- Event Reviews
Inside Skiddle & GigPig’s Inspired By Music event
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By Ryan Moss
- 25 Mar 2024
- 2 min read
“Be yourself, don’t copy anyone. Just do it the way you want to do it and in your own voice” declares Manchester’s cherished selector, author and activist, DJ Paulette, at the city’s esteemed live music venue, Band On The Wall.
Paulette’s advice, always delivered with magnetism, was just one of many gems spoken by her and three of Manchester’s brightest industry minds, Danny Fahey, Jemma Tanswell and Jonny Wharton. They each delivered a masterclass in navigating the industry to a crowd of enthusiastic, aspiring music professionals.
All this was in aid of Skiddle and GigPig’s latest industry event, Inspired By Music, designed to make the pathways of working in the music industry more accessible to the next generation.
The crowd heard how music and culture had been part of formative experiences for the panel, whether that be through buying records, attending underground parties or helping to bring club nights to life by working behind the scenes. Thirty Pound Gentleman’s Danny Fahey, a stalwart of British hip-hop, perhaps summed up the power of music by telling the crowd: “Without music, my life would be so different”. He went on to remark that the people he knew as a young person who didn’t make music their foundation went on to live very different lives.
Powerful stuff, indeed. As the talk progressed, we heard the panel discuss the importance of doing honest work and the landscape of the scene in Manchester. Danny credited the hunger of the scene up north, while Jemma credited the city with a sense of collaboration. It was a point ultimately solidified by Jonny, who said that the fact the whole panel had worked together was a testament to Manchester’s unified spirit.
After a short interlude, DJ Paulette treated the crowd to a history of Manchester’s queer legacy. She spoke about the power of 90s club night, Flesh, which delivered a safe space against sus laws and homophobia for LGBTQ+ people across the race and gender divide in one of the city’s biggest clubs.
That led to a discussion about intersectionality. Danny spoke about one of his first ever club nights. He could only put it on at 2am, and in the venue before him was an LGBTQ+ night and a punk night. The result? Hip-hop heads, punks and LGBTQ+ people converging in the same space, a shared understanding of the need for marginalised groups to support each other against discrimination.
As the talk wound down, the camaraderie in the room was palpable. Panel discussions can often sink into ego-massaging and grandstanding, but there was none of that here. Paulette, Danny, Jemma and Jonny each delivered their insights with equal parts care and realism. The power of collectivism, DIY culture and partnerships were recognised fully, balanced with the sense that if you want to succeed, you must get your head down and put in the hard yards. You got the feeling that they were invested fully in the future of the UK’s music scene.
And that camaraderie lasted into the night. Conversations were struck up, details were passed along. The historic Band On The Wall truly felt like a breeding ground for the next generation of music industry experts.
Watch this space for details of future Inspired By Music panel events coming to a city near you in 2024.
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