The Bellshill Beat - Radio show

“Hey everybody, this is Dave Grohl from The Foo Fighters. You’re about to hear the best documentary the BBC has ever done on Radio 1, The Bellshill Beat.”

So begins a mini-documentary, presented by Steve McKenna and broadcast on Steve Lamaq’s show way back in 1998. LISTEN HERE

Grohl threatens to break into a giggle during his intro and humour is at the heart of this documentary. Bands from Lanarkshire have never taken themselves too seriously, as evidenced by some of the many soundbites sprinkled through the show, with Stuart Braithwaite from Mogwai in particularly fine fettle and Norman Blake from Teenage Fanclub joking about Phil Collins being a fan… 

Ah the bands! Many are name checked at the start; Belle & Sebastian, BMX Bandits, Teenage Fanclub, The Delgados, Superstar, The Yummy Fur, Mogwai, The Pastels, The Soup Dragons…

Not all of these bands are/were technically from Bellshill (or even Lanarkshire), but it is safe to say that Bellshill played a key role in the Scottish music scene.

‘There was never a scene and there never will be, it was just a co-incidence’

Sean Dickson, The Soup Dragons.

Dickson is probably true. It was always more about friendships and a genuine love of music, rather than creating a scene. The ‘original’ Bellshill Beat bands, fantasies and ideas certainly centred around a friendship between Duglas T Stewart (BMX Bandits), Sean Dickson (The Soup Dragons) and Norman Blake (Teenage Fanclub). The trio started releasing music in the mid-80’s and haven’t stopped, occasionally still getting together to play with Duglas in BMX Bandits.

The BMX Bandits family tree

Drawn by Duglas for the Serious Drugs documentary - this will need updated!

In addition to Bellshill, it should also be noted that Glasgow played a key influence in how these friends got to mix with like minded people, with the legendary Splash One club, Stephen Pastel and his seminal label 53rd and 3rd playing major roles.

Back to Bellshill though!

‘I think definitely, a lot of Lanarkshire is quite run down. A lot of the industry has gone.

It’s quite a depressed area in a lot of ways…

There is a need to escape … to escape in your own mind, to somewhere different, to an alternative place, and the rock n roll world is certainly a different place.’

Douglas T Stewart, BMX Bandits

‘Hi this is Norman from Teenage Fanclub.

All I can think of when I think of Lanarkshire is post industrial wasteland.

I grew up in Bellshill, it’s a pretty grim place, there’s not a lot going on there.’

Norman Blake, Teenage Fanclub

Norman and Duglas are sadly pretty accurate regarding Bellshill and Lanarkshire (certainly in relation to 1998 when this show was recorded). Thankfully both, like many others who have gone on to form bands, chose to channel frustrations and imaginations into creating music, drawing great inspiration from classic bands like Love, The Beach Boys, The Velvet Underground and Big Star.

“I think with all of those bands, the most important thing was melody and harmony.

It wasn’t so much musicianship, image or volume.

It was just who could one up the next person on making the sweetest possible melody.

Teenage Fanclub were shameless with some of their melodies and lyrics.

There’s only so many ways you can say ‘I love you’ so many times, but there just didn't seem to be a limit on any of that … and the song stuck in your head for f**king ever.” Dave Grohl.

Grohl hits the nail on the head. Think of the melodies of The Delgados All You Need Is Hate, Belle and Sebastian’s Judy And The Dream Of Horses, The Vaselines Son Of A Gun, Superstar’s Superstar and Teenage Fanclub’s Sparky’s Dream. The melodies, whether psychedelically tinged, or almost nursery rhyme like, are at the heart of everything.

And all of the bands in the documentary have an honesty about them and a punk DIY ethic that serves many of them well to this day. Melodies + honesty + dreams + DIY ethic + hard work … There is no magical formula, but all of these qualities could be applied to the Lanarkshire bands mentioned in the documentary. 

Towards the end of 2021 I blogged on Teenage Fanclub’s breakthrough album, Bandwagonesque, from 1991. A lot of people who are my age and above (mid 40’s) got into independent guitar music through this album and it is safe to say that a lot of people were inspired to go on and form their own bands … and labels.

