Peter Primes Indie Week for YOU

1. Q) What do you get when you combine over 25 venues hosting well over 200 bands from around the globe, an adjudicated music competition and seminars running much of the gamut of the business of the music business?
2. A) You get “indie week”, my loyal reader. Let me tell you about it!

“Indie week” began as an independent music festival, based in Toronto. By dint of choosing good corporate sponsorship as well as plain old fashioned hard work selling the idea, building up an army of volunteers and opening up the festival to great music from around the world, “indie week” has thrived. In fact, it has expanded to the United Kingdom.

The “launch party” will be held on November 6th at The Revival Bar on College Street, and this, the 16th annual festival, will run until November 11th in Toronto, Ontario. (There is a Facebook Page giving more information about the launch party, which will feature 16 bands playing on two separate floors!)

The finals of the competition will be held on November 11th, at The Mod Club., with the doors opening at 6:00 P.M,.

In between those two nights, Toronto will be alive with the sound of music at over 20 locations. Since every venue will have a cover charge, I would suggest that you buy a wristband which will ease your access to the veritable cornucopia of music hitting the stage, everything from rock/country through folk, hip hop and punk and all the way back to rock. There’s some great music coming our way over the next two weeks.

Everyone will be a winner at “indie week”. Fans of indie music will hear bands from around the world, a veritable feast for the ears, a wellspring of new friends and memories that will last a lifetime. For my part,  and purely as a example, I remember once witnessing a Norwegian heavy metal band swing into “Dancing Queen” hallway through their set, a development as unexpected as it was refreshing!

Just a couple of notes to show attendees, by the way. For the most part, bands are competing to advance to the finals. Please don’t disturb them while they are setting up or performing. Don’t talk loudly while they are playing. Likewise, stay off your cell phone. Don’t stand in front of or bother the judges, as they are assessing the bands on a number of performance points.

Bands, you get to meet other musicians from around the world, and discuss the similarities and differences in your local music scenes. It can be a very enriching experience for you, as well as allowing you a chance to market your music on a wider scale and make some always useful new contacts.

For your part, if you’re competing, make sure that you are tuned up and ready to go on time. These evenings will be jam packed with music, and scheduling is necessarily tight. Above all, just get up there and have fun. As my late father used to say “There are no losers in competition”.

There will be bands from 18 different nations this year, including “Nomke”, a band from Israel.

This is a first for “indie week”. Currently working on a new album, “Nomke” has released several EPs and toured both in Israel and Italy. This band has an excellent Facebook presence, and a visit to their page would not go unrewarded. They will be playing a minimum of 3 shows during “indie week”, November 8th at The Paddock, November 9th at The Painted Lady and November 10th at The Cameron House. I hope to be able to meet up with them.

I have been battling with a sore throat, my faithful reader, as well as having trouble inserting videos, so this column will be a little briefer than normal. Let me close off by urging everyone who can to get out and see the great live indie music which will sweep across our fair city over the next while. Maybe I’ll see you there. (I’ll be the grumpy olde goat trying to cadge drink tickets 😉.)

See you soon.

=PJM=

A confirmed Cat person, Peter dabbled with being a water boy, a paper boy and an altar boy before finally settling on a career with the Canadian federal government.  Once, in his youth, he ate a Dutch  oven full of mashed potatoes to win a 5 cent bet with his beloved sister Mary’s boyfriend. (Of course he was much younger and a nickel went a lot farther!) He has retired to palatial “Chez Montreuil”, which he shares with his diabetic little buddy Reg the Cat. He is blessed to have his dear Lois in his life. He is not only a plastic aircraft modeller, but a proud “rivet counter”. Military aviation and live music are among other interests of his, and he tries to get out to as many shows as he can. He will be here for your enlightenment whenever the stars align. Profile photo courtesy of Pat Blythe, caricature courtesy of Peter Mossman.