There have been many blog posts and a positive flock of Tweets abount UnConvention Salford. Over the course of 3 days there was much to take in and talk about.
Just Press Play have a great round-up of the event and Lee Jarvis has posted several pieces and was a great contributor to the event. Andrew Dubber curated, and organised, one of the most rewarding panels of the event, ‘Thinking Outside of The Box’. This assembled several artists and labels together who operate in niche genres or obscure musics. Steve Lawson was an erudite and witty panel, and audience, member and the inclusion of an 18th Century pop chanteuse, a Sufi Muslim musician and a pair of experimentalists on this panel made it refreshingly diverse.
Dubber also made the viral hit of the weekend, an instant video for Merchandise’s track ‘Lies Like These’. Andrew gives his thoughts on the event and managed to grab a short chat with Martin Atkins. Martin, who after years with Public Image Limited, Killing Joke and Pigface, is rapidly becoming the voice of the DiY music culture. His straight talking, direct approach, is peppered with expletives and excellent advice for the X-Rated adventure that is being in a band. Anyone involved in music should read his Tour:Smart book – essential reading. I met up with Martin at SXSW and we became friends after he kicked a box of Blueberry Muffins into my face. This led to his appearance at UnConvention Salford and we are talking about getting him to Swansea to give his full Tour:Smart talk. If we can get him over that should be one not to miss.
Loved the two Salford Un-Conventions I’ve attended and may make an effort to get to the Swansea one, but wonder…will you be reaching out beyond the regular niches and communities of people to invite more roots-based labels into the mix of speakers? I noticed an entire gap in the last two conventions I’ve attended where – except for festivals – no one even had heard of you. The regional folk societies should know what you’re doing, I think, shouldn’t they, so they can broadcast it out to their membership?
I completely agree. Please engage with me to clarify your thoughts and I’ll do what I can to implement some of your ideas and spread the word about unconvention is some ‘unconventioanl’ areas.