‘Unashamedly I was a Teenage Fanclub acolyte.’ Stewart Henderson (left), The Delgados

The Delgados played a key role in what was to come in the second half of the 90’s, starting their own Chemikal Underground record label, proving you could do it your own way. Chemikal went on to release a steady stream of eclectic music, including; Mogwai, Arab Strap, BiS and De Rosa.

‘There’s hunners and hunners of brilliant bands have came out of Lanarkshire. My favourite Lanarkshire band is probably The Jesus and Mary Chain, even though William Reid is a wanker. But they’re not really, because I’ve decided my favourite band is actually The Yummy Fur from Blantyre cause they’re absolutely brilliant.’ Stuart Braithwaite, Mogwai. 

‘There’s just a lot of good bands from Lanarkshire, there’s not a scene. In Edinburgh they should stop the sale of musical instruments to the general public.’ Mogwai

The Bellshill Beat Radio 1 documentary is available on YouTube.

You’ll also find a BBC Scotland documentary by Duglas T Stewart under the same name - blog coming on that next month. But check part 1 & part 2

10 records by bands featured on The Bellshill Beat 

(with a few more mentioned for good measure)

1. E102 - BMX Bandits, 1986, 53rd & 3rd

So many people have been in BMX Bandits over the years. In that sense, they have to be considered one of the most influential Scottish bands of all time. So it’s kind of right that this list starts with their 1986 debut single. Ramshackle, loving pop music at its best. It showed others that they could do it. Dreams and fantasies could come true.

2 & 3. Son Of A Gun & Dying For It EP’s - The Vaselines, 1987 & 1988, 53rd & 3rd

Nirvana would cover 3-songs from these very limited release EP’s with Jesus Don’t Want Me For A Sunbeam, from Nirvana’s incredible MTV Unplugged performance really helping on the royalties front for a number of years.

4. I’m Free - The Soup Dragons, 1990, Big Life

Sean Dickson took The Soup Dragons to another level, largely thanks to their indie/dance second summer of love inspired take on The Stones I’m Free. They would follow up the Lovegod album that featured the hit single with 1992’s Hotwired that saw them play huge shows in America and tour the world thanks to songs like Divine Thing.

5. Bandwagonesque - Teenage Fanclub, 1991, Creation Records

A seminal album that Spin Magazine voted album of 1991 over the likes of Nevermind, Screamadelica, Out Of Time and Loveless. Humble as always, Teenage Fanclub were quick to point out that their friend Steven Daly, formerly of Orange Juice, was music editor of Spin at the time. Regardless, this album ages like a fine wine. Check my 30th anniversary blog HERE

6. Serious Drugs - BMX Bandits, 1992, Creation Records

Arguably the finest example of the original Bellshill Beat friendship circle working together. Written by Duglas T Stewart with friends Norman Blake and Joe McAlinden, this melodic, melancholic and reflective song is truly beautiful, with great depth. Blake sings on the released version.

7. Monica Webster/Brand New Car - The Delgados, 1995, Chemikal Underground

I was going to include The Delgados incredible album The Great Eastern, but this is arguably an even more important release - their debut single on their own label that would go on to release records by Arab Strap, BiS (who memorably appeared on Top of the Pops with Kandy Pop) and Mogwai among others. The Delgados learned from the likes of 53rd & 3rd and even Postcard Records before them - they didn’t need to go to London to find a label. They could start their own.

8 & 9. Tigermilk & If You’re Feeling Sinister - Belle & Sebastian, 1996, Electric Honey & Jeepster

Not really a Lanarkshire band, but they're mentioned on this documentary, so ...

Launching with an album on Stow College’s in-house label Electric Honey and then swiftly following it up with their first LP on Jeepster was a mere hint of how prolific Belle & Sebastian were. They would go on to release 3 EP’s the following year and then The Boy With The Arab Strap LP in 1998. They played on the tweeness that others had toyed with, creating their own scene leading to the legendary Bowlie Weekender in 1999 - the bands own festival.

