When a city, town or area becomes known for a certain thing there must be as the saying goes’ something in the water.’
Sheffield, England is a prime example of this statement. The hilly town with industrial roots has historically been referred to as ‘the Steel City” due to manufacturing and exporting the product.
Sheffield did it to such a degree that they even provided some of the steel used to build the Brooklyn Bridge back in the day.
Now a progressive city that has been taken over by students that attend local universities, it’s important to note how the area’s progression has affected the tone of the music it has produced.
The Original Legends
Emotive soul rocker Joe Cocker was the first rockstar r to bring a number one song back home to the city. The powerful cover of The Beatles “With A Little Help From My Friends” punched his ticket to the first edition of the Woodstock Festival and provided us all with a legendary concert moment that will never be forgotten.
Watch: Joe Cocker At Woodstock
As the late 60’s gave way to the 70’s titans were formed that set up the foundation for what the city would be known for generations to come.
Hard rock staples Def Leppard formed in 1977 and quickly became a power-metal sensation that thrived on muscular riffs and huge hooks. As time wore on, the band turned its focus towards a slick radio friendly approach that made albums such as Hysteria immediate cash cows. The untimely passing of one of rock’s most underrated guitarists Steve Clark altered the unit creatively forever as without him, they have struggled to get back on track artistically.
And while the newly minted rockstars and Cocker were making their way around the world, there was a new sound bubbling in the underground that was the anti-thesis to what the area had offered up until that point.
Starting with the output of volatile noise merchants Cabaret Voltaire, the underground scene was rooted at the legendary venue The Black Swan.
Both names are infamous because without Cabaret Voltaire the world of electronic music would never have been shaped the way that it was.
And without the Black Swan, The Clash would have had to have found another stage to play their first gig.
The New Wave
New Wave pulled up in the 80’s as one of the most rebellious innovations in pop music. Fashionable to the point of drunk androgyny, soaked in synths and Linn Drum powered beats, the movement shook the world as the antidote to fading dinosaur acts of the previous era.
Sheffield was a major player in the scene churning out The Human League, its offshoot Heaven 17, ABC and The Thompson Twins.
The marquee venue of the day was the Crazy Daisy which not only bumped the tunes, but it served as the room where key players in the Human League met and created a lineup that is infamous to this day.
After the space underwent multiple name changes until it eventually closed its doors and morphed into a commercial location.
Next Bands Up
The dance scene took over in the 90’s, which left Sheffield somewhat on the ropes when it came to prominent new bands.
Only the CRIMINALLY underrated Longpigs which were taken under U2’s wings made much noise. The band which infused distorted melodies, dynamic alt rock and confrontational ballads was a gem in a time that was dominated by bands from the Pacific Northwest. Their debut has aged extremely well and is worth a listen.
Jarvis Cocker’s Pulp found international fame during the 90’s yet they set up shop as far back as the late 70’s.
At the turn of the century things began to heat up again and a diverse group of young bands formed. The Artic Monkeys brought their catchy bag if tunes out and simply took over the world.
The 2000’s coughed up 65daysofstatic which took influence of the electronics that dominated the area in the 90’s and traditional instrumentation. They were simply too powerful for words.
Little Man Tate was a huge player in the indie scene that fizzled out as their star seriously began to rise.
However, it’s metalcore that became the next thing that Sheffield helped to curate. Bring Me The Horizon and While She Sleeps.
And while multiple cities all over the globe have tossed in their fair share of metalcore titans, not very many if any at all have risen to the stature of BMTH.
So, Who Is Next?
There is still no shortage of bands coming out of the city. A personal favorite is the adrenaline -fueled Sheafs who have an extremely powerful single in “Care Less.” Granted the track is some of their older work, but this the beauty of finding new bands. Even their old shit feels like new shit.
Speaking of which, The Seamonsters appear to have gone inactive but “How To Be Famous” is such an incredible tune that sits alongside their other great songs that it would be pure insanity not to mention their contribution to the list of the area’s latest sonic art.
With the right push, The Seamonsters could have easily morphed into a modern-day version of The Go-Gos. Playful and colorful yet driven by a desire to write the type of technicolor hooks that stick to your brain like gum on the pavement of a summer day, this was a unit that really were ready to kill it internationally. Here’s to the hope that they resurface.
Another band that is making noise is the gritty Juno who with some polish have the potential to drop radio smashes on both sides of the pond.
The darker Feral Family will satisfy anyone that has a goth-inspired jones. Unlike many who dance under the moonlight, there is nothing corny about the Feral Family. In fact, their latest “This Side of Me” is catchy as fuck and smacks of the golden era of the late 80’s/early 90’s when this sound dominated left-of-the-dial radio everywhere.
And while Sheffield is certainly not the only one to consistently contribute to the evolution of music, it is indeed a city that rocks.
