Realising My Imagination

Recently I have become increasingly dissatisfied with my photographic equipment. Over the last couple of years, I seem to have lost the spark that I had for a very long time for learning, practicing and enjoying photography. Last week, I think I figured out why. I was using the wrong camera. So out I went and supplemented my Fuji S1 Pro by giving it its own mini-me. A tiny little Fuji S5700.

I've been into photography for quite a long time. I got my first 110 format point+click when I was about 7, by sending off tokens from tins of beans. The strange stacks of single use flash cubes perched precariously on top of the tiny device remind me very much of my childhood. Slightly oddly coloured animals at the zoo, and people with bits cut off and lens flair covering half their bodies. Good times, those. I also had another camera, although I have no idea what it was. I remember it looked something like this Sugaya camera though. I also remember that I loved that camera, although I never had chance to do much with it.

Some time in the early 90s, my dad got me my first 35mm SLR. It was a Zenit E, made in the USSR (said so on the bottom), and came with a fixed 56mm lens. The thing was entirely mechanical. No batteries except for in the optional flash gun, although it did have a piezo trigger in the hot shoe. The metering, film selection, exposure and focus were all manual, though. It really taught me about what goes into a photograph. What I took for granted in the fixed focus, fixed aperture, fixed speed pointy-clicky cameras of my childhood.

I made the transition to digital in 2001 with a huge Kodak monstrosity that was cheap. It was a 1.3 megapixel thing, but was about 4 times bigger than the Canon compacts that were just coming out (the precursor to the current Ixus range). It had autofocus, but no manual control at all. It did me ok, I guess, but I couldn't really explore my artistic vision. Zoom, for example, was achieved by walking closer to the subject. I got rid of that after a short while and replaced it with another Kodak, this time a Kodak DC-215. It had every shortcoming of the original Kodak but was a bit smaller and had 2x optical zoom.

So I went off Kodak and tried other things. I ended up buying myself a Fuji Finepix S5100 in 2004. That camera is the one that really got me into photography properly. It was small, a bit too light, and the screen was miniscule, but that was okay. It had every configurable option under the sun. Full manual exposure, manual focus or 3 different autofocus options, configurable flash power, auto-bracketting, exposure compensation, and to top it all of, a 10x optical zoom (the equivalent of a 300mm lens on a 35mm SLR). With 4 megapixels and a Fuji SuperCCD, it really was a great little device. I could stick it in P or Auto and let the camera do all the work, or I could take full control of every aspect of the picture.

So far, so good, and I wanted something more! What better option than a digital SLR? I bought the S1 Pro for £100 around 2007 or so. It has a single kit lens, 28-100mm at f3.5-5.6. Not the longest telephoto or the widest wide-angle, and not the fastest lens either, but sufficient for perhaps 70% of photographs. I have used it successfully on many occassions to take some pictures that I'm very proud of. But something was lacking. Well, two things.

Firstly, the thing weighs a ton. It's huge, even compared to other SLRs, and the bag I have to carry full with replacements for each of the seven batteries it takes, in 3 different types (AA, CR-123 and CR-2032) makes it even heavier. It's not a camera you can just take out and about without it being very conspicuous.

Secondly, I have outgrown it in many ways. The occassions that I make best use of the lens I have for it could be adequately covered by a fairly standard compact. Sure, it has a better quality of picture because the sensor is so much larger than that of a compact, but the trade off is not in its favour. To do the best I would like to, I would need three lenses.

• A 35-200mm zoom
• A 56mm or 80mm prime
• An 18mm-50mm zoom

These should, ideally, be faster than the one I have. f2.8 would suffice. Unfortunately, to get these lenses it's looking like I might have to pay up to £1000. Ouch.

A570is - Rubbish at gigs

At the same time, I was growing increasingly frustrated by my new compact, a Canon PowerShot A570is. Not a bad little point-and-shoot if everything you're ever going to photograph is in broad daylight, approximately 2 to 20 metres away. Other than that, you're out of luck. This was most evident in photographs I take at gigs.

S5100 - Great at gigs

I find the PowerShot's pictures to be too noisy/grainy, blurred with soft edges due to its slow lens and low light. More generally, though, they are very much snapshot quality. Point the camera at the stage, try to get the best you can using the kit available to you, don't try anything too fancy. The S5100, on the other hand, allowed me to get better angles, better light control, and cleaner pictures without having to fight with it.

