Liverpool Sound City 2011: Bigger, Better, Fitter, More! But don’t just take our word for it. Sound City this year welcomed “the new breed of music business entrepreneurs” including Darkhollow / Shakenstir who “don’t play by the old rules – they don’t see any rules”. Listen to The Radio Special Sun 22nd: 8pm at www.calonfm.com .There was also room for older participants “who still do it for the love of it rather than seeing it as a spreadsheet” – such as Bella Union founder Simon Raymonde, who was in conversation with Midlake’s Eric Pulido in day two’s label keynote.

Pichilingi added that the aim of Sound City was to be “inspirational and motivational rather than educational, I am one of the older people and I have been going to these events for longer than you can imagine and I’m always bored. Our whole idea is that people shouldn’t be bored. If you want to learn something there are 1,000 books about how to make it in the music business. We are not there to educate people – schools do jobs like that,” he explained. “We want to make people walk out of the room and be inspired, thinking ‘We can do that.’”

Check The Pre-Event Shake ‘Soundcloud’ Special: Liverpool Sound City Special 2011 by krazyj

Another goal is to drive new business. The Sound City director flagged up two initiatives to this end: Doing The Business and The Perfect Pitch. The former involved 15 companies from the Liverpool region meeting up with 25 companies who will be attending Sound City; the latter sees five local technology companies pitching their ideas to attendees.

LSC - The UK’s Coolest Boutique Urban Festival: Already established as an epoch-breaking music, arts, cultural and multi-media extravaganza, LSC is rich in burgeoning new sounds and styles from home-grown local bands through to the most dynamic and fresh talent sourced from around the world. LSC is replete with the latest film premiers, art exhibitions and is a cultural celebration of the city’s heritage and the wider scope of the UK’s contemporary music scene, championing current innovators and mavericks whilst heralding the next generation of futurists and avant-garde play-makers. Featuring such a broad array of interest, from the commemorative John Peel World Cup through to daily conferences with legendary keynote speakers and special guests, Liverpool Sound City is the only festival which brilliantly combines the diversity, eclecticism and vibrant spirit of Great Britain’s creative scene. You don’t know the half of it.

Thursday 19th May: Shakenstir, North Rising & Battery Energy Drink Presented: Wales @ Sound City: The Krazyhouse, Wood st: 8pm - L8… We Are Animal, I Am Austin, Something Personal, Roseville Band, No Name Janes, Heal The Last Stand, Cal Roberts…

Also on elsewhere…
The View - Frank Turner - Steve Mason - The Whip - Yuck - Frankie and the Heartstrings - Wretch 32 - Pete & The Pirates - Dutch Uncles - Chain & The Gang - Wolf Gang - Dinosaur Pile Up - Handsome Furs - Trophy Wife - Ed Sheeran - The Sand Band - Flashguns - Veronica Falls - The Publicist - Winter Gloves - Delta Maid - The Rialto Burns - The Funeral Suits - The Draymin - Chad Valley - Polarsets - The Big House - The Red Suns - The Liberty Vessels - Jay Norton - Man Get Out - Dirty Goods - Rhodes - Revere - Rachel Sermanni - Dan Parsons - Kill It Kid - Said The Whale - The Liberty Vessels - Sunfields - Black Drawing Chalks - Rio - Dan Croll - Luke Fenlon - The Universal - In Flight Safety - Capac - Stone Street - Angel - Blue Saint - Z3RO - Wicked Whispers - Yo Video / Russo - Billie Van and Her Ranchands - Modern Faces - Bronto Skylift - Eat Dr Ape - Waines - Natalie McCool - Deep Sea Arcade - These Electric Lives - Duzheknew - Ragz - December Giant - Minion TV - Jimmy’s Parade

