Phil Reynolds is a local musician and record producer, who also runs a small independent Manx-based record label, Smallbear Records. He explains how important it is to have coverage of the home-grown rock music scene in the local press and radio stations, and why our musicians should be supported and encouraged.

In 1990, our band ’Colon’, featuring myself, Selwyn Callister, Nicky Smith and Colin Christian were granted the hitherto unprecedented accolade of being asked to record a session for John Peel’s iconic Radio 1 show, after releasing a 12" EP, titled ’164’.

The session was eventually broadcast twice on Radio 1.

This really was something of a big deal for a band such as us.

We’d be joining the ranks of such luminaries as Marc Bolan, Thin Lizzy, Joy Division, Bogshed, Queen and literally hundreds of others, some great, some less so, in making a potential ’Great Leap Forward’ to who-knows what lofty heights.

This was also a feat no other band from the Island had ever managed before and, sadly, no others ever would again.

This, to our starry-eyed youths, was important and exciting, and we had every reason to believe that others may have seen it in the same way.

An appearance in the local rag was duly granted. We were granted a single paragraph on page four. Nobody looks at page four.

The front-page headline for that particular issue was a hard-news exclusive along the lines of ’CHICKEN STOLEN IN BALLASALLA’.

Now, we musicians (and most creatives, come to that) are somewhat of a needy bunch.

We seek validation like a vengeful T-100 seeks a young Sarah Connor. Relentlessly and with awful haircuts.

As one of the young guns mentioned above, I can tell you that the grudging lip-service paid to our news by the local press, which was only garnered in the first place because we had a friend on the staff, felt like a punch in the (then much smaller) gut. It hurt almost physically.

Music - ’rock’ music especially - is seen as trite, ephemeral and childish in so many ways, yet to those involved in its creation and performance, it is as essential as oxygen.

Economically, it is vitally important. In 2017, the UK music industry brought £4.4bn to the UK economy, with the top earners adding another £2.5bn in export revenues.

It supported more than 142,000 jobs. It’s neither trite nor ephemeral.

It’s critically important to a successful economy and it’s not going to grow without support - especially on a local level.

Local artists, already fighting against a lack of grass-roots interest need the visibility which local press support can provide.

As the internet makes more and more music more and more easily available, it becomes more difficult than ever to be seen in the melee.

Local press support can be an invaluable first step in changing that.

And in making us feel good about ourselves.

And, who knows. Maybe one day we’ll even care about the chickens.

Note: Island Life, the Manx Independent's weekly 20-page leisure and entertainment section, include a gig guide and a lot of features about the Manx music scene.