So, the Canon is on eBay. A shiny new Fuji S5700, successor to the venerable S5100 of old, is sat on my table. I look forward to getting back the fun and satisfaction I once had from my photographical expeditions. It'll be fun.

Arcade Fire - The Suburbs

After a much-hyped, eagerly observed wait for Arcade Fire's triumphant return, release day finally arrived. Of I went in my comfortable family car from my 3 bedroom terraced house to my local shopping centre to pick up an album about ... exactly that. The Suburbs turns its gaze inward to reflect on the modern life so many of us lived, and live, in our rapidly changing world.

The concept of suburban ennui is neither new nor original. Writing songs, composing articles and delivering speeches about the hardships of growing up in the relatively prosperous cities of the western world has become cliché, and risks sounding somewhat ridiculous. But that is not where this album goes.

Of course, there is a thick layering of malcontent, irritability and misanthropy thrown in, but it is all used to reveal a more subtle subtext. Funeral was a deeply personal album, describing the putting away of childish things, the acceptance of personal change and personal growth. Love, life and loss in equal measure. Neon Bible threatened us with the gaudy, insincere bombast of political and religious fervour, but instead delved headlong into dealing with the pressures and powers of world.

The Suburbs takes a step down from that soapbox and delivers an altogether sadder, yet more uplifting message. We all grew up, yet we are all both nostalgic and melancholy about the ways and whys of our upbringing. But the world is a fast changing place. The worlds of our childhoods no longer exist, and we must grow past them, yet not throw them out entirely.

The album opener and title track serves as an introduction or sorts. It lays out what lies ahead, and brings in the themes and background of the album. Following on, Ready To Start is an apt a title as is possible. While we can sit, mourning the lost past and wishing that things had been different, in any small way, it takes a decision to move on. And move on we do.

The album kicks it up a notch here with Modern Man, an introspective on the normal life of an average 9-to-5 man loving his average, 9-to-5 life. He queues up with the rest, waiting for his future to arrive, but is unsettled because something, somehow, seems amiss. It's played with an upbeat melody, incorporating a brilliantly catchy hook line that has me involuntarily snapping my fingers every time.

The pace continues through Rococo, with possibly the most difficult single word chorus I've ever tried to sing along to, and Empty Room before the next stand-out track; City No Children. It ponders the adult world's tendency to forget childlike things, to be entirely far too mature. At this point the album takes a turn toward a more familiar sound, with Half Light I taking on the strings and rich, layered sound that made Funeral so spectacular.

From here on in, the album seems to progress more and more toward 80s stylings, which of course would be the time of the band's childhoods. From the synth heavy bass driven pop of Half Light II through we get the punk rock stylings of Month Of May, which wouldn't have sounded out of place on Neon Bible if the subject matter weren't so positive.

More of Funeral's influence shows up as the album continues, with distinctive introductory riffs and very familiar chord progressions. While not as musically complex as its critically acclaimed predecessor, the soaring emotional punch is still there. In the penultimate double-track pair, Sprawl, the truth of the scale of urban development becomes clear, and the 80s influence comes to a head with Sprawl II, which wouldn't sound out of place on a Blondie compilation.

Bringing the album right down to basics, the mixed feelings of nostalgia and excitement are tempered again by the downbeat closing number, a reprise of the opening track. But this time the sound is lilting, softer, and somehow more positive. It brings the album to a satisfying close, but also prompts the listener to hit play one more time.

This is an impressive third album, sticking solidly with the concept album template, which completes a trilogy of emotions. First hope, then anger, and finally acceptance. From the very first listen I loved this album, and while some tracks are yet to grow on me, and others I struggle to recall at all, it doesn't seem to matter. I know they'll stick, and more to the point, I want them to. At over an hour, and with 16 tracks, this is a very long album, and yet it finishes all too soon. Like the two albums before, The Suburbs deserves to be listened to, and not just heard.

Tramlines 2010

After being rather annoyed a being away for Tramlines 2009, a special effort was made to ensure at least one visit to Sheffield's largest music festival this year. After all, with 50 venues to go at over 3 days, it must be possible to find at least one gig to go to? Well, we did. Several, in fact, although as is the nature of such things, it still didn't feel like quite enough.

