More old shit: The Mansfield rock scene [? - 2001]

Back In The Day: Vague Recollections of a Scene (last updated 17/3/2001 [comments added 11/1/19])

When I was too young to go to gigs and thought Marillion were a good band [I still think Marillion are a good band], Mansfield apparently had quite a thriving hardcore scene. Indeed, Intense Degree, Mansfield's premier hardcore band until thier split earlier this year [they have split and reformed many time- I gather a version toured in 2018], had recorded a Peel Session at around the same time as Napalm Death, and were signed to Earache. Try typing 'Intense Degree' into a search engine: you'll probably be able to find some of their stuff available to buy on the net! [there's a good chance this is still true]

The early nineties produced about a million bands who will never be heard of again. Flowering Heads almost got a record deal, but sadly managed to fuck it up somehow. Every New Dead Ghost's songwriter left, causing them to fall apart. The Kerrys were mildly popular in Mansfield in the mid-nineties. There was a band called The Jones's from Ollerton, who everyone seemed to think were shit (the old GYZA? Who knows?). Bandwagon Studios put out a CD in 1993 called '0623', named after the Mansfield area code (this was before BT put another '1' in there) which serves as a document of the old Mansfield scene. Sort of.

Delerium, later known as D-Elz, actually got signed to Roadrunner. an odd move, thought most, as Roadrunner are an extreme metal label. D-Elz were Shed 7 style indie. They got dropped and split up after releasing an album called 'Roadrunner'. Velvatone got quite far too before calling it a day.

Harveys (now part of '...and why not?' [could be owt by now, not been to Mansfield for a while]) used to hold a regular rock night, which was the hub of the music scene here for a while. Most people here over the age of 20 will probably be quite familier with the place. Former DJ Stopford currently works at the Co-op.

Getting into the later part of the decade, I actually know what I'm talking about. 1998: Wretch, Paradox, Red Bay, Esoteric: all these bands played what would soon be known as 'nu-metal'. None of them currently exist. Sutton's best band at the time were the actually rather good Abiotic, who produced of few demos and things before spliting at the end of 1999. Fumb Duck were rather funky too. Endorphin seem to appear and disappear at random, sounding completely different every time you see them. They have some tracks on 'www.peoplesound.com', I believe. [fuck knows if that's still a thing]

Getting very recent, we've seem to have quite a healthy scene developing once again. In Sutton, there's the quality noise that is Tinsletown Rebellion, the Deftones-esque nu-metal of Soul~Down and the hign octane pop-punk of Felony7. Half of indie veterans Miscast also live in Sutton. Woodhouse provides Iron Maiden loving Section 8, the constantly improving indie of Green (sadly now defunct) and the grungeypunky songs of Joshua's Tuma. Mansfield itself is currently in a state of limbo, with bands changing lineup all the time (RIP Scared Of Furniture). Digital Synapse and Undecided are currently flying the flag for the heavy end of things, but very few punk bands at the moment. A band called 2nd Face may soon be making an impact, and are currently writing emo-style punk material.

So where are we now? Well, the Town Mill holds a regular rock night on a Sunday, the Viaduct has become the rock hangout of choice since the closure of the Masons Arms [now a 'Spoons], and the Brown Cow has occasional bursts of noise. It's up to us to keep rock on the agenda here in the Mansfield area.