It’s Been Five Years
On September 21st 2019. The first post on Beyond the Grooves was written. An album review, for an album that had only recently come up. That album in question was the debut album of ‘Sam Fender’ a man embarking on a musical journey. I guess in some ways I was doing the same thing.
That grainy photo, took up against my bedroom wall started something.
Since then we’ve been through a lot. A lot more albums, a website, a face reveal. Stood in a lot of festival fields, been on a couple of trips away. Seen some monumental gig. Dealt with a Global Pandemic. It’s been quite the Five Years.
Music has been through a lot to. Artists have risen up almost out of nowhere. The old guard never went away. We’ve lost some legends along the way. Had band break ups and some very big make ups. Some farewells and some huge wake up calls.
Let’s start at the beginning!
Beyond the Grooves had been floating around for a little while before September 21st 2019. Me and a couple of friends had discussed doing something music related. However those conversations were just that, they were the spark that lit the flame though. Those phone calls, and drunken chats in the Boyce Block kitchen are just as important as the blog posts, instagram photos and album reviews.
2019 was a bad year for me personally, I went through a lot. Beyond the Grooves was initially used as a distraction more for me, I didn’t care if people read it, I got a sense of enjoyment out of listening to the records and writing up the posts for instagram.
Ideas came quick. Album reviews. Of old classics alongside Musical Icons.
The idea for longer form content was starting to brew. I was getting more enjoyment out of writing the more detailed posts. About those musicians that had been the soundtrack to the good times and the bad.
New music was starting to come through to. Bands like Inhaler, SPINN, DMA’s and Wolf Alice were creeping onto my playlist.
2019 also saw the first iteration of the Beyond the Grooves Awards which is now a yearly tradition. The foundations were in place.
In a year that saw Courteeners play Heaton Park, Blossoms come home to Stockport. The Killers headline Glastonbury.
2020 is when things took a turn. Music started to stop. As the world went into lockdown. I continued to post.
Blog posts became a huge part of the page. I was enjoying delving deeper into bands and artists. Commenting on more than just the songs. This is when the idea of a website really started to come to fruition.
2021 was a huge year. We got my mate Dan on board to help with graphic design.
I was also posting more than ever. I pretty much posted every day, alongside features like the indie disco, which has become a Friday night staple and the quiz. The album reviews, musicial icons and blog posts never went away though.
Nor did the awards!
It was definitely the pages biggest year in terms of instagram. The growth was massive. I became more confident in the page and my ability to write posts that gathered interest.
Up until August 2021, Beyond the Grooves was written anonymously with only a few close friends knowing about the page. That changed. When I posted a reveal post, highlighting just who I was. The support I received from those close to me was amazing. It still amazes me today to be honest.
With a return of live music. Albums from Wolf Alice, Inhaler, Royal Blood, Sam Fender and The Killers. It was a huge year for music.
Courteeners, Circa Waves, and Neighbourhood Weekender provided my live music fix for 2021.
2022…
What a year! Music was properly back. Sam Fender and Wolf Alice won Brits. Liam Gallagher played at Knebworth. Noel Gallagher played 5 minutes from my house!
Glastonbury returned, with Paul McCartney headlining. Even Arctic Monkeys came back with a new record. As did Jamie T. It was more of the same for me.
More gigs, another festival, the reviews continued as did the blogs. The awards came back with some more amazing designs by Dan.
All that was great, but the biggest announcement came on Christmas Day 2022.
The website arrived, with a go-live date of January 1st 2023.
I went to another level with the website, with no more character limits, the posts could become so much bigger. From history lessons about huge bands, whether that be the Sex Pistols or Oasis. To reviews of new music, the album review was upgraded to, musical icons came back. A list of vinyl was written, as was a list of gigs. Adventures were documented to. Trips to Manchester and Amsterdam all written up.
https://www.beyond-the-grooves.co.uk/blog/
Writing this post has given me time to reflect. This is the thing I am most proud of. As a collection of work I've put a lot into this website.
I sometimes forget that I wrote these posts. Having this platform has given me this opportunity.
It was quite the year for music too. Noel Gallagher released ‘Council Skies’. Sleep Token came to our attention. Circa Waves returned. Blur reuinited! Gorillaz released their best record. Mr Albarn was very busy. Young Fathers blew us away with a great record. The Last Dinner Party emerged. Even Peace dropped an album.
The Beatles also released new music.
Elton John headlined Glastonbury too. It was a massive year for music in Britain. The page wasn't short of content.
Gig wise. The 1975, Arctic Monkeys, Noel Gallagher, Peace, Blossoms, and Blur made for a massive year for me personally. 2023 was massive for me and the page.
2024, a year that is not yet over. A year that's already given us so much. Huge concerts, some great records. Massive announcements.
A return of Catfish and the Bottlemen, Gerry Cinnamon headlining TRNSMT, a generational album from Fontaines DC, a brilliant debut from The Last Dinner Party.
A sell out arena tour from Liam Gallagher playing Definitely Maybe in full. The Killers brought a greatest hits tour to the UK. The 1975 sold out arenas again for the second year running.
Bloc Party celebrated 20 years of Silent Alarm. New Order played a huge show in Manchester, and Blossoms made the jump to huge outdoor shows. With a breathtaking show in Manchester.
Oh and they're was the small matter of an Oasis reunion!
Whats happened in the 5 years this blog has been running is mental.
If I was to sit and tell 18 year old me what was to come, he wouldn't believe me. He'd be buzzing that he was getting to see Courteeners at Heaton Park.
Blur and Oasis seemed like fever dreams. Well it happens. Pulp come back to. Arctic Monkeys, The 1975 are ticked off the list. Blossoms tour nearly every year. Catfish & the Bottlemen, you watch them break up and get back together. Stereophonics concerts become a more regular occurrence.
The amount of gigs in five years has been crazy. Johnny Marr three times. Kasabian, Kaiser Chiefs, The Coral. Jake Bugg. Wolf Alice just to name a few.
Red Rum Club, The Clause, Inhaler, Wunderhorse, Fontaines DC, SPINN, Yonaka, Bandit, Young Fathers and Haim are all added to the collection.
Foals drop an Ibiza fueled dance record. Young Fathers release one of the albums of the decade.
On a personal level and in the world of music. There was beauty and tragedy. Heroes come to pass. The punk poet Shane MacGowan, the loveable rockstar Taylor Hawkins and the extremely talented Andy Rourke.
It's been quite the five years. Heres to at least five more. A further post will be released going into more detail of the biggest moments in Beyond the Grooves history later this month.
Thank you all for the support along the way. 5 years ago when I sat and wrote that review on ‘Hypersonic Missiles’ I couldn’t have possibly predicted this.
It’s been quite a ride.
Jack x