Friday

Although originally only intending to go on the Saturday and Sunday, my Tramlines adventure started a day early. 23inertia was out at a hen do, so I met up with a few friends and ex-colleagues for an after work pint. One thing led to another, and we ended up in the Leadmill to watch Focus, a somewhat unusual rock band dating back 31 years.

I'd never even heard of Focus before the night, I'll admit. The gig started a little late, and the room was packed. As a conservative estimate, I'd say 200 people turned out to watch these veterans of psychedelia wow us with their grooves. And wow us they did.

Though plainly instrumental rock, the whole mix is brought to life by the inclusion of some rather non-standard parts. Thijs van Leer, founder and lead, provided much of the entertainment in the form of flute and yodelling. Yes, yodelling.

I'm told that they're most recent hit was a rerelease of Hocus Pocus for use in the Nike world cup adverts. Not being a football fan, or even particularly a TV watcher, I missed that one. Shame, as it's really rather good.

The set went on for around an hour, plus encore, and I was entranced throughout. The musicians were tight, the riffs were strong, the yodelling was irritatingly catchy. If anyone were to be introduced to this band, a gig like this would be the only way to do it.

Saturday

The Sex Cow is watching you

After a very long lie in to recover from the beer and the mind-bending music, it was time to embark on Saturday's adventure. Although technically we did attend Tramlines, we were primarily at a stag do (to complement Friday's hen do) to take place within the main arena on Devonshire Green. With our stag suitably attired as a sort of gothic S&M ladybird, we joined the queue.

The queue for the main arena was the length and breadth of Division Street. It was friendly enough, though, with the various queueing parties chatting amongst themselves and with each other. It took about an hour to get in, but the inflatable farm animals provided enough entertainment for our bit of the queue that it flew by.

Much ridiculous behaviour obviously took place, including the theft of an inflatable sex pig by a middle aged woman, and so we only managed to stand and watch a single band that day. Much of the remaining time was spent hiding in the Forum and getting beer from the express bar. A genius notion; pre-pulled pints are lined up. You pays your money, you takes your beer, job done.

The Hoosiers

We ventured out of Forum (affectionately dubbed "the kitchen") to see The Hoosiers who, in spite of popular opinion, I have liked since their debut album, The Trick To Life. They played a brilliant set. Mostly new tracks off their forthcoming album, although one or two crowd pleasers (Worried About Ray and Goodbye Mr A) kept the masses happy.

I have to say that I enjoyed the new material very much. It's a deviation from the quirky "odd pop" stylings of older material, and possibly leaning toward more mainstream pop, but they pulled it off well. Lively songs that I look forward to hearing properly in the not too distant future.

Headliner for the night was Tinchy Stryder. I will hold my hands up and say that I really don't "get" that sort of music, so I barely took notice. The crowd seemed to like it though. Not entirely sure that taking a toddler to a music festival then getting drunk in charge of a minor is a great idea, though.

We took our leave early as the rest of the party went off to do "stag" related things. Yes. Those sort of things.

Sunday

Sunday was the big day for us. The day we could go out and see the bands we wanted, without other commitments. And so it was, although tragically too late to catch Feelix's acoustic set in Lounge. A shame, as we saw them the week before and they were brilliant.

Grammatics

To business, then, and to the Exposed New Music stage on Barkers Pool, grabbing a bit from the Devonshire Chippy on the way. We primarily went to see Grammatics, first known to us as the support for Bloc Party last year. The Tramlines sets are short, so it was straight down to business, playing well known tracks like Shadow Committee amongst unreleased new material.

While the short set did mean that between song banter had to be kept to a minimum, the band performed very well indeed. They looked like they were enjoying it as much as we were. They played a good set in the time allowed, and even came back to play arguably their best song, Relentless Fours.

Sadly, on returning home and looking up Grammatics on MySpace, we discovered that the band are splitting up at the end of August. A farewell EP will be released containing whatever they have already completed from their now cancelled upcoming album. We will definitely have to get a copy of that.

The sound at the Exposed stage was surprisingly good. Even stood a way back out of courtesy (we are both quite tall) we could see and hear perfectly. Well done on the sound engineers who set up the outdoor arenas.

Rolo Tomassi

After a quick coffee at Haha Bar, and with the absent World Music stage not tickling our ear drums, we headed back to watch Rolo Tomassi at the Exposed stage.