Friday 20th May
The Black Lips - Willy Mason - Miles Kane - Clinic - Young Knives - Cults - Kurt Vile & The Violators - Set Your Goals - Ed Sheeran - Three Trapped Tigers - Wave Machines - Kid British - Colourmusic - Sound Of Rum, Cloud Control - The Chapman Family, The Lines - The Rural Alberta Advantage - Forest Swords - Entrepreneurs - Monument Valley - Emmy The Great - Allie Moss - Mazes - Our Mountain - Zeus - Grimes - Fiction - Winter Gloves - Woodhands - Seekae - Let’s Buy Happiness - Vinyl Jacket - Cattle and Cane - Picture Book - Coloroma - The Suzukis - Dustland - The Oxygen Thieves - Holga - Simon Says No! - Hermanos Karateca - I am Harlequin - Outfit - Tigers That Talked - The Keys - El Toro! - The Loud - Bleeding Knees Club - Stealing Sheep - The Heebie Jeebies - Jun Tzu - In Casino Out - Owls* - Cold In Berlin - Moguls - Kill Van Kulls - Club Smith - We The Undersigned - White Bicycles The City Walls - Kaylide, Said the Whale - Dead Cities - Thomas J Speight - Jonas Alaska - Fieldhouse - Stealing Sheep

Saturday 21st May
Funeral Party - Cast - Mona - Sound Of Guns - Fucked Up - Spank Rock - Jamie xx - Philip Selway - Yasmin - The Phoenix Foundation - Lower Than Atlantis - Fly With Vampires - Young Legionnaire - SBTRKT – LIVE - Creep - Marques Toliver - Lanterns On The Lake - Alex Mills - Amanda Blank - Niki & The Dove - The Jezebels - Teeth - Hot Club de Paris - Mugstar - Django Django - The Good Natured - Fixers - Idiot Glee - Beat Connection - Mono Stereo - Tusq - Spark - Black Eyed Dog - Shadow Cabinet - Marina Gasolina - KOF - Dels - Indigo Children - My Spiral Arm - Cherri V - Janiece Myers - Hip Hop All Stars - Lioness - A Dot - Envy - Mz Bratt - Micky 9s - The Red Show - Anna Lena And The Orchids - Alessi’s Ark - Braids - FILMS - Prizes - Fuzzy Lights - Apple Cannon - Jazzhands - White Light - Battleships - The Straitlaces - The 1930s - The Beaus - Elephant Keys - Chatter Box

Hub Festival Line Up

21st May
THE BLACKOUT - MAYDAY PARADE (USA) - FRANCESQA - WE ARE THE IN CROWD (USA) - HAWK EYES - FINE YOUNG FIRECRACKERS - DECADE - DRIVEN OVERBOARD - DROP THE GIRL

22nd May
FUNERAL FOR A FRIEND - YOUNG GUNS - THE KING BLUES - WE ARE THE OCEAN - DON BROCO - FOR EYES - IN CASINO OUT - CANDIDATE 23 - BETTER LEFT ALONE

Keynote Speech! Mr Simon Raymonde, head honcho of Bella Union, mentor and guide to some of the finest bands around and man of impeccable taste in all things in conversation with Eric Pulido, shining light of Midlake - one of the crown jewels of the Bella Union roster - guitarist, vocalist, producer, manager and fair trade coffee mogul in waiting. Together, Simon and Eric were discussing the working mechanics and dynamics of band and label and all the ensuing trials and tribulations that can ensue.

The countdown is now truly as over 30 venues in the city were taken over by 300 bands from around the world, including some of the brightest stars, the hottest new talents and the next generation of melody makers all uniting for a music, arts and cultural showcase unlike any other. The sun is setting for the 4th Liverpool Sound City which again will shape the UK’s music manifesto; three days and nights of enrichment, excitement and discovery across the entire city. 

Scottish rockers The View, Clinic represent Liverpool. There’s a mouth-watering treat from Radiohead drummer Philip Selway too,  DJ Target, Yasmin. Liverpool’s own singing sensation, Delta Maid, American punkers Set Your Goals, Smoke Fairies’ Dinosaur Pile Up bursting with chugging guitars and exuberant pop-tinged choruses  Broken Records, whom NME likened to Scotland’s own Arcade Fire.  Ninja Tune’s experimental hip-hop star Dels. New York lo-fi 60’s revivalists Cults (USA) also stared alongside Indie-rock outfit Cloud Control (Australia). Disco-indie-rock-popper The Jezebels (Australia) Aussie soloist Dan Parsons whilst Grimes’ (Canada) ethereal and electronic pop reaches the places others fail to touch. Expect art-rock experimentalism from Braids (Canada), Brighton’s new-wave four-piece Flashguns, Mazes’ indie folk rock and psychedelic, Leeds based FILMS, The Good Natured and precocious hot talent Spark all star too at Liverpool Sound City