Jonas & Jane Discuss: The Boileroom & UK Live Music

jonas and jane press shotWith Guildford venue the Boileroom facing the possibility of closure, TMMP caught up with folk duo Jonas & Jane to discuss the Boileroom and the state of the UK’s live music scene.

This interview is part of a larger TMMP feature which can be read in full here.

What is your general opinion of the Boileroom?

The Boileroom has been around for as long as we can remember. It’s a great venue and does so much in terms of supporting local up and coming artists and bands. Its family friendly atmosphere, coupled with fantastic music and food, always ensures you have a great night out. It really is a core part of the local community.

How did you feel when you heard about the Boileroom’s current problems?

It was quite a surprise. As musicians who have played at the Boileroom in the past and visit it frequently to see Read more…

Posted on 10 September 2014

Artists & Industry Discuss: The Boileroom & UK Live Music

boileroom bannerSometimes the old ways are the best.

Over the past fifteen years, the music world has been revolutionised by digital technology. There have been many positive developments facilitated by the Internet, from social media sites to digital music stores and crowdfunding platforms. Smart and savvy musicians now have access to a wealth of tools that previous generations could only dream of – but the physical world still holds the key to a thriving, successful career.

The ease with which a band can break through barriers previously manned by a handful of power-hungry gatekeepers represents the bright side of digital music – but there is also a widely recognised and heavily debated Read more…

Posted on 10 September 2014

UkeJam / The Nefarious Picaroons / The New Hawleans Jug Band [Live Review – The Boileroom, Guildford, 1/7/14]

guildford fringe 2014If one asks the average person on the street to picture an alternative music venue, each individual visualisation will be found to share certain commonalities with all of the others. The venue will definitely be hosting a band playing ear-splitting rock music; the audience will all be about 18 years old; and the general atmosphere will be hostile, obnoxious, and proudly antisocial. If one compares this imaginary alternative music venue to those that exist in real life, one will find that in many cases imagination and reality overlap with almost pinpoint accuracy.

If one compares the standard stereotype to The Boileroom, however, there will never be a 100% match. And on The Guildford Fringe Festival’s opening night, that percentage would be no greater than zero. Musically, skiffle and folk were as extreme as it got – and let’s be honest, you could only find skiffle scary if you’d just woken up from a century-long coma. The crowd was definitely old enough to be served alcohol without needing ID, and the atmosphere was one of merriment, a celebration of the charmingly eccentric; hence the unusually flamboyant verbiage that peppers this review. Read more…

Posted on 03 July 2014

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