When music lovers think of ska, they may picture first-wave heroes such as Prince Buster, or The Skatalites, or the second wave from which the 2Tone Records label was born. However, the ska and punk fusion which was introduced to the world by the likes of The Specials has been re-produced on many occasions since the late 70’s.

With venues and artists under pressure after the budget announcement, Live at Leeds in the City was an important day for artists and fans to network in independent venues,  letting fans discover new bands in an exciting manner, and giving independent venues the chance to communicate what they can provide to avid and new gig-goers of Leeds. 

 On October 25th at X-Church in Gainsborough, Ghoul Night 2 took place. This free entry event featured an eclectic range of local bands and artists, complemented by the majestic backdrop of an old church. Filled with atmospheric lighting, spooky sounds, and haunting décor, Ghoul Night 2 was the event to attend for Halloween enjoyers.

Nestled in the heart of Lincoln at Decimal Place, 10 Burton Road, Weird Garden takes place. Hosted by Lucy and Gavin Morrow, this monthly event showcases live experimental music and sound art from a diverse range of performers. Decimal Place is a small venue characterised by its eccentricity, combining the cosiness of someone’s living room with the idiosyncrasy of an art exhibit; it’s like falling down a rabbit hole.

 Headlining on August 22nd at The Washington, Sheffield, Doncaster-based alternative rock band Binky gave another unforgettable performance. Supported by Asboface and Numbered Days, whose fast-paced, hard-hitting songs got the crowd eager for more, Binky’s enigmatic stage presence beckoned an exhilarating audience response.

 York based musician Petrol Hoers combines hardstyle electronic sound with absurdist humour. Initially starting as a Petrol Bastard tribute act, a techno punk band from Yorkshire, Petrol Hoers emerged in 2013, pioneering the digital horsecore genre.

Oasis rose to stardom in the year 1994 with their debut studio album ‘Definitely Maybe’. The original collective was made up of brothers Liam and Noel Gallagher as lead vocalists with additional members including guitarists Paul Authors and Paul McGuigan and drummer Tony McCraoll, all originating from Manchester. ‘Definitely Maybe’, included the catchy tunes ‘Live forever’ and ‘Supersonic’ which saw instant chart success in the UK becoming the fastest selling album in the UK (at the time of release). The band's second studio album ‘(What’s the Story) Morning Glory?’ Released in 1995 also saw similar chart success in the UK and US with songs such as ‘Wonderwall’, which debuted on the top 10 of the Billboard hot 100. 

Glasgow's Vanderlye is a recently formed alternative rock group with members from all over the city. Their latest single ‘This Plastic Ego’ was released Friday 3rd May, which they went on to perform at Saint Luke’s, one of Glasgow’s leading venues, supporting Mickey 9s the following night alongside LeisureLand on Saturday 4th May.

Oh Romance are an up and coming group hailing from Glasgow, Scotland. The band have kindly taken the time to speak with the mag in this exclusive interview! A special thank you to Oh Romance for taking the time to speak to The Music Mag.

It has to be said that ‘Windows’ is just absolutely spellbounding. It’s not often that you listen to new music, or discover a new artist, and find yourself in complete awe of how incredible what you’re hearing is… but it really does have that impact… the feeling that you’re listening to a future old school classic. With cadences of beautiful imagery emulated both sonically and lyrically, complimenting an amalgamation of incredibly talented artists and musicians, slotting together to share an emotive story as if they were perfectly fitting pieces of a puzzle.

Bambie Thug, also known as Bambie Ray Robinson, is a 31-year-old musician from County Cork. Identifying as non-binary, Thug uses they/them pronouns. They were initially trained as a ballerina, which shines through in the gentler portions of the “Doomsday Blue” choreography. At the beginning of their career, they reported being forced towards “bubblegum pop” by a talent agency. They swiftly ditched the latter, and found a team of people who “really believed” in Thug’s vision. 

Tuesday evening in Glasgow prepared a surprise for its inhabitants. In Nice N Sleazy bar there was a gig presenting 3 aspiring music bands. The evening featured new-born creative music bands Dazed & Confused, Lily Grace & The String Merchants, and Leaving Bordeaux. All three bands had their style and energies they craftily mastered and tuned into the hall.

FIZZ is an aptly named band; their music injects bubbling, joyful energy into not only the listeners, but into the artists themselves. Built up of adored indie artists Dodie Clark, Orla Gartland, Greta Isaac and Martin Luke Brown in 2023, FIZZ is a supergroup formed with the motto of “just having a laugh with friends.” 

The Music Mag recently interviewed Julia Adrian, a Nashville-based indie/pop singer-songwriter. Julia has released three singles to date, including "Taxi Light," "No I Do," and "The One Before The One", with more plans to release further projects soon.  She has already gained thousands of streams combined on these tracks. With these promising tracks, Julia is excited to expand her musical presence. In this interview, she discusses her musical career, inspirations, navigating the industry and future plans. 

Bristol can often be defined by its somewhat contradictory characteristics – vocalised and progressive politically, yet culturally dispassionate; extremely welcoming of outsiders and their ideas, yet no desire to attach itself to the herd; a blissfully ignorant oasis for the weed smokers, the conspiracy theorists and the part – time painters, yet come early evening, it descends into a vibrant and chaotic merry-go-round of debauchery; it’s politicians eager to propel the cities name into the limelight both nationally and internationally, whilst its inhabitants battle to preserve its uniqueness and creativity – something which has stirred tensions caused largely by gentrification for some time in the city. 

Rachel Knight, better known as Banshee, has an aesthetic and disposition that is completely at odds with her genre. But that’s not a bad thing. The Los Angeles musician is fully aware of the lack of correlation between her ethereal image and demonic sound. In fact, she leans into it entirely.

There is a fine line between an impersonation and tribute of a musician.  The first glimpse of artist impersonations dates back to the 1950s. The rise of performers such as the Beach Boys, Elvis and the Beatles found music lovers keen to show their appreciation. Many friendship groups would come together to entertain those around them and found it a popular hobby. Therefore, people began to see the potential for tribute artists to become a full-time career. With music being constantly rediscovered by generations, this paves the way for tribute acts to become a fundamental part of any musicians legacy.

Catfish lead vocalist and guitarist Matt Long was diagnosed with bowel cancer just over a year ago, and recent scans revealed that the cancer had spread to his liver and stomach lining. A series of concerts with all proceeds going to Matt’s treatment have just been announced.