10. Mogwai Young Team - Mogwai, 1997, Chemikal Underground

Mogwai were (and are) a kind of hilarious bunch of young upstarts making at times ferocious, at others euphoric and at others gorgeous music. They were certainly very different from anything else at the time and they still are - unique. They would wear Kappa tracksuits and make for fantastic press with the likes of the Blur: Are Shite t-shirts. Mogwai were quick learners, they would form their own label Rock Action and are fiercely independent - often booking their own shows/tours. Mogwai’s use of song titles to showcase their humour and politics remains to this day.

Teenage Fanclub Peel Sessions

You may have gathered that I'm a Teenage Fanclub fan. I'm particularly proud to be a member of the Teenage Fanclub Fanclub. An online community that becomes reality when the Fanclub play live. I've met some great people from the Teenage Fanclub forum and Teenage Fanclub Fanclub Facebook page over the years and had great fun.

Jeez how many times did I mention Fanclub in that first paragraph!

Someone recently posted a link to the Fanclub Peel session, a record I own on 12-inch but I haven't dug it out in a long, long time. I stuck my headphones on and was transported back to my youth. 

John Peel was a legendary DJ who gave airtime and live sessions to many an up and coming artist over decades at Radio 1. His endorsement carried huge weight and could catapult bands to record deals or add tens of thousands to sales figures.

In a pre-internet era there was so much more excitement about the release of a record, or catching it on radio or on TV to hear what it was like.  If it wasn't on the playlist then it might only be played once on Peel. So you could blink and miss it. Sometimes you took a punt on something just because you read a good review in the NME or Melody Maker - you couldn't search on bandcamp, soundcloud, YouTube or whatever. You had to hunt and you had to build an element of trust in labels, DJ's and journalists. 

The late great John Peel

Peel could certainly play some weird shit. But he also played some good shit, some interesting shit and some great shit. Most people trusted his taste and passion - they knew he would come up with the goods.

So back to the Fanclub Peel session. It was recorded on 28/08/90 and aired on 30/09/90, later released on a 12-inch by the marvellous Strange Fruit Records, a label formed by Peel and his friend Clive Selwood to release the incredible catalogue of sessions in the BBC archives.

TFC circa 1990

The warm guitars that usher in God Knows It's True are like a cuddle from your best friend and the  rhythms are spliced and spiced with delicious fuzzy riffs throughout. Much of the joy that this song offers comes from the fact that it sounds like the band are really into it, really feeling it. The Peel Session version is superior (in my opinion) to the original version - just listen to Brendan's ferocious drumming after the second chorus - is it a guitar solo or a drum solo? Its both combined and the Fannies make a gorgeous racket.

The Fanclub were prolific back in 1990; releasing several singles (including debut Everything Flows), debut LP A Catholic Education and they also released the God Knows It's True EP - essentially (for me) a double-a-side with So Far Gone for the 7-inch, padded out with a couple of crazier tunes more suited to The King LP.

So Far Gone is classic Gerry Love, the song bursts into life with Brendan O'Hare's drumming as furious as the duelling guitars.

Could you be the one, the one to turn me into something new?

And the chorus

So far gone, so far gone

I'd love to turn you on

It's a little over 3-minutes of flowing punky guitar pop brilliance. The energy on the Peel session is captured perfectly on vinyl for prosperity. Oh how I would have loved to have seen TFC back in August 1990. This is what they sounded like live - fun, ferocious and brilliant.

One of the beautiful things about the Peel Sessions EP is that it catches the band at an incredible moment - when they have just released their debut album and are brimming with confidence and songs - all written for Bandwagonesque, or for b-sides and EP's.

Alcoholiday is one of my all-time favourite Fanclub songs. The Peel session version again captures the glorious noise Blake, McGinley, Love and O'Hare could create. Driving guitars, furious drumming and innocent lyrics.

There are things I want to do

But I don't know if they will be with you

The Peel session version ends with the closing mantra fading out. I wonder how long they actually went on for in the session. Does an extended version exist anywhere?

