The Isle of Music

by Elton Bear

Just off the south coast of England lies a small rock. Little more than 20 miles long and only 5 miles wide, it boasts beautiful scenery, idyllic villages and enough tacky attractions to keep the tourists amused.
Most people in 'The Real World' think that the Isle of Wight is merely an unimportant landmass, stuck twenty years behind anywhere else in the U.K. but they’re wrong. Amongst the farms, villages, tourist attractions and retirement homes lurks a wealth of diversity in the Island’s youth. Within this part of the Island's demography can be found sports enthusiasts, budding actors and actresses and a wide range of other talents, including a hugely diverse youth music scene. In Church Halls, Community Centres, Social Clubs and Scout Huts all over the Island, teenagers are planning and executing Do-It-Yourself gigs, showcasing the amazing talent of all the Island’s bands. The variety of musical styles to be found in such a small scene is truly incredible. Many genres are being exposed to the county’s teenagers including punk, in the form of Broken Boneless, No Definition, four Man Riot, and more. Emo in the form of Never Been Found and Roadsidehopescene. Metal from Heterodox and good old Rock ‘n’ Roll from bands like Rattlesnake. Not forgetting SKA from Vectis 23 and Mista Mushroom and the Experimental styles of Jupiter Sands and Deepcut Enquiry, to name but a few. The scene consists of members in numerous sub-groups, mainly:

1. A core of around 100 kids, the same people who attend every single gig and event, giving each one a sense of community and unison; standing as one to support the scene and keep live music active.

2. A secondary group of campaigners, about 3-400 strong, supporting specific bands or just going to see a gig once in a while.

3. An ever-growing group of 'newbies' bringing fresh faces to the scene all the time.

Members of the regular, accepted face, and the newbie categories keep the turnout of DIY gigs constant, at around 150-200 teenagers. Many of the Island’s older bands have since stepped out onto the mainland gigging scene, including Kody; Day of the Fight; Awkward Silence; Capo Regime and, more recently, Preacher Joe; Mista Mushroom; Creamer and the Warblers and more. Fresh talent is constantly emerging on the island and island bands really don't deserve to be dismissed and forgotten, as they often are, but rather given more of a chance to break the mainland and move on to better things.

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