This year has been full of many things in the world of music. For me, personally, it has been a year of discovery, re-discovery and moments of reflection.
For most of the year, as per usual, I have been trying to get the peculiar mashups out of my head that shouldn't even have become an idea in the first place. My personal favourite, and most annoying, being a mashup between 'Joseph and His Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat' and 'Lady in Red'... or as my brain likes to call it 'Lady in Red and white and brown and blue and pink and black and green'...
But on a serious note, this year I have enjoyed being exposed to new genres, discovering new artists and re-kindling loves for old favourites.
Prince, Madonna and Billy Joel found their way back into my daily life, alongside Wham, Harry Styles and The Vamps. Salsa, Merengue, Mambo and Flamenco, to name a few, have become a large portion of my playlists and I have gained a real appreciation of such genres and the culture that comes with them. Although I discovered my love for these genres through exercise, they have so much more to offer and serve for me as a daily boost of energy. Similarly, The Last Shadow Puppets and Arcade Fire found their way into my playlists, while my love for bands such as Arctic Monkeys and Frank Carter and the Rattlesnakes continued to blossom... and there were surprises too, such as Ed Sheeran and Bring Me The Horizon's collaboration.
The local music scene continues to be one of my favourite things to explore, with lots of exciting new talent emerging, alongside more established local musicians continuing their ventures. Beyond Extinction embarked on their UK tour, Bilk (who I am still yet to see live...) announced their debut album to be released Feb 2023, Fraser Cattini has taken the North by storm with his band 'Hotel Iago', and The Trusted added another chapter to their musical development.
Moving in to the world of live music, I have sat in the small but mighty (and very tense) 'Pin Drop Sessions' for the likes of Fraser Cattini and Alex Adlington's solo gigs, to the O2 arena watching Royal Blood and The Amazons, and, of course, it would not be a yearly round up without mentioning the times I have seen The Trusted this year.
This year was also a year of musical milestones. The Vamps celebrated their 10 year anniversary, we lost musical legends such Meatloaf, Tom Parker, Olivia Newton John, Wilko Johnson and Taylor Hawkins, Catfish and the Bottlemen announced their split, and I have to acknowledge the loss of the original Professional Music Technology shop in Southend. For me, it was a place that held many happy memories, the place where I spent most of my Saturdays when I did work experience there a number of years ago, the place where I bought my first bass and the place where I made some wonderful friends for life.
And finally, a moment of reflection. The power of music continues to inspire me. Last night I was watching a live band and I looked around the room: I have seen different audiences come and go, their music style evolve and support acts change. But there is always a moment when 'old' tracks are played that it reminds me of a 13 year old girl who bought their first single for 69p on iTunes. Music has the power to hold memories, produce new ones, create new meanings and stories around just one song.
And with this power of music, this new year, I am looking forward to continue to forge new and happy memories to old favourites and new discoveries.
Happy and Healthy New Year everyone x