All I know, is all I know

What I've done I'll leave behind me

I don't want my soul to find me

The EP closes with Long Hair, another of my all-time favourite Fanclub songs, tucked away on the b-side of The Concept. I just love the whole feel and flow to this Gerry Love number. The band fly through it, sounding super tight; rhythm, lead, bass and drums. It is a joy to listen to this EP again - I hope you enjoy it too.

I believe in everything I see

Why believe in everything you hear?

No Miracles - Galleries

Galleries debut album has been a long time coming, thankfully it has arrived and it has been worth the wait. They may have lost a little bit of the buzz that they had when they first arrived on the scene, picking up critical acclaim and daytime play on Radio 1, but they have delivered a brilliant album that is positively brimming with confidence.

I've put them on a couple of times over the years, as well as going to catch them at other shows and they have always been a pleasure to watch and listen to (and to meet). Lead singer David McAdam has a mesmerising voice that can reach notes that you wouldn't believe.

'Wilderness Song' opens proceedings, building with ease into a widescreen cinematic epic.

'Underground Overground' is a previous single, full of shimmering guitars and funky beats. McAdam uses the full astonishing range of his voice to lift the song to incredible heights, the music rising in tandem.

'Darkness Coming' has also been out before, but like 'Underground Overground' it has either been re-recorded or had a real studio polish. The band were full of talent and potential when they came on the DIY/unsigned scene in Glasgow, it is clear from this album that they have been hard at work over the last few years and the results are quite staggering.

We have nothing, use some imagination will you now?

A lengthy introduction leads us into '+Danger', the song threatens to explode for a while, yet the explosion is controlled - just. Galleries have the ability to hold back, to tease and to then let loose - in music and in voice. As I've already mentioned that this is widescreen, cinematic and epic. Add romantic, beautiful and dreamy to the mix as well.

The pace picks up with 'Great Comets (Of 1910)', a song with urgency from the off. There is a beautiful piano riff that underpins the explosion into the chorus. The lyrics are heart on the sleeve stuff, simple yet effective.

I really wish you wouldn't go

I really wish you wouldn't go-oh-oh

'Being Here' starts with synths that just sound ripe for a remix. McAdam's vocals are clear at times before being treated with effects.

I'm bleeding like it's all for nothing

There's nothing sweet about surrender

The production and programming are impeccable throughout the album and on 'Midnight Rush' it really comes together. There is space for the song to breath and again Galleries let the song soar and swoop with ease.

I can tell, I can tell, I can tell where this is going now

McAdam's voice backed by a lone piano start 'Love Diagram' before a real disco/electro groove kicks in and the pace picks up. The closing 1-minute and 25 seconds are excellent as things build, there is a brilliant synth riff going on and you just know the beat is going to kick in.

'Young Wounds' is a song that Galleries originally released as a single and it picked up daytime play on Radio 1 in the process. It is utterly beautiful. Unfortunately Galleries had their album launch on my wife's birthday so I couldn't attend, but this song is majestic live - as are the band.

I've got a feeling

Young wounds don't last forever

I recognise 'Born to Be Afraid' from live shows. The song structure is clever and bold. I'm kind of gushing about this album, hopefully that means that anyone reading this will check it out!

'No Miracles' closes the album. The song is slightly more stripped back, yet it still soars. McAdam is a very talented singer and songwriter and his mates back him superbly.

Don't dare ever let me go

You're the only face I want to know

So...quite an exceptional debut album from a young unsigned band. Check them out.

John Peel

Today is the anniversary of the death of John Peel, the legendary Radio 1 DJ, a man of the people, a man for the people.

Peel was a voice and an outlet for independent music of all kinds. He embraced bands that went on to be huge; Nirvana (with tracks from their sessions going on to be on Incesticide) and the White Stripes (for example) and he also loved more obscure bands like The Fall and it was through Peel that I got into The Misunderstood. They left their guitars feeding back during a Peel session and went outside for a smoke, picking up their guitars on return!

The Smiths and New Order are two other bands that benefitted from Peel's backing throughout their careers. Looking back through a list of Peel's Festive Fifty listings just makes me want to spend the weekend listening to music. Peel was the first DJ to play Joy Division, Bernard Sumner delivers a heartfelt thanks below.

