Ahead of Next Wave – a new all-day festival at Bootleg Social built around the artists set to define the next few years of alternative music – promoter Milo McManus makes the case for why the North West’s next great music discovery shouldn’t need a train ticket.
I’ve always believed that experiencing something at the right moment can change you.
It might be a band you’ve never heard of playing in a room you’ve never been in. An artist whose work makes you stop and look at something differently. A meal you wouldn’t normally order. A conversation with a stranger. One of those completely unexpected nights that you don’t realise is going to matter until years later.
That’s why Next Wave matters to me.
In my role as promoter for Bootleg Social – Blackpool’s independent music venue – I’ve spent years going to gigs and new-music festivals including Left Of The Dial in Rotterdam, Supersonic Block Party in Paris and The Great Escape in Brighton and wanted to bring that same sense of discovery to Blackpool – giving audiences in the North West the chance to see some of the country’s most exciting new artists together in one intimate venue.
Next Wave is the culmination of that – a new all-day festival built around discovering the artists likely to shape the next few years of alternative music.
I think sometimes we forget how lucky we are to have culture happening on our doorstep.
We’ll happily get on a train to Manchester, spend £100 on tickets to an arena show to watch something on a screen, or go to an indie venue like YES for one of the great small gigs the city does so well, then spend another £20 on travel that will inevitably be delayed.
It’s about taking a chance on an artist you’ve never heard of. Finding something you didn’t know you were looking for.
But we won’t do it in our hometown. Why?
Why shouldn’t we want exactly the same thing here? Why shouldn’t Blackpool be somewhere people come to discover something new – somewhere you can find an artist before everyone else is talking about them, hear a band that might be playing much bigger rooms in a couple of years, eat something brilliant, see something that challenges you, meet people you wouldn’t normally meet?
And more importantly, why shouldn’t we, as people who live here, want those things for ourselves and our town?
I’ve had experiences through music and culture that have genuinely changed the direction of my life. I’ve discovered people, places, ideas and friendships simply because I decided to go through a door and see what was happening on the other side.
You never really know what you’re going to find. And that’s the exciting part.
Next Wave is my attempt at an answer. This all-day festival isn’t just about seeing a load of bands. It’s about taking a chance on an artist you’ve never heard of. Finding something you didn’t know you were looking for.
And maybe, years later, remembering that night and realising this was one of those nights – one you didn’t know would matter, until it did.
Next Wave is at Bootleg Social, 30 Topping Street, Blackpool, on Saturday 12 September, running from 3pm to 11pm, 18+.
The debut line-up brings together seven of the most talked-about names in UK alternative music: Adult DVD, TTSSFU, Silverwingkiller, Bathing Suits, Holly Head, Formal Sppeedwear and ladylike.
Tickets: £25 advance / £30 on the door, available via DICE (click here), Skiddle and SEE Tickets.
