Sound City Ipswich is putting Suffolk on the music map by hosting a national music business conference complete with showcase free performances. We take a look at the line-up featuring both local and national performers
Sound City Ipswich is only one week away. Organisers are describing the event as a huge landmark conference and live performance showcase. Festival director Joe Bailey said: "Ipswich has never seen the likes of an all-day music festival and industry conference like this before. We're setting this milestone on the October 4."
The line-up includes names such as The Murder Capital, Novelist, Snapped Ankles, sir Was and W. H. Lung playing alongside local artists old and new including The Stupids, Gaffa Tape Sandy and Dingus Khan.
Caitlin Whittaker, festival organiser, added: "Emerging from Dublin 's post punk scene including Girl Band and Fontaines D.C. , The Murder Capital put an unexpected twist on a genre well established by the likes of Joy Division and co. It's going to be adrenaline-pumping and loud, so of course we're pretty hyped."
Novelist is a grime MC and producer from Lewisham, South East London and a 2018 Mercury Prize nominee will be taking part in the day's events. Caitlin said: "Being one of grime's foremost stars, and still going strong, Novelist is taking the genre to new and exciting places. We're thrilled to see what his next move will be."
The day will be a mix of conference discussions, talks and showcase performances. Joe Bailey said: "Let's be honest, October 4 is going to be a big day, filled to the brim with acts across Ipswich venues The Corn Exchange, outdoor venue The Cornhill, The Smokehouse and The Manor Ballroom. So if punters want to take a break between seeing acts, there'll be street food vendors catering to a wide range of culinary tastes, such as Mr Spicy (West Indies jerk chicken, curry, burgers), The Latin Table (burritos, quesadillas) and Mutha Vegan (organic plant based/vegan food, wood-fired pizza).
"Not to mention our conference, which covers talks including Going Back to the Roots: The Importance of Venues and the Local Music Scene (12-12:45pm), How to Release Your Music and Get Paid (1-1:45pm), In Conversation: Novelist (2-2:45pm), Solo, independent or Major: a Guide to the World of Record Labels (3-3:45pm), a Talk with Grammy Winning Engineer & Producer Adrian Bushby (4-4:45pm). All the talks will be hosted by Ipswich Film Theatre inside The Corn Exchange."
Throughout the day there will be free music on stage outside the town hall on the Cornhill. From 12.30pm until 4.30pm you can expect to see Leon O'Leary, Beth McCarthy, Paul Silve, Lili Casely, Gabby Rivers and Maya Law.
Based across the country including close by in Norwich , Access Creative College are famed for having taught stars like Ed Sheeran and Rita Ora. From 5pm onwards Richard Haugh and Angelle Joseph from BBC Music Introducing in Suffolk will be taking over the Cornhill stage and presenting a line-up of exciting new talent. Come down to see catchy noir pop from Eloïse, alt r&b from Conner Nunn, introspective rapper EL-Emcee, powerhouse alt rockers Ghosts of Men, and plenty of indie bangers from Swimsuit Competition.
Joe Bailey said: "It's fantastic to have BBC Introducing in Suffolk and Access Creative College involved in putting on a free live music event in the centre of town as part of Sound City Ipswich . There will loads of genres covered including rap, acoustic, rock, and indie . It should be great fun. We can't wait to flood the town with music and create a memorable day for all gig goers. Join us at The Cornhill and perhaps discover the next pop breakthrough."
Caitlin Whittaker, festival organiser, added: "We're really looking forward to the day! We've had such great feedback on the bands through our programming, branding, and for bringing such an exciting event to our town. We've had interest from all around the UK and can't wait to get started. We believe that the programme is exciting and eclectic and hopefully people will come away having discovered some really good music.
"We wouldn't be able to pull this off without help from our volunteers. Volunteers will be covering a variety of roles on the day, including artist liaison, stagehands, event stewards and runners. Sound City Ipswich is still looking for stewards, so if you're 16+ and interested in getting involved please write to the team at info@soundcityipswich.co.uk for further info."
Sound City Ipswich has been staged in partnership with Sound City Liverpool and Arts Council England and with support from Ipswich Borough Council.
Live music on The Cornhill runs on October 4 from 12.30-9pm and is free.
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