I'm not sure what I expected a Sheffield based mathcore band to sound like, but whatever it was, it wasn't that. They seem to have a big following and the crowd was certainly jumping, but it wasn't really our cup of tea. A little too much screaming for my taste. I tend to prefer the deep growls of death metal with the occasional foray into black metal. But I certainly didn't expect sounds like that from such a diminutive lass!

Echo & The Bunnymen

Nearly time for Echo & The Bunnymen, so off we pottered back to the main arena. These are artists with a lot of experience, and it shows. They appeared completely laid back, drinking and smoking on stage and just getting on with the task at hand. Again, between song banter was kept to a minimum, which is reasonable for the time frame allowed but maybe made the performance feel a little impersonal. Fantastic music, though, and it was a great way to introduce 23inertia to this classic band.

The crowd loved it. None more so than an older guy dressed as an extra from Last Of The Summer Wine who was running about and dancing with anyone and everyone who'd let him. And at the end of the day, isn't that what festivals are all about?

Dance!

Sadly this is where our Tramlines ended. I had wanted to see 65DaysOfStatic, but we were both exhausted after a long weekend. In the end, it turned out that electrical problems meant the 65dos gig was cancelled anyway. But at least we left Tramlines on a high note.

We'll definitely be out next year, and will make sure that weekend is free so we can make the absolute most of the weekend. Tramlines is a great event, and proves even more that Sheffield is a great music city. Long may it continue!

News, Tours and Other Random Gubbins

It's a hectic old life, isn't it? Loads of stuff going on and very little time to write about it. So here's a little snippet of what you can look forward to in the very near future:

Sheffield's own Tramlines festival has been and gone. I'll be writing something interesting about that once the pounding headache subsides.

Grammatics are splitting up!? But they are releasing a "farewell" EP with the unfinished album material, so we'll have to look out for that.

Avenged Sevenfold's new album, Nightmare, has landed on our doormat and is being played repeatedly by 23inertia.

Doozr has been rewiring his brain with Focus.

Arcade Fire's latest album, The Suburbs, is out on Monday!

Midnattsol have announced that recording and mastering of their third album is complete. Not long till we get a fresh taste of Nordic folk metal.

Within Temptation have announced a tour in the new year to support the new album. Our tickets are already bought and paid for.

Aside from that, we have loads of gigs lined up, including Opinicus, Lacuna Coil, The Birthday Massacre, Mostly Autumn, Magic Numbers and Electric Six. Here's to a musically healthy 2010, part 2!

Spiridion - A Moment Of Clarity

A thought has occurred to me recently. Perhaps Tool have transcended band status, and have in fact become a sub-genre all of their own. The number of bands who use a deep, rumbling bassline and whispered lyrics who sound like Tool but are not Tool is increasing by the day, or so it seems (not forgetting A Perfect Circle, of course, who don't sound like Tool but are Tool). But thankfully it is not all without merit.

I first heard Spiridion's debut album on a one week only preview on the band's website. I noted how Tooly they were, and decided to plump for the album. I'm all for supporting new bands and quite like the idea of giving money directly to the cause, so I shunned iTunes and gave Amazon the heave-ho. Direct purchase via Google Checkout and onto my mat dropped A Moment Of Clarity. No comments on my need for moments of clarity, ta.

In truth, while they do indeed sport a 10,000 Days era Tooly sound, it would be unfair to categorise them as a Tool wannabe. They remind me of three bands, in fact; Sanctorum, Lostprophets and Drought. The last of these I picked up in the $5 sale on CD-Baby and remind me, oddly enough, of Tool.

Spiridion's sound is a crunchy, raw sort of music. Like eating a dry Shredded Wheat. Your brain is fighting all the while to convince you that it's like swallowing a dried up loofah, but you still love it. And get annoyed when the box is empty.

This review may be a little early because I haven't had time to properly digest (ho ho) the music, but I can tell from the off it's going to be played quite a bit. It's got a dreamy, shoe-gazery quality that makes it ideal for sleepy drunken evenings or long, boring train journeys.

There are plenty of nice little touches to embellish the tracks. Noodly, twiddly guitar and synths and heavy drums brought to the front of the mix mean that the beat doesn't let up, and the use of random percussion gives the whole thing a more ominous feel than a straight up guitar/drum combo. The tracks are alternately dark and broody, and harsh and angry, switching neatly back and forth with chugging solos filling the gaps to keep the head nodding.

