Nurturing music talent in Norwich

By Jacqui Burgoyne
BBC Norfolk

Le Tetsuo regularly play at Howlback Hum nights in Norwich

Shane O'Connor, who performs under the solo name Olinski, is perhaps better known as the mind behind Norfolk promoters Howlback Hum.

Those two words, when at the top of a flyer, mean eclectic experiments. They are also a sign of quality music, if not necessarily of a 9-5 style.

This is the man that is mentor to the freshest and rawest talent on the Norwich music scene.

Howlback Hum came to life in 1999.

"It was a time when Norwich wasn't a happening place. The Wilde Club had stopped. Fat Pauly's had shut. The Norwich Arts Centre closed for a year for refurbishment," said Shane.

"I was in a band at the time - Yellow Alert - my friends were in Motel - two top bands at the time, so I put a couple of gigs on at The Norwich Playhouse for us and other acts.

"I wasn't expecting to do it again, but they were a success, so I was asked back to The Playhouse to carry on," he added.

Back to life

Norwich's live music circuit came back to life like a phoenix from the ashes, with Wombat Wombat starting up a few months after.

"A lot of the stuff going on now, such as Something Good and Milkbar, came about because of me continually putting things on. It's an organic process that just grows, snowballs," said Shane.

"You meet people. For the first two gigs I knew who I wanted to put on. From then on it's just latching onto anyone or anything...

"I think 'I'll give them a gig'. Some people only get to play once - it's not my thing. It's all friendly, I make lots of friends and acquaintances."

Sam James Hill is one artist that has been spotted by Shane

Now, in 2009, Norwich is on NME's Future 50 list of the musically influential. As Shane said, Norwich is a fertile ground.

"Every year we've got Norwich people in bands - we've got 'arts school' and 'uni' people in bands and the PhD Arts School of Music [at the University of East Anglia] to choose from," said Shane.

"The 'uni' ones split and then a band finishes that shows promise, but to me, doomed to stay in my home town, the music goes on. It's not about success," he added.

Expose

Shane aims to expose his audiences to music they would not normally listen to.

"A typical Howlback Hum night is an eclectic mix. With other promoters, bands tend to cluster together. When I choose the line-ups I see it as like a DJ. I put a lot of thought into the acts. I purposely mix it up," he said.

"One of our bands is Horses Brawl who do their own original adaptations of old [medieval] songs. They've appeared on Radio 3.

"See we do stuff like that - we play a band that can be on Radio 3 and then, for example, we have Balaclava Kid and Dad [who describe themselves as 'Superturbofuzzrock']. The bands are not being stereotyped and that's how they meet someone new," he added.

Since starting out at the Norwich Playhouse, Howlback Hum nights have been housed at many different locations, struggling to find a home for their sound.

"We used to put on very loud music. The Playhouse had to play it safe and I've had to find other venues," said Shane.

Shane has housed Howlback Hum at a number of venues in Norwich

"The pubs are a bit funny. King Edward VII is a good venue but it's a rocker pub. Take 5 is good, I used to play there in 1985. I knew I'd end up back there, and the bar staff are quite up for it.

"I consider the Norwich Arts Centre home now. It's the right environment, but we're still struggling at the moment because of noise levels - it's in a bar; people want to talk.

"The band turns up with a big amp, but they can't turn it up because I have to keep the venues happy," he added.

In response to this, Shane has set up what he calls the 'Low-Volume (or lo-vol) Eclectif'.

"I formed that as the low volume alternative to Howlback Hum, to make it clear to everyone that no-one is expecting loud music," he said.

Shane has no desire to stop putting on gig nights in Norwich.

"I enjoy the local music scene, even if the truth is that none of it is amazing internationally. I enjoy it because it has a meaning that relates to living in a place," he said.

Howlback Hum nights take place monthly in the Norwich Arts Centre bar and at Take 5 on Tombland in the city.