Aberdeen is not renowned for its rock and roll credentials. A city of 250,000 people on the North East coast of Scotland, it will always be more famous for being the oil capitol of Europe and its under achieving football team (bar a few glory years in the mid 1980’s when they actually managed to challenge the old firm and win some silverware). Few rock and roll icons have managed to escape this beautiful place. Notable exceptions include Annie Lennox who hails from nearby Ellon (but apparently hates Aberdeen) and Shamen front man Colin Angus. Oh and not forgetting Dr Graham Garden who troubled the charts a few times in the 1970’s as part of comedy trio The Goodies!

The sad truth of the matter is that few bands manage to break away from the small but vibrant scene within the city. Getting gigs is not usually too difficult but breaking out is not so easy. For every happening Aberdeen band, there’s equally happening acts in Glasgow and Edinburgh, and promoters down there tend to put on local acts as there is more chance of them pulling a crowd. Having said that an increasing number of Aberdeen bands are beginning to get off their backsides and gig out with the city.

A number of local bands have made the trip out of Aberdeen, Hookers Green even made the heady heights of London. However special mention must go to Driveblind who are currently plying their trade in America and signed a deal with Capitol Records for a while! The Score have undertaken a number of UK tours including playing the famous Cavern Club on a number of occasions.

There are a number of pubs which put on bands but these are more recommended for new bands starting out. The Malt Mill and Moorings Bar all put on a variety of live music and will book artists of varying genres. Kef (formerly Lava) puts on a nice mix of touring and local bands. More and more local bands are getting to play the Lemon Tree either as part of a local band night or as tour support. Other venues such as Triple Kirks, Wild Boar, Ma Camerons, The Blue Lamp, Belmont Cinema and Revolution are occasionally used for gigs as well, especially during goNORTH.

Café Drummonds has re-established itself as a major live venue in the city and has played host to touring professionals such as Tom Hingley, Chas n Dave, the Sensational Alex Harvey Band, and the fantasticaly succesful Foyerlive shows. That mix shows the diversity of artists the venue is prepared to book. They also do cover bands and local band nights as well. Moshulu and Henry J Beans have also started putting on gigs recently including a performance by the legendary Thin Lizzy. On a bigger scale The Forum, Music Hall and Exhibition Centre all host gigs by major touring bands.

Aberdeen also has its own messageboards www.aberdeen-music.com and this website has become the essential tool for music enthusiasts in the area. Currently there are over 1 million visits every month! (it is free by the way) and is the place to find out what is going on in the city. There is often controversial debate about a wide range of issues and subjects.

www.aubl.net (Aberdeen Ultimate Band List) is another useful website as it features a list of bands in the area, links to websites, news and reviews. Fudge continue to be major players on the local scene through their fanzine and they regularly put on gigs at Moshulu and Doctor Drakes. Renaissance, Psychotic Kandy, Foyerlive, Underground Transmission and Unknown Pleasures are just some of the many independent gig/club nights that regularly go on in the city. There is no shortage of gigs and bands and a wide range of genres to suit all tastes from electronica to mellow acoustic meanderings to out and out rock to punk and beyond.

With Aberdeen musicians being the musical entrepeneurs that they are, more and more bands are doing it themselves. In these days of corporate suits signing acts on the basis of potential marketability rather than talent, or even good songs, there's fewer and fewer bands wasting their time with major labels. Instead they are realising that the best way to get their music out there is to do it on their own. Luckily One Up Records (which really is the centre of the Aberdeen Music Scene on Belmont Street) are stout supporters of all things local and will stock any do it yourself efforts. One Up Records is also the place to put up posters and flyers for gigs. Other record shops of note are Fopp and if its vinyl you're after Cavern Records is the place to go.

Both Cavern and One Up are situated on Belmont Street, the music centre of Aberdeen. Often musicians can be seen chatting outside the record shops or having a beer in Café Drummonds. Once beautifully described by DJ Vic Galloway as 'The Indie Broadway'. Cafe Drummonds, Kef, The Belmont Cinema, Wild Boar, Revolution and occasional Indie/Rock nightclub Triple Kirks are also located here.

The goNORTH festival has raised awareness for music in Aberdeen with its week long programme of events and showcase for local, established and up and coming bands. As has the Triptych Festival held over a weekend in April which focuses more on electronica and DJ events.

Sadly the media are still reluctant to fully support such a vibrant city. Local radio station Northsound axed its hour long programme dedicated to new and local music in February 2003 and there are no signs that it will return. Although the station have given some local acts the chance to play on a bigger stage at their Free At The Dee event, rubbing shoulders with the likes of Darius, Gareth Gates and The Sugarbabes. One interesting media development could be MEFM, a new community station which has had a couple of restricted license runs, running for a month a time. They have been very accommodating to giving local bands some airplay and have featured a wide and interesting selection of programming. It is hoped the station will get a full time license in the near future. The local newspaper The Evening Express runs a small weekly column previewing a local gig and The Press & Journal has run the occasional feature on a local band.

Another development is Fat Hippy Records who in their first year released 13 EP's and one album. The label is run by legendary local scene figure Captain Tom who also runs a rehearsal room and recording studio. Other rehearsal and recording places in the city are Exile and Foyer Music. Foyer Music runs a rehearsal room and recording studio room dedicated to helping and encouraging young bands and DJ's.

Generally, the standard of bands in Aberdeen is pretty strong. There are all kinds of people making a worthwhile racket from oil working professionals to kids just out of school. Some bands gig very regularly, others hardly at all. The list is endless, at last count there was well over 50 bands active in the city, many more when you count the surrounding area. If only one band could break out the city and hit the big time then maybe the city would be more recognized than it currently is.

Useful Aberdeen Contacts

By Del Franklin. November 2003