A Moment Of Clarity is a great debut album. I hope to hear more from this band. It'll be interesting to see if they can take the formula and spin it out in their own direction, adding more of themselves into an already technically accomplished mix.

And now I'm going to resume my task of watching the countryside go by the train window, and digesting some dry Shredded Wheat. Lovely!

Pain Of Salvation - Road Salt One

Sometimes I listen to an album, and it's good. Sometimes, it's amazing. And just sometimes an album comes along that completely takes me by surprise at it's sheer brilliance. Road Salt One is one such album.


By all accounts, fans of Pain Of Salvation are mixed in their opinions. For some, it's a stunning foray into a whole new genre, but for others it's just a disappointing failure to live up to their previous style. Having never heard any of their back catalogue I am, thankfully, free to judge the album on it's merits. And it has them in buckets.

From the very first bars of No Way it's obvious that this is a blues rock inspired album. Certainly not what I expected and for a moment it put me off a little. Within the space of half a track, though, I was hooked.

As a concept album, Road Salt One succeeds in many ways, but maybe not in the way other concept albums do. It's definitely a song based album, with each new track taking on a whole new sound, ranging from the hard hitting blues ballad at the outset, and veering through country, folk, hard rock and even a strange, cacophonous carnival sound that, despite sounding like it will be terrible, suits the lyrical content perfectly. The songs are short and to the point, leaving no time to become complacent. Each one packs a punch and leaves you reeling.

The concept itself is a trip through the circumstances that alter and drive the course of all our lives. The characters portrayed throughout the album are each on the brink of a life changing event. Either a decision must be made or an situation must be dealt with. Although not explicit, an underlying narrative seems to drive the album and the interactions of the characters affect each other as the album progresses. Films like Magnolia and Crash spring to mind, each about choices and consequences, actions and intentions.

But the beauty of this album is not in the narrative. It's treated as a framework to support some of the most poignant, beautiful songs ever released on a metal label. The raw, distorted sound gives a distinctly retro feel and conjures images of dusty 70s recording studios. Daniel Gildenlöw's vocal brings such a variety of emotion to each and every track that it's hard not to be moved.

There are some common themes threaded through the songs and permeating the problems and issues affecting so many people's lives. Sexuality is prominent, and has entire songs delving into the hidden pains associated with life as flawed, sexual beings. Loneliness, self-discovery and the hiding of true feelings also feature prominently. In some songs, such as Sleeping With The Stars, hidden agendas are painfully evident. In others, such as Linoleum and No Way, the breaking down of bravado to reveal the torment within is beautifully handled.

As the underlying narrative progresses, there are occasional breaks into introspective songs all referencing the common theme of "the road". It could be considered cliché, but it's been handled so well and so carefully that it has the impact it really deserves. But by avoiding the common faux angst that so many bands bawl out, Road Salt One instead draws its inspiration from those personal feelings that are shared among us all, but are so rarely discussed. Many of these tracks have a personal impact for me because, in all honesty, I don't remember ever hearing a track tackling the issues that this album takes in and portrays with such raw emotion.

The imagery is what makes the songs so instantly memorable. Being catapulted from the hazy, muggy memories of a drunken evening to the seedy, filthy underside of neon lit cities and then back to the quiet suburban home ripped apart by hidden pain, a different picture springs instantly to mind for every song. And where some song writers may give the listener an out by giving closure, no such luxury exists here. Each image is only a snapshot of the situation presented, and the hoping, yearning, desperate longing for a resolution is left heavy in the listeners mind as each song draws to a close.

Road Salt One is a superb mixture of great music, sublime production and emotive song writing. It doesn't just tug the heartstrings. It rips them out of your chest and leaves you hanging on for more.

Soundclash @ The Theatre Saturday 17th July 2010

We've been to lots of different venues over the years for gigs but on Saturday night, the venue was something else entirely.  Abbeydale Picture House was originally opened in 1920 and was a popular venue for film screenings and live performances until the mid 1970's.  It had a number of different occupants after this until 1991.  It then stood empty until 2003 when Friends of Abbeydale Picture House were formed.  Since then lots of work has been carried out to restore the building to it's former glory.  Hosting events such as last nights gig has helped them raise money and the profile of the building.

