A Different Kind Of Independence Day

By Adam Clery on July 6, 2010 in Music

Good morning. In less than an hour, aircraft from here will join others from around the world and you will be launching the largest aerial battle in the history of mankind.

‘Mankind’, that word should have new meaning for all of us today. We can’t be consumed by our petty differences anymore. We will be united in our common interests. Perhaps it’s fate that today is the Fourth of July, and you will once again be fighting for our freedom…

And should we win the day, the Fourth of July will no longer be known as an American holiday, but as the day the world declared in one voice: “We will not go quietly into the night!” We will not vanish without a fight! We’re going to live on! We’re going to survive! Today we celebrate RPM’s Independents Day!

Alright, so that was Bill Pullman’s speech from the end of movie Independence Day, but you get the idea. With the current dominance of the mainstream music industry, the popularity of file sharing websites and the sheer level of pants the public prefer to listen to, the humble independent record shops are facing a real struggle to survive.

So when we heard that RPM, Newcastle’s premier haunt for the discerning music fan, was having a day celebrating all things independent we happily headed down.

Five local bands, including the inventive Rainfalldown and the always entertaining Maybe Myrtle Turtle braved the random weather patterns to play to a crowd composed of hardened local-music fans and the occasional bemused passer-by.

Hosted outside in the courtyard between the store and the King George pub the bands helped create an impromptu festival atmosphere and with an in-store focus on independent artists, as well as free cups of tea and cookies, the day was always going to be a huge success.

Full line-up:

Rainfalldown
http://www.myspace.com/rainfalldown
Our Imaginary Friends
http://www.myspace.com/ourimaginaryfriends
Maybe Myrtle Tyrtle
http://www.myspace.com/maybemyrtletyrtle
Cult Image
http://www.myspace.com/ignoranceinthunorf
‘Im & ‘Im
http://www.myspace.com/imandim

[googleMap name="RPM Music" mousewheel="false"]4 Old George Yard, Newcastle Upon Tyne[/googleMap]

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