The State of Play
Article by our very own Nigel Follett, appearing in ‘Love Saltash’ magazine, May 2019. Much is said about the decline of medium-sized music venues in and around Plymouth and it’s probably fair to say that it’s not a pretty picture, with seemingly every news report lamenting the impending demise of accessible and affordable gigs for the average music fan. Equally, you’d also think that ‘real music’ is in terminal decline and that we are all starving on a diet of force-fed, banal, studio-cooked gruel, dished out by popular broadcasters as a flavourless substitute for the glory days of classic rock. Except that much of it isn’t true and most of the above is a superficial view, concealing a brilliant, vibrant and creative force of young musicians and some great local music hotspots that are prepared to serve a rich bill of fare for the more discerning. One such venue has caught everyone by surprise in the Plymouth area, suddenly appearing on the touring circuit of some of the UK’s most pre-eminent Rock and Indy bands, as well as staging a healthy representation of some of the greats from the past few decades. It gets more interesting again when you understand…