As a kid I would listen to Peel's show semi-regularly. At times I would turn off, I didn't get some of the music he played. At other times I listened intently for sessions by PJ Harvey or enjoyed some obscure Jamacian dub record.

Peel Sessions were released on a tiny DIY label called Strange Fruit and I have many of them in my record collection. My favourite would be (not surprisingly) the Teenage Fanclub Peel Session. The guitar sounds are better than ever on 'God Knows It's True' and there is a fantastic version of 'Alcoholiday' (see below)

Peel gave independent Scottish music a national platform, one that has deteriorated rapidly since his death. Ally McCrae's weekly show is currently under threat and anyone that tunes into Radio 1 will realise who far downhill in terms of music. Peel could get something on to the A-list. Correct me if I am wrong but I think he was instrumental in Cornershop's 'Brimful of Asha' going to Radio 1's prime daytime playlist.

Ballboy, TFC, The Delgadoes, Mogwai, Arab Strap and Belle and Sebastian are a handful of bands that can thank Peel for a leg up in their careers. Check out some banter with John from his Christmas special with Belle and Sebastian below.

I also miss Peel on the Glastonbury coverage, somehow Fearne and Reggie don't seem to 'get it' in the way that Peel undoubtedly did. The Beeb used to cut to footage of Peel dancing in an obscure field to an obscure band with a smile on his face.

R.I.P John Peel

This was his favourite track, pure punk pop by The Undertones. 

Sonny Marvello - Tiny Little Sparks EP

I fell in love with the band Sonny Marvello from the very first time I saw them playing in Sloans Ballroom, coming across like early Blur. Since then the band have developed considerably and this is highlighted in their forthcoming release; the Tiny Little Sparks EP that will be released on Ignite Records on 3rd October.


The title track was debuted at King Tuts in February 2011, causing an immediate positive reaction amongst the crowd. It was then honed, toned and recorded in May. Later that month Craig McGee of Glasgow Music played the song on his slot with Ally McCrae on BBC Radio 1. Their own comments are below.

'I can see that (Tiny Little Sparks) in a festival field with people bouncing and bouncing.'

Ally McCrae, BBC Radio 1 Introducing, Detour

'Sonny Marvello's songwriting keeps getting stronger and stronger. Tiny Little Sparks is glorious, joyous pop with lots of catchy hooks and harmonies.'

Craig McGee, www.glasgowmusic.co.uk, Warner Chappell Scout

i have to agree. 'Tiny Little Sparks' takes in elements of some of the bands favourite artists. The piercing guitar riff is reminiscent of Coldplay, the instrumental break in the middle reminds me of Radiohead, the keyboards/synth riff at 2 mins 50 seconds is clearly influenced by The Who, as are the crashing guitar riffs that follow. The vocals soar effortlessly throughout, check the video below.

The remaining tracks on the EP are 'Young Offender' - a pure guitar pop number that screams Amercian College Radio, recorded with Kevin Harper of Little Eskimos in Stirling.

And this beautiful acoustic number; 'Fire Went Out', recorded in spring. This is one of my songs of the year, just heartfelt and gorgeous.

The EP ends with a Rocket Science remix of Tiny Little Sparks. This is as strong an EP as I have heard in a long, long time.

Tiny Little Sparks by Sonny Marvello

Sonny Marvello are busy working on their debut album, recording at Rocket Science studios in Glasgow with Ross Hamilton and Michael Bannister (Texas, Mogwai, Avril Lavigne..) 


It is coming together nicely and the band nailed a relatively new song 'Tiny Little Sparks' at the beginning of May. Within a couple of weeks it was being played on Radio 1 in Scotland, selected by Craig McGee (Glasgow Music/Warner Chappell) on the A&R zone on Ally McCrae's show.

I can see that (Tiny Little Sparks) in a festival field with people bouncing and bouncing.

Ally McCrae, BBC Radio 1 Introducing, Detour

Sonny Marvello's songwriting keeps getting stronger and stronger. Tiny Little Sparks is glorious, joyous pop with lots of catchy hooks and harmonies.

