Having only been at Exeter since September, something that has surprised me about it here is the blossoming music scene. As a fresher, people seem to naturally gravitate towards Timepiece and Fever for every night out, and while I have enjoyed many a great time in both of these places, there’s only so long I can tolerate listening and dancing to the likes of Taylor Swift and Katy Perry week in week out. While you will definitely catch me singing every single word to Icona Pop’s ‘I love it’ (feat. Charli XCX), my personal music taste is largely quite different.
My desperation to seek some musical nourishment other than those classic club anthems we all know too well, led me to Exeter Phoenix to watch a new band showcase on 24th January. To be frank, I went with relatively low expectations, previously having had some bad experiences at my local pubs on open mic nights. In reality, I had one of the best musical experiences I have had in Exeter so far! It reminded me how much I enjoy indie music, reignited my love of live music, and ended up being the antidote I seriously needed. It was joyful to be in a room full of people mutually appreciative of the sacred art of performing live and really cool to discover new artists as well. I have since been able to indulge my pleasure of going down niche rabbit holes on Spotify with a stand-out local band, WASABI and their new EP called ‘ENNUI’.
Following the success of the Phoenix, I found myself at Old Firehouse on 25th January to explore the university’s music scene a little more. There I saw The Retrospect, a new band that has only been together since they joined the university in September, although with the quality of their sound, you wouldn’t think it. They did some awesome crowd-pleasing covers ending in a spot of crowd surfing from bassist Joji. Next up were Sid Plus One, another band I had not yet heard of but quickly realised their funky sound was impossible not to move to. I can see how their fun and groovy debut single ‘Rat King’, which was only released that same day, will rapidly become a favourite for Exeter’s seasoned gig-goers. It had the whole room dancing and Sid’s ‘Ratatouille’-style rat king headband sure did turn some heads!
These two events fully cemented my desire to delve right into the music scene here in Exeter, as lacking in any real musical talent myself, I am forced to live vicariously. I scoured the various Instagram pages advertising local music and eventually found myself at Bomba on the 29th January for their ‘Love is Loud’ event raising money for the charities Equality Now and Malala Fund. I would have never thought of Bomba as a somewhere to look for live music shows, so this event definitely put it on the map for me. It was so great to see everyone show up in support of such great causes and enjoy some great music at the same time, demonstrating the power of music in uniting people. Although unfortunately I missed the first couple of bands who performed, those I did see, Kocapoli and Saff Juno, were excellent and I would highly recommend getting yourself to one of their gigs in future if you have the opportunity.
I felt then it was time to face the central hub of the indie music scene here in Exeter: the notorious Cavern Saturday. I finally made it on 1st February where I had the opportunity to see The Retrospect and Sid Plus One again, which I have come to expect as a great time. They were supporting Half Cut, a rock band with an impressive sound that represented everything I have been craving from the indie music world. Their debut single ‘Glass House’ only came out in September and sets the bar high for the future of their musical development.
Much to my excitement, this was rapidly followed by an indie club night, playing all those songs that I have been yearning for when stuck in the likes of TP and Fever night after night. What struck me whilst I was there, listening to one band after another, was the high quality of the music being produced in Exeter thanks to venues that allow these bands to experiment and find their sound and the community that has been constructed through close-knit societies like Campus Bands.
So, the scene is set for my musical adventures in Exeter! I think it is fair to say I may have found my new addiction. Watch this space for what I hope will follow is more indie music recommendations and exploration of the music on offer here in Exeter.
