This weeks featured columnist is Brooklyn J. Pakathi
I came across an inspirational facebook status (as one would on Facebook / Tumblr / Twitter)
but the status in question brought forward a relevant view on a topic many of us know and discuss all too well.
The Scene
This facebook user states that he’s tired of hearing about “the scene”, for what really is it and what does it hope to achieve?
I couldn’t help but firstly reflect over the music industry in recent years in South Africa and even more so in the deeper industries of underground music; specifically that of the hard rock and metal type.
In my mid teens the above mentioned industries or scenes as one would identify with were flourishing in numbers with a great many band and fan alike.
This “scene” would sustain itself within the more intimate confines of band supporters and promoters in which shows and music flowed like the draft beers supplied at these events.
This overall industry had subdivisions within itself categorised and identified by fashion, music styles, and essentially lifestyle choices but still umbrella-ed under this main house of hard rock / metal.
But as time drew on, there came a gradual decrease in attendance, a rapid increase in the death of bands, and the odd promoter who would dishonestly steal from the very bands view had promised to promote.
With such a hard and somewhat instantaneous impact followed what became known as the Death of the Scene.
(side note, I long before saw and felt this inevitability by leaving my metal band and pursuing a solo career in experimental art and sound)
The Scene Is Dead / Support Your Scene
Now this word “scene” is what gets to me.
Like the word Love in teen relationships, it’s thrown around loosely and without meaning. If we contextualize this word and the meaning it has been appropriated to, all it really is and is meant to be is passion and dedication.
Scene in essence is only but a word that holds so much weight, hovering on your screen or notepad asking why it’s been put under all this pressure.
Like a church without people, the scene is nothing without the fans, the bands, and more importantly the love and passion that steers the ship.
If anything I’m glad the scene is dead and I’m quite certain it’s relieved it is dead too.
We don’t need the scene when all we need is a fervent desire to uplift our musicians, an unquenchable thirst to go to shows, and a hunger to discover and continuously give life to the love innate within us for music.
Good amazing music that is ultimately tattooed on our hearts and engraved in our emotions.
We don’t need a scene.
We need what most of us already know, experience, and feel.
Love