Craig McGee, www.glasgowmusic.co.uk, Warner Chappell Scout

It is HUUUUUGE. Elements of Coldplay, Radiohead and The Who are all merged together to create a song that is crying out to be blasted from stereos across the country.


More studio time is being scheduled for September, in the meantime plans are in place for a ltd single release of 'Tiny Little Sparks' in September/early October and gigs are in the process of being booked.


There will be a rather special announcement to be made by the band in the next week or so regarding the launch party in October.


In the meantime, enjoy the sounds of a band that are really pushing towards creating a rather special album. Check them out at www.sonnymarvello.net and listen to 'Tiny Little Sparks' at www.soundcloud.com/sonnymarvello

www.glasgowmusic.co.uk

Alcohol and Music - Sailor Jerry's present Pete & the Pirates

Alcohol and music pretty much go hand in hand, I’m sure that goes without saying for many of you reading this blog!

In recent years the drinks industry has recognised the significance of the live music audience and moved to ‘get in there’ (Scottish football fans expression) and ‘get about it’ (another one). This has been tried and tested on various different levels.

This week will see Sailor Jerry’s put on a night at Stereo with Pete and the Pirates, to tie in with Sailor Jerry Spiced, with the crowd invited to get ‘torn into’ (another good Scottish expression) a number of combinations including Sailor and Ginger and Sailor and Cola.

Amazingly, I have been getting some rather good hits/visits to my blogs since I started writing regularly and someone got in touch asking if I would go to this gig. As someone who was converted to the wonder of Sailor Jerry’s by Sonny Marvello, I immediately asked if there was any space on the bill for them, sadly there wasn’t but I fully intended to go along and sample the wares anyway.

Until I realised that this weekend is absolutely manic for me and I had completely forgotten that I’m going to see Roddy Hart and the Lonesome Fire at Oran Mor on Friday.

Anyway, it got me thinking about Drinks companies and their increasing forays into the live music market, in turn prompting this blog. So I’ll look at Sailor Jerry’s, but also Miller, Guinness and Carling who have all got involved in the music scene in Glasgow over the last few years.

Sailor Jerry’s

I first heard about Sailor Jerry’s at the wedding of Sonny Marvello’s singer Stephen to his lovely wife Hayley. I was fed up of beer and needed a spirit. Low and behold, Mick and Craig from the band produced Sailor Jerry’s and with simple mix of coke and ice I was back in the mood to party, suitably refreshed and recharged. They seem to be a drinks brand going quietly about their business and generating recommendations through word of mouth and some clever advertising.

Sailor Jerry’s are no stranger to live gigs; in recent times they have put on gigs by rising bands The Joy Formidable and Mystery Jets. So they clearly have someone with their ear to the ground in terms of rising bands, indeed Pete and the Pirates latest single ‘Come To The Bar’ has been deemed ‘hottest record in the world’ by Zane Lowe. So they may just have their ear to Radio 1 rather than the ground!

Pic by Stephen Guillock

So Pete and the Pirates headline Stereo on Friday 27^th May,tickets are a mere £5 with no booking fee and they are available from www.sailorjerry.co.uk You can also visit www.facebook.com/sailorjerry where you can win a signed guitar and there will be regular giveaways through the year.

“we can't wait to play Sailor Jerry Presents and we always have fun when in Glasgow so it's going to be a great show" - Pete and the Pirates

Norman “Sailor Jerry” Collins was the father of old-school American tattooing. Sailor Jerry preserves the legacy of Norman Collins and celebrates his old-school values of independence, hard work, and unyielding standards of craftsmanship. 


So there is a good link between independent up and coming bands who like to get out on tour and .....are good. It will be interesting to see how Sailor Jerry’s relationship with music develops. They seem to be ‘targetting’ a certain market and my own opinion is that they are choosing a good selection of bands and venues and Glasgow will naturally feature regularly given our love of live music and drink.

