Every so often, there seems to be a wave of glasgow bands who get signed at the same time. There's been a constant stream of Glasgow bands getting signed to the lately and there's another two (that I know of!) with offers on the table just now!

What makes all the labels head for one specific city like that (the bands from glasgow are fairly different when it comes to genre/target audience so it's not just one particular "scene" where all the bands involved get signed, like some of the past raids on cities, eg manchester's indie acts when oasis broke).

I guess now is a good time to be a glasgow band (and a UK band in general!)

Discuss....

It's the herd mentality.

I'd have said the same thing, but the bands seem to be fairly different sound wise.
Although, I suppose all the bands are sellable in their own way.

The tired old monster habits of major label A&R involves a thrashing hysteria of signings of anything that moves in a desperate last attempt to retain jobs.

...the Southerners would appear to be on the rise. I do suggest everyone continues to watch this space, I have that awful "I have answered the same questions, with the same answer feeling" for four hours.
It`s looking good, and one week until release date.

MK

er...themagiccarpet
frae glesga ..noch haha

Looks like Glasgow's "Glasvegas" have all but signed with Alan McGee's Poptones!

The question is who'll be next ... anyone fancy a small wager? There'll be at least two more before the end of April if my sources are correct!

Popup are one (on myspace as popup)

Saint Jude's Infirmary a good outside bet (also on myspace as well as www.saintjudesinfirmary.co.uk)

nm

nm

Popup merely sing in their own tongue. Should't be a big deal really if you think about it. LA / NY street slang, West Indian patwa (sp ?) down to Chas and Dave have all sold UK wide. But you are probably right.
David Hume once said that he was jealous of his pen because it could communicate in perfect English whilst his tongue could not. I am certainly not a Nationalist but I am glad that bands like Popup have got over the inferiority complex.
Open your ears.

nm

www.myspace.com/popuptheband

Apologies. My mistake. They may well sound Indonesian to your Southeren ears though....

LUCY owes a nod to Hey Baby and there IS a touch of The Proclaimers about it but overall it's pretty good.

I'd be more than a little surprised if Popup get signed to a major, jock, although it's quirky enough to do something.
I'm thinking Flying Matchstick Men & Trap Six will be the next couple to be snapped up.
Viva la Eccoss

Speaking of Glasgow:

"Glasgow is alright so I stayed one more night"


http://www.perryrose.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=33&Itemid=53&lang=fr


M

Like the site too but why is it in French?
Like the song; like the video; good tip!!

Ta for the kind words (I wrote the lyrics).

I don't know much about the site. Perry, like myself, is another Paddy on the loose. His career is in France, Belgium and Switzerland (with regular gigs in Germany and very occasionally the UK & Ireland). I suppose the label developed the part with the most hits first.

Or maybe they're just lazy.

Matchstick Men decide to stay with Sony (via One) after their one (hoho) off single deal went well.

My other prediction is looking good too!

Well here's some social commentary from a local which you may or may not agree with.

Glasgow, knife-crime capital of the world has an abundance of bands doing a kind of art-rock/ lo-fi/ angular/ quirky/ alternative thing. Not saying all of them fit that bracket, but that seems to be the case.

Amongst the musicians, there's a typically Scottish pseudo-working-class rejection of all things commercial, and if you want to be pretentious it has to be handled with a biting sense of irony. A general disrespect for self and environment abounds in the city, particularly amongst the younger generations. I think all these things combined tends to make the city a strong breeding ground for quirky and therefore "cool" bands. This is maybe what attracts the A&R bandwaggoners every so often, but unfortunately a lot of the music is impenetrable by the uninitiated southerners, and the phase passes for a while.

The recent superficial (and wasteful) city council campaign, "Glasgow, Scotland with Style" was lambasted on one glamorous billboard near Glasgow uni in a characteristically succinct expression of the earthy Glaswegian culture. A local miscreant decided what the poster needed was the addition of the words "nae mair pish".