Sun, sea, and silence. That’s the usual format for our annual trip to visit our ex-pat / Cornish relatives. I say “silence”, there will be some catching up with new tunes on the iPod, plus a browse in the record shop (mainly to see what promos local journalists have been disposing of).
Until now, Falmouth has been a largely music-free zone. Aside from pub covers bands and the Princess Pavilion which regularly hosts chicken-in-a-basket tribute acts, the closest I’ve come was an admittedly fun ska band at the town’s annual gala week.
Of course, this isn’t unusual for a place of its size. My own hometown is similarly devoid of live music (aside from a massive festival in August which we’ll come to at a later date). But living 40 minutes away from Edinburgh and Glasgow, this isn’t a great problem. Falmouth – and Cornwall – are rather further removed from what we call the ‘live circuit’. Indeed, the missus would love to live here but for me the lack of a music scene for even one week is too much to bear.
To put it in perspective, a gig somewhere like Bristol or Bath would be the equivalent of my recent, torturous jaunt to Inverness.
Falmouth is many miles from Exeter – itself something of an outpost, though it’s the single carriageway that puts the hours onto the journey. But for the
musical aficionado, there’s little choice.
Until now, that is. Some brave entrepreneurs, perhaps buoyed by the town’s expanding student population, have opened a new venue, Mono. And they seem ambitious, with the expected local acts sharing the listings with the likes of The Blockheads – without Ian Dury of course, but still a big ticket,
financially high-risk show. Post-punk legends Wire are lined up for an autumn gig, while, fresh from Glastonbury and taking the stage roughly when our plane home departs, seminal (ahem) “punk-funk” combo The Pop Group.
However, it seems apt to road-test the new venue with some local talent. Firstly, local quartet Stone Roots launched their new EP to a busy audience of friends and family. Musically competent; sadly, their sound is exactly as their name suggests. The following night it was the turn of Brunel – straight outta Plymouth and full of all the suburban angst that implies, they are a big noise, literally. Serving a sweaty 100 or so at capacity, Mono’s PA is more than
adequate for the shouty post-hardcore foursome (and yes, I did forget to pack my earplugs as it happens).
It’s ironic in a way that the Cornish Mono shares its name with a Glasgow venue. Now part of a thriving cross-city ‘chain’ encompassing Stereo and The 78, the management cut its teeth on another veggie / vegan establishment, the 13th Note. Ups and downs ensued but the pulling power in a city of this size meant that a potential audience was waiting to be tapped – despite the recent enforced closure of another fixture, The Arches, the city sports many venues into their second decade.
Falmouth is another prospect – its 20,000 population offering little scope for fluctuations in the economy or fickle tastes. We can only hope that local music lovers embrace the place and appreciate the risk taken by the management here, and in similarly far-flung venues around the country. For those about to put their neck on the line for independent rock, we salute you.

Closer
An Electric Moment
(closerscotland.bandcamp.com)
In 2004, grunge had just about run out of steam – hardly surprising given that its figurehead died 10 years before. Despite this, many bands continued to fly the plaid flag, including Closer – three young,
enthusiastic musicians who released their debut album ‘Rules For A Normal Life’ to some minor acclaim. However, it’s taken them 10 years to force out the follow-up, and… you know what? Maybe it’s down to what’s come in the past decade – X Factor, autotune, manufactured pop and similarly cliched ‘indie’ bandwagon jumpers – but ‘An Electric Moment’ sounds surprisingly fresh – even if it is evoking the legacy of all things Seattle. To be fair, opener ‘EMSC’ channels the (also recently-reformed) Placebo, and ‘Seemless’ would fit nicely beside now-contemporaries Twin Atlantic, but in all Closer might be set to kick off the next grunge revival.
HHHH

(This piece originally appeared in various Scottish titles, though none south of Exeter)