Pete and the Pirates seem to be a band on the rise, so with the mix of some Sailor Jerry’s and an excellent venue, this could be a good night. This is the first one I’ve heard about, so I look forward to seeing who they put on next.

Miller

My introduction to Alcohol Companies using the live music market to enhance and promote their brand was through Miller Genuine Draft and their series of monthly gigs in Glasgow and Edinburgh circa 2006-2007/8 (I lose track of time). The concept was simple – get two of the hottest and best bands around, get them in a cool venue, promote it well, make it free (you had to text) and get the beers in – Miller only though of course.

I went to a number of gigs at the Mill in both Glasgow and Edinburgh and two of the bands I went on to manage; Futuristic Retro Champions and Sonny Marvello, played at the nights they put on. So looking back I can assess them as a music fan, from a band/management perspective and in reflection on what they brought to the live music scene. I can also hazard a guess at what they got out of it. So I’ll do just that!

Music fan

The Mill gigs were weekly (yes that’s right – weekly) gigs in both Glasgow and Edinburgh. I think that not only highlights the number of bands in and around those cities, but also the quality. I recently met with the girl in charge of these nights and she wouldn’t put on any old crap, nor would the brand wish to be associated with terrible music. So as a music fan you had access to regular quality music in great venues – for free!

Band/Management

The Mill (Miller) promoted the sh*t out of these gigs with adverts in The Skinny, The List and on billboards throughout each city. So if you were an ‘out and about’ type of person, you really couldn’t miss the fact that they were on. This is a major plus point for bands, they knew that there was a very good chance indeed that they would be playing to people who had never seen them before in a great venue with a great sound system (several plus points).

To make things even better The Mill gigs were filmed at broadcast quality, a superb marketing tool for any aspiring band, something that would have cost them thousands. Check out the example below.

Sonny Marvello, 'Whispering Song' live at The Mill

They were also recorded through the mixing desk – yet another plus point, I’ve lost count already. Oh and the bands got a crate of beer each!

Music Scene

Miller brought a sense of excitement to the music scene, you would often hear ‘who is on at The Mill this week’ in conversations about what to do that week/night. They also brought a sense of trust – good bands, good venue, good sound system and all for FREE. They did of course have a huge budget in which to do this.

Miller

Miller must have spent a small fortune on the series of gigs. In actual fact I know they did, and it must have run easily into the high hundreds of thousands of pounds. So was it worth it? I’m going to say yes (I also hope it was as they deserve it). They got their brand out there, they did it over a sustained period ensuring raised levels of awareness, they got people talking about Miller and they certainly got people drinking Miller. Through the gigs they got direct access to their target market, there were questionnaires and research.

I would love them to do it again. I doubt Sailor Jerry's have the budget of Miller, but it would be worth a look at their model.

Carling

Carling were the former sponsors of the O2 Academy in Glasgow. This meant that their brand was promoted to hundreds of thousands of people through listings, tickets, adverts, promotions and through the actual sale of the lager in the venue.

So if Miller adopted a ‘hands on’ approach you can certainly say that Carlin were going in at a much higher level. Now I could only guess at how much Carling paid per year to sponsor the Academy. It must have been a fair whack.

Guinness

Going at things in a different manner (as you would half expect from the Irish) are Guinness who sponsored Snow Patrol’s Bellahouston Park show last year. I was up in Inverness for Rock Ness at the time, so I don’t know what extent they sponsored the show to, but I do know that the second stage for unsigned bands was sponsored by Guinness. Putting on a big show like Bellahouston costs a small fortune, so to have the backing of a major company like Guinness eases the burden. It probably kept the ticket price down by a good few pounds! I’m also sure Snow Patrol like their Guinness!

So to summarise

Well it isn’t rocket science. Alcohol companies can align their brand with cool bands, get direct access to cool people (yeah OK, we’re not all cool, more of their target audience) and research opinions. In a way I guess this is ‘direct marketing’, just in a clever roundabout way.

And bands get a boost in promotion and occasionally some money in their pocket, certainly a drink in their hand!

It would appear that if the drinks company do their job well, the bands put on a show and people turn up, then everyone is a winner..?