SCULPTING A SPHERE

BY MACCA

Stuck in lockdown with a blank Wordpress, Macca forged the community that would become Music Sphere. Image: Adam Macdonald

Think back to February 2020, and you may be able to picture it: Newcastle’s underground music scene was bubbling, and some incredible bookings were rolling in. You hear Four Tet has announced he is playing at World Headquarters, HAAi just played for Ape-X at Cosmic Ballroom. Harrison BDP just made his Newcastle debut at Cobalt Studios. For me, it felt like my music tastes were growing and starting to align with the bookings at the time. This was starting to reflect in my blog, Music Sphere, and I was ready to start showcasing it on Instagram. The initial plan was to write about Newcastle’s underground music scene through reviewing parties and showcasing local promoters. Come March and you can imagine why this didn’t go to plan.

When I first started writing blogs it felt like it was something I needed to get off my chest, itching to share my thoughts to world. The mass media’s take never resonated with me. Music reviews at times feel tasteless and lacked depth; I was writing what I wanted to read if I was searching for new tunes. The blog was rooted in a simple desire to showcase my favourite music with the hope that someone may enjoy reading it or felt connected to my taste.

Lockdown hit, and the plan to review parties and live music was regrettably scrapped. As the novelty of so much free time began to fade, I wanted to keep myself busy through continuing to channel my ideas and love of music into content. One of my first projects was ‘Slide in With…’, an unconventional interview feature where I would chat to up-and-coming artists via Instagram messages in the hope to catch someone’s boredom and perhaps some compelling thoughts that came with it. From there, the platform developed with any opportunity I could get my hands on with little to no cost. Soundcloud was popping off at the time so I began putting together podcasts and mixes, DIY in my bedroom - a concept which resonates heavily with Music Sphere. I couldn’t get opportunities, so I did it myself.

Image: Adam Macdonald

As lockdown was lifting and normality slowly returned, more eyes were on Music Sphere across Newcastle and beyond. With some heavy encouragement from a few key players in Newcastle’s scene, we tentatively started throwing parties, wary that we were still skint, new to the game, and that it was a risk. Music Sphere become a party by accident, and we’re so thankful for the push to become something relevant in Newcastle. Without Becky and Jack joining the Music Sphere team in 2021, I’m not sure I’d be writing about relevance at all.

Newcastle is isolated and lacks support from the wider UK scene. We don’t want to be bought by any big players in the industry, we just want our city to be celebrated and recognised for the incredible work going on here. As a DJ and promoter, I’ve experienced intense difficulty and frustration when trying to receive opportunities in the wider UK, as have many local friends. However, this has built resilience in the city and DIY is something everyone takes pride in. In my opinion, our voice as a scene post-pandemic has grown a lot louder, yet there is still so much work to do. We’re so close to other cities in that we are doing just as exciting and relevant things, yet so far from the UK’s representation of the ‘scene’. It’s absolutely a class ceiling, reflective of the North – South divide. Its unheard of for us to get media attention. A recent, rare Mixmag article about the scene sent everyone into a frenzy, would you get the same reaction in London?

Promoters have such a prominent role in local cultural attitudes, and they can really shape a lot of people’s music tastes, from people discovering new tunes to finding their next favourite DJ. I think promoters across the UK should be aware of that power and use it as a tool to programme a diverse range of artists and genres that bring value to their city. Newcastle has a lovely community and I feel as a scene we are good at hosting new and emerging talent, and it is evident across the board of underground music. I’m not here to criticise anyone, so generally listening to your audience is crucial when building a platform that feels inclusive. As promoters we are also key players in artist development. We should all be supporting emerging artists and using our platforms to showcase fresh talent in a meaningful way. If you’re not here to support the music, then why do it at all?

Diversity is a word that is chucked around a lot in music; in my opinion true diversity is authentic. We will never state that a line-up is diverse, or market nights off the back of it, but it is always heavily on our mind when programming events. We want the line-up to reflect the audience we hope to attract. That’s not saying we disagree with events who run, for example, entirely queer events, or entirely black events – these are important safe spaces. But that’s not where we came from and it would be disingenuous to do such a thing and then profit from it. Line ups that make sense feel more meaningful and add more cultural value.

Co-founder and resident Becky Woodcock. Image: @musicspherencl | Instagram

Macca’s Music Sphere is a party and online platform based in Newcastle, born from music blogs and a passion for all things underground. Get your tickets for their next party now.