peeriebryan Posted January 21, 2006 Report Share Posted January 21, 2006 I'm interested in what people think about how the Shetland music industry utilises the internet. Do you think Shetland music has an effective web presence? Which websites are the most useful/useless? How should Shetland music should be promoted on the net in future? As a starting point, there are links to several Shetland music websites on the Web Links page Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted January 21, 2006 Report Share Posted January 21, 2006 The Shetland music development website looks like it hasn't been updated in years. There are a good few defunct artists on there! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peeriebryan Posted January 21, 2006 Author Report Share Posted January 21, 2006 The last entry on the news page was 2003! I heard on the grapevine that there's a new site on the way....... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wally jumblat Posted January 21, 2006 Report Share Posted January 21, 2006 Hi all, I can confirm that a new Shetland-Music.com site is on the way. It should be launched within the next month. Watch this space! Cheers for now Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gandhi Posted January 21, 2006 Report Share Posted January 21, 2006 Well Mr Jumblat, is this an arts trust venture or who is behind it? Will you be contacting artists for inclusion of details and material or will you be importing info from the old site? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Njugle Posted January 21, 2006 Report Share Posted January 21, 2006 Good point Gandhi. The old site would be pretty impressive, if comprehensive, and if updated, etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wally jumblat Posted January 21, 2006 Report Share Posted January 21, 2006 Hi again, Some of the info from the old site will be re-used, but a great deal of it is now too out of date so the Arts Trust is creating new content. One new feature will be a searchable database of Shetland musicians and bands. I think they will be inviting all musicians and bands to submit their details, but I'm not totally sure what is planned. Cheers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jim-jam Posted January 21, 2006 Report Share Posted January 21, 2006 Type 'shetland' and 'music' into Google and the top 3 results are 1. The woefully out of date Shetland Music Development site. 2. Shetland Music Distribution - literally an apology of a website for a now defunct company. No info, missing picture and one link to Veesik records, which also has no info. 3. CD Studios - Again, a poorly put together website for a long defunct business. This certainly doesn't give the impression of a healthy musical culture. Most people don't look past the first few search engine results so a casual visitor will get the impression of a dying music scene. And given the geographic barriers that the internet overcomes, I think the Shetland music industry is missing a big trick. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gandhi Posted January 21, 2006 Report Share Posted January 21, 2006 Is it fair to say that anyone typing "shetland music" into a search engine is likely to be searching for traditional shetland music? Trad shetland can be marketed succesfully under that banner as there is a definite market for it. Alternative music though, rock, pop, funk, whatever, is not really marketable under a shetland brand. It is just rock, pop, funk or whatever. Doesnt matter whether it came from Shetland or Sunderland, Bolton or Selkirk, it can only be marketed as rock, pop, funk or whatever. I think to make a breakthrough in these genres you realistically have to get out of the isles and trudge round the gig circuit like anyone else. Its not going to sell just because it was made in Shetland. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gandhi Posted January 21, 2006 Report Share Posted January 21, 2006 By the way Mr Jumblat, the Harry Hay demo on the Big Pockets site really cracked me up! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wally jumblat Posted January 21, 2006 Report Share Posted January 21, 2006 Thanks for the kind words Gandhi. If its OK with you, I plan to use your quote on posters and so on. Just imagine ... "The Harry Hay demo on the Big Pockets site really cracked me up!"- Gandhi If that doesn't pull the crowds in, I don't know what will! Cheers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gandhi Posted January 21, 2006 Report Share Posted January 21, 2006 Only too happy to help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Njugle Posted January 21, 2006 Report Share Posted January 21, 2006 "The Harry Hay demo on the Big Pockets site really cracked me up!"- GandhiOny chance o' elaborating on dat wan? I put a search on it and ended up surfing hugh cornwell..etc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gandhi Posted January 21, 2006 Report Share Posted January 21, 2006 Here is an example of Shetland music on the internet! http://www.thebigpockets.com/sounds Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peeriebryan Posted January 21, 2006 Author Report Share Posted January 21, 2006 Its not going to sell just because it was made in Shetland.I agree with that, but.... I think to make a breakthrough in these genres you realistically have to get out of the isles and trudge round the gig circuit like anyone else.Any kind of gimmick or novelty factor that makes a band/musician/label stand out is a good thing. I 'trudge round' the Glasgow area gig circuit in a funk band with another two Shetlanders and we use our island roots to our advantage. Unfortunately, its often the backward stereotype that people focus on, ie 'you grew up listening to funk in Shetland? I thought you all - played the fiddle/played the bagpipes/lived in caves/sang Gaelic worksongs/shagged your cousins' etc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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