Needless to say, very little of this happens without those who go out to listen.
In response to those who predictably enough say “nothing ever happens in Burton”, the town’s music scene – much like its pub culture – is proving that there is life left yet.
Live music can usually be heard somewhere in the town every day of the week. Not just at pubs and clubs but also at sporting venues (Burton Rugby Club is hosting another ‘Party on the Pitch’ on Saturday 19 September) and, when Sonic Boom Festival returns on Saturday 12 September, in the Market Place.
This year’s Sonic line-up sees acts from outside the town – including Pale Waves and The League of Rebelz – play alongside some of Burton’s best original artists, a good number of which are usually busying themselves adding to the world of recorded music (shout out to The Missing Diamonds for having had a particularly good spell on this front).
A load of original bands came together at the end of August for a Star & Garter Reunion at The Cross Keys in Tutbury, too, including Tilted Smile, Kitten Pyramid, Swift Flasby and Fatal Dose. Some of these groups, brought together for this reunion by Lavy Pcpromos, are best remembered for their performances when Burton’s music scene was spoken about more positively, and are helping now – more than a decade after the Wetmore Whistle closed its doors – to turn things back around.
There’s a really talented selection of local covers bands, too, that can be expected to pull decent crowds to their gigs, and are being chosen for big shows further afield – like WTFunk at Silverstone Woodlands this August. Plus a fairly enviable open mic culture.
And how lucky we are that the scene is so diverse – featuring not only the usual rock/indie/pop groups, but also jazz ensembles (the Burton Big Band, say, which performs at Henhurst Hill Social Club the third Wednesday of every month), DJs (including all-vinyl jockeys), classical guitarists (think Blue Yates) and even a folk troupe (likely to be found most Tuesdays, either at the Coopers or the Coppersmiths).
Needless to say, very little of this happens without those who go out to listen. Support when you can and Burton will stay on the up.