking. 

It’s a bit like you’ll never see Indiana Jones or Spiderman winning at the Oscars. More preferred is the ‘Art house’, clever films that the critics salivate over as it suggests that because they get it and nobody else does then it makes them somehow more superior. And yet, it’s the summer blockbusters that everybody actually goes to see. 

And it is the same with our local music scene. What are the bands that the crowds flock to see on a Friday and Saturday night, yup, that’s right. Bands like ‘Whole Lotta Led’, ‘Hell’s Bells’, ‘The Counterfeit Stones’ and covers bands like ‘Flash Harry’, ‘Doreen Doreen’ and ‘The Big Time’. 

Bands like this rarely are given the time of day in the ‘serious’ press and yet Kevin and the rest of the crew at Bristol Rocks celebrate all kinds of music and shout loudly about the covers, the tributes, the originals as well as the struggling school boy (and girl) bands that are just taking their first faltering steps onto the local music scene even thought they can often barely play three chords together.

We love Bristol rocks because it supports and celebrates the music that the majority of people are actually listening to. 

It has also introduced a whole musical community together that otherwise would not pass the time of day let alone perform together. Bands, acts and singers that heard about each other for the first time on Bristol Rocks. 

It ALSO has gone a long way to introducing new venues to Bristol and quite a few fledgling promoters has found the Bristol Rocks web pages invaluable as a guide when booking their first round of bands. 

Kevin and the crew have never got too above themselves to help promote even the most insignificant event or local artist. 

From my own point it has also given local writers and photographers an opportunity to hone their talents and develop their craft. Several, including moi have then gone onto other things. And yet BR creates such feelings of loyalty that no matter how far we travel, the best and most interesting articles are always reserved for the BR editor in chief.  

So, on behalf of all of us that maintain that thankless task of the endless grind of promoting our music and playing to half empty pubs as well as full ones, I salute you Bristol Rocks. Thanks for sticking by us and long may it continue.