Local Music Scene

It would be fair to say that live music at Leicester University had until recent years taken something of a back seat in comparison to nights of cheap booze and cheesy music at the Student's Union.

Nowadays we are beginning to see the bigger acts like the Arctic Monkeys arrive and they have been a welcome addition. However, one thing had been missing.

Well at least until this time last year, when Emma Tebbs, Joe Turner, James Bradbury and Tim Holmes (the latter two are perhaps better know to BBC Leicester readers as The Timp and The Jimp) decided that there was a sizeable gap in the university's music scene where their own musical tastes lie and started the Leicester Band and Gig Society to fill that hole.  

A Demand for Music

Emma told me how, "We thought there wasn't enough live music events going on at the union last year" and when they had hosted a gig that year, "a lot of people turned up so we thought there was obviously a demand for live music at the union" which at this point in time was clearly being left untapped.

More often than not, the problem is getting students to discover or venture out to these places.

A taxi ride, bus journey or half hour walk into the city centre does not often appeal to Leicester University students.

As Joe told me, 'the Leicester scene is slightly apathetic and I know that I'm slightly apathetic within that scene'.

Stepping Stone

Curing that malaise was as Joe noted, 'one of the big things we can do as a society' by providing, 'kind of a stepping stone' between the University music scene and the city.  

The guys chatting between tracks

But fostering local links wasn't all they got up to. Aside from showcasing the bands in the society the group have also worked tirelessly to bring in larger acts such as experimental rock group, Cinemechanica and blues, metal outfit Pig Iron.

As well as showcasing the musical talent on offer at Leicester University the group have also helped foster and develop that creativity.

Numerous large scale jam sessions where society members could meet other musicians led to the formation of many new bands and a greater sense of community among the university's enormous collection of budding musicians.

"Blood, sweat and tears"

However, all this success hasn't come easily for the four of them. In Joe's words, 'blood, sweat and tears' go into staging a gig.

Having seen the pre-gig nerves of these guys first hand, I can tell you that they put an incredible amount of time, devotion and themselves into producing a great evening of entertainment.

James shows off his music collection

A lot of their efforts have been trial and error in attempting to get everything ready for the night and as Tim told me, it is often their most surreal efforts that have brought the greatest rewards.

When he asked some particularly enthusiastic gig goers where they had heard about the event they responded, ' oh, funny thing, I saw it on the back of a toilet door in the Ken Edwards building'.

Tim's guerrilla marketing techniques had paid off. It seems he had discovered the only place in the University where they don't tear posters down. 

Now with the end of the academic year approaching and student thoughts switching to holiday plans, summer internships, jobs and the grand finale of the Summer Ball, the Band and Gig Society are going to hold their last gig of the year.

A Charitable Side

However, in the spirit of student life, this couldn't just be about the music. The Band and Gig Society are also involved in fundraising through their live gigs.

The final gig of the year is on Tuesday 10 June 2008 at the Lounge in the Leicester University Union, running from 14:00 to 18:00.

The afternoon will feature familiar names to the student body such as Autohype and Inertia. More acoustic musical tastes will be satisfied by the ever strumming James Veater, while the slightly surreal will be covered by the debut of Sexy Kenny and the War Machine.  

It has been quite the debut year for the band and gig society, so why not come see how they end it?