On entering the picture house you instantly smell a musty, old building smell.  The architecture is an ornate classical style on the whole although areas such as the bar are clearly awaiting some TLC.  The toilets are a case in point, with their pull flushes, lack of plaster, dangerously low ceilings and door frames (Doozr ended up with 2 bumps on the head).  The bar staff on the evening were very welcoming and friendly, though, and offered a good selection of drinks at really reasonable prices.  We were offered a bottle of wine which we found strange - how do you drink a bottle of wine at a gig?

After purchasing the drinks we headed towards what sounded like a band playing.  The first band Scoundrel were on stage having just started their half hour set.  The offer of a bottle of wine then became clear.  Where would have been velvet and mahogany theatre seating were a collection of chairs and tables.  We snagged ourselves a table in the middle, near the back and wished we'd taken the bar staff up on their offer.

Scoundrel are a 5 piece rock/funk band from Sheffield.  They played some very catchy pop rock tunes but were hampered by what appeared to be a terrible sound system.  It was hard to hear lead singer Megan Rae over the music and makes it hard to write a proper review.  They have definitely got potential though and a number of the tunes I was tapping my feet to.

Feelix were the next band and not what I was expecting at all.  I've seen flyers for Feelix around the city and assumed it was the name of some trashy club night rather than a collection of talented Sheffield musicians.  Sadly without their bassist, Feelix launched into a stunning set of chilled out almost acoustic tracks.  The lead singer, Kat Eaton was clearly confident, genuinely lovely and a little bonkers, talking with the audience and band like she was a pro.  The percussionist managed to get through the set playing half a drum kit, a stick, a dumbell and a box.  Doozr and I were so impressed that once they'd gone off stage we popped to the merc stand to purchase their two EP's.


**Top tip for bands who bring merchandise to sell at a gig.  Bring someone to mind the table with the items you are selling and don't just leave them there unattended.  It took us 20 minutes to find a band member to pay and in the meantime the rest of the pile were seemingly taken without any payment at all.

Next on stage was the tallest man I've ever seen.  Neil McSweeney, a Sheffield singer/songwriter playing progressive folk rock that was completely breathtaking.  His voice is deep and soulful, his music washes over you and completely draws you in, and he's pretty too.  During one section only Neil and the accordion/keyboard player were required and so the others stepped off stage for a short while.  The guitarist returned with a satsuma and proceeded to sit on the stage on a cushion and eat it.  How 'metal' is that?  It almost beats Alan Reed jumping off the stage to get a round in for the rest of Pallas during an instrumental section, or Damian Wilson drinking tea while performing with Threshold.  All of which have been witnessed by Doozr at gigs in the past.

We were so impressed that, once again, we wandered about outside looking for band members so that we could purchase their albums.  We ended up giving the cash to the guy organising the gig on the promise of passing it on.

Finally, Dead Like Harry took to the stage.  They have clearly been working on new stuff as their familiar tracks were intermingled with unfamiliar ones throughout.  They must also have had in influx of cash for musical instruments as Robin was sporting a very fancy new electric double bass and Alice had a new pink tambourine, of which I very much approved.

As ever the band didn't disappoint and we were all singing along and rocking from side to side like loons.  Sadly Dead Like Harry's set was slightly ruined for me by rude and ignorant people who have no place being at such an event.  (23inertia gets onto soapbox).  There is nothing worse than a group of people standing somewhere nearby blatantly ignoring the hard work of the artist on stage while talking and laughing loudly throughout.  Especially when the lobby is only a few feet away.  It not only disrespects the efforts of the (very likely unpaid) artist on stage but it also disrespects the audience most of whom have paid out their hard earned cash to support a band and listen to their music.  I wish more bands dealt with this situation like ex-Mostly Autumn lead singer Heather Findlay who literally stopped singing and demanded that the people at the bar be quiet because they were putting her off and making it impossible for everyone else to enjoy the band's hard work.

That aside, Soundclash @ The Theatre was an excellent night out.  It was lovely to sit around a table with friends, drink, talk, listen to excellent local music and do all of this in a beautiful building.  We will certainly be supporting Abbeydale Picture House and will be keeping our eyes out for other events we can go to - buildings such as this need to be restored, they need to be brought back to life and what better way than as a community venue for performing arts, visual media, theatre, live music and cinema.

Sheffield has so much musical talent.  I love Sheffield.