Sound City Ipswich Festival Will Return in Expanded Format

Sound City Ipswich returns on October 1 and 2, expanded into a two day format with five stages. It features a hand-picked array of upcoming and established bands, showcasing emerging regional talent alongside major touring acts.

"The first Sound City Ipswich was such a success in 2019 that we were all so disappointed when we had to take the festival online last year," Co-Director and programmer Marcus Neal said in a statement. "Now we're looking forward to building on that success and making 2021 bigger and better - as well as looking forward to 2022."

Bands and solo artists will be performing over the two days at the four indoor venues in addition to those at the free outdoor stage in the town centre.

"Our aim is to firmly re-establish Ipswich as a centre for live music," added Marcus. "We want to change people's perceptions of the town and continue to build audiences."

The line-up includes an impressive list of musical styles. Among the highlights are genre defying US songwriter BC Camplight and his band; Brighton's avant garde spiky, strange and uncompromising Mercury Award nominated Porridge Radio and the stylistic restlessness of 6Music darlings Working Men's Club. There's also the urgent, danceably deadpan no-wave sound of Billy Nomates, punk-grime fusion from Monster Florence, Bristol DJ/producer Grove, London rapper TrueMendous, Ghanaian singer and percussionist Falle Nioke; black feminist punks Big Joanie and Ipswich's own rap star Parris Robbo and many many more.

There are also many unsigned bands from around the country curated by BBC Music Introducing, Access Creative and Sound City Ipswich's Apply to Play scheme for which eight bands were chosen from almost 100 applicants.

The Friday also features a conference aimed at anyone considering entering the music business as well as those already involved. This will include seminars and workshops at which knowledgeable music business figures will be sharing their experience and prompting debate and discussion.

Amongst the topics to be covered will be sustaining a career in the music industry; where the pandemic, leaves gigs, tours and festivals; a look at the potentially very lucrative ways to license music to film, TV and games, and a discussion between musician and journalist John Robb and an established and experienced performer and musician, whose name will be revealed soon. The festival takes place in a variety of town centre venues including The Baths, a regular venue in the 60s and 70s but unused for music since. It was the scene of a legendary Led Zeppelin concert in 1971, days after the release of their fourth album.

For more information and ticket booking, click here.

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