It was the start of forever…

Posted on 26th Feb 07 by Contributor | 0

Artist: Oh Yeah"
Author: Scott Edgar

Oh Yeah

In 1977 Northern Ireland was ablaze with raw un"nurtured talent like Stiff Little Fingers and The Undertones. Young men were wielding guitars and hurling out memorable rock anthems while many of their contemporaries were on the streets where missiles and gunshots took the place of the music.

Thirty years later the violent tendencies of the nation have been all but subdued and there is a new wave of ambitious" talented and driven bright young things bursting into the pubs" clubs" on to local radio and TV. Northern Irish acts used to be considered big if they made it across to the mainland or had a minor hit in some bizarre eastern European city. Now it's a truly global affair. Iain Archer and Duke Special have the potential and the songs to be huge. Ash and Snow Patrol are taking America by storm and the Jane Bradfords have topped the charts in Qatar"

With so much going on you'd be forgiven for thinking there must be some sort of creative nucleus for "the scene"… a place where musicians can come together and the business side of the industry runs hand in hand with all that energy" vigour and the loud wail of distorted guitars. Until now the scene has been a disparate place with everyone doing his or her own thing. It's been a vicious circuit of DIY indie with no one really going anywhere without heading off to pastures new. Belfast has long needed somewhere built my musicians for musicians. Step up to the mic team Oh Yeah"

In December 2005 Snow Patrol's Gary Lightbody paid a visit to Belfast to help kick start a lengthy process which has been bubbling away beneath the surface of the Northern Irish music scene until now.

"What the Patrol would have given for the advice of professionals" the space to rehearse or cut demos" a place to hang out and listen to music and meet people that might one day change your life. What is needed is a nexus to focus musical energy into and to unite the Belfast music scene in a way that has been elusive until now. It is staggering how simple music is when you boil it down: people" together."

In August 2006 Gary paid a visit to the proposed location of the Oh Yeah headquarters in Gordon Street in Belfast's thriving Cathedral Quarter. By this stage in proceedings the project had received support from other musicians and influential others such as Radio One's Colin Murray and Tim Wheeler from Ash. The venue itself in an old whiskey warehouse spread over 14"500 square feet on three floors. Soon this vast empty space where the smell of malt still hangs in the air will be buzzing with musicians" promoters" performers" writers all making use of the rehearsal rooms" recording studio" performance space and suite of offices that will be available.

What makes Oh Yeah such a success so far is the enthusiasm and dedication of the team behind it. This isn't some glossy production solely relying on celebrity backing but rather the culmination of two years hard work from a team of real people with a passion for real music. Stuart Bailie is the former Assistant Editor of the New Musical Express" who has been presenting radio programmes for the BBC since 1999. Martin Neill is a multi"media professional and head of the web design business" No More Art. David Matchett has been involved in business and banking for the past ten years and shares the team"s passion for music.

Work has already begun on getting the building ready for the rock and roll antics of the next generation of Ash" Therapy" Snow Patrol and Divine Comedy. The renovation schedule has been described as "ambitious" and requires re"roofing" re"wiring and the installation of the performance space and recording studio. There's a long way for the project still to go and it will require some decent funding and a lot of hard work by volunteers who want to see Belfast's talented musicians given the opportunities they deserve.

With the backing of high profile celebrities and the support of many hardworking members of the local music and business communities Oh Yeah could be the start of something huge.

For more info" pics and opportunities to support the project please visit www.ohyeahbelfast.com