Music in Nottingham

Music in Nottingham
Fans of every kind of music can find recordings and performances of their favourite style in the city of Nottingham. There are record shops and venues devoted to traditional folk songs, vocal and choir music, chamber music and classical music, and much more. In recent decades, however, a thriving local music scene has nurtured local bands in modern rock and roll, pop, R&B and hip-hop music, and many sub-genres from punk to Goth to industrial. A good barometer of the local scene is the website and magazine run by LeftLion, self-proclaimed reviewers and promoters of Nottingham Culture. The folks at LeftLion also put on two band showcases every month, and sometimes bigger shows like the 2006 Drop In The Ocean show which raised money for Southeast Asia, as well as providing up-to-date events calendars for all of the local bands and venues:The largest performing spaces for big touring acts are the Nottingham Royal Concert Hall and the Nottingham Arena (a space which doubles as the National Ice Centre when not hosting concerts).

Both can hold thousands of people, and have been the site of some of the biggest shows in the Nottinghamshire region.For local music, though, Rock City and its sisters are the backbone of the Nottingham music scene. Rock City has hosted many big names from outside the city, and almost all of the best local bands as well, either in the main club or one of its smaller sister clubs, The Rescue Rooms, The Social, and Stealth.Rock City, founded in 1982, has a large (and recently refurbished) Main Room with an elevated stage, bars at the sides and a big balcony at the back, which has been the venue of choice for a huge number of Nottingham performers. Two smaller rooms downstairs are called The Rig and The Basement.

The Rig is mainly an area for socializing, but The Basement has a small stage and seats, with a great little sound system. In the last year, the club has hosted performers such as Simple Minds, Staind, Pitchshifter, Less Than Jake, Killing Joke, Towers Of London, Panic! At the Disco, Sisters of Mercy, Jason Mraz, Echo and the Bunnymen, Deftones, Lost Prophets, and, of course, a host of unsigned hopefuls and tribute bands.