After the amazing reception to our first ‘Scenes’ feature we move our attention from north to south to take a look at Bournemouth, recently voted Britain’s happiest place.  With a claim like that and a tip off from local ‘funkateers’ Otto that we might like what we found there, who could resist?

When most people think of Bournemouth they almost certainly think of piers, beach huts and of course beaches.  Hardly surprising if you consider that the town didn’t exist until it was created as a resort in the 1800’s.

Maybe it’s the sun or the lack of crime, possibly down to it being the first place in the country to install CCTV to monitor the streets, but it seems that the people of Bournemouth are just, well, nice. 

It’s probably fair to say that Bournemouth hasn’t really made its mark on the international musical map to date. Admittedly Richard Palmer-James, lyricist for 70’s prog rock group King Crimson and one of the founding members of Supertramp was born there, but other than that…

We’re pretty sure however that with the latest crop of talent we’ve found there this is about to change. The current

Bournemouth music scene is large, varied and vibrant and has fantastic support from a number of great organisations.  With a mix like that surely success is just round the corner.

One of the most intriguing and exciting aspects of the Bournemouth scene is the proliferation of funk bands there. Could it be the town that inspires happy sounds or the music that makes the town happy?   We can’t say but we have found the acts to be technically superb.

Another really interesting aspect is the town’s varied electronic scene. Experimental bands are significant in their numbers and make up a large proportion of the acts currently gigging in the area.

Rock and metal bands are also represented, and this scene, although small, is very diverse, showcasing many aspects of the genre.

The town also boasts a great crop of indie bands, again diverse in their interpretation of their style.

Another unusual but great aspect of Bournemouth’s music is the comedy scene.  Maybe it’s the pier?! 

All of this great music is supported by a number of key organisations who promote, help and develop the artists in Bournemouth. The Dorset Music Forum was established in order to promote the music of the area to a wider audience as well as establish links with the music industry both nationally and internationally. They run seminars for aspiring and established acts in the area to hone their skills and are also responsible for the annual Dorset Unsigned Music Awards (DUMA). This competition is well supported by local bands and 2009’s event is currently well underway.

The DUMA events are this year supported by another major player in the Bournemouth scene. ‘Devils Music’ is a promotional organisation that runs several events and open mic nights in the town. They are also passionate in their belief that people need to support their local music scene for it to thrive and survive, something we at Digitalgig applaud.

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