7 minute read
COLD YEARS / ABERDEEN
NEIGHBOURHOOD WATCH ABERDEEN, SCOTLAND
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WITH COLD YEARS
INTRODUCTION
We are Cold Years, a punk rock band hailing from Aberdeen in the Northeast of Scotland. Despite often being a pretty cold and dark corner of the world, there’s a lot of cool stuff around this little city. It’s tough being a band from around here, due in no small part due to its geographical location which adds hours and sometimes days at the beginning and ends of tours. But being from – and often trying to escape – this remote corner of the UK has had a big influence on us as a band even now as we move away from our hometown where we cut our teeth.
Ross Gordon – Guitar / Vocal Finlay Urquhart – Guitar Louis Craighead – Bass
We all played in many bands throughout the years in Aberdeen, and were surrounded by a vibrant music scene growing up here. We were pretty lucky to have grown up in an era when many of the biggest bands in the UK were rising through the ranks and playing packed out shows in some of the small venues here; we’ve all got stories of times we supported bands who are now headlining festivals and headlining stadium tours and that was pretty inspiring for us as kids. In recent years it’s been a little quieter on the music scene here, but there are still some artists from around here making waves.
BANDS & ARTISTS
Gerry Jablonski & the Electric
Band. Blues titans. Gerry has been doing it for years. Probably one of the tightest live bands I’ve ever seen. Excellent show, excellent player, excellent band.
gerryjablonskiband.co.uk
legends. These guys write great songs, and there’s some real depth to them. They have a great following here an regularly sell out the Tunnels venue. Tour the UK a lot, so keep an eye out
dudetrips.co.uk
Van Sleep. FFO Catfish and the Bottlemen / Suede. These guys are GREAT live. They’ve been kicking around a couple of years and are always coming out with fresh new tunes, and they are always a riot live.
facebook.com/ VansleepOfficial
STUDIO & RECORDING
Captain Toms. If you’re a band or an artist in Aberdeen, this is where you will rehearse or record your music. Tom’s been doing this for over 30 years and is a key pillar in the musical community. A kind and generous man, who’s dedicated his life to music in the City. A fantastic rehearsal and recording space, with incredible facilities and a warm welcome. Without Tom, Aberdeen would not have a music scene, and he’s responsible for so many successful bands He also runs his label, Fat Hippy Records, out of the studio. We wrote and demoed the vast majority of our first 3 EPs (Mile Marker, Deathchasers, Northern Blue) and debut album (Paradise) at this studio. We’ve spent more late nights than we’d like to remember in that studio room, and owe Tom a whole load of thanks for putting up with us over the years. Tunnels. I would need a lot of hands to figure out how many times we’ve played this venue. It’s a key location in the city to see music. The sound there is INCREDIBLE, and when it’s sold out, the atmosphere is indescribable. As well as a live music venue, Tunnels hosts some of the city’s most popular club nights. There is a huge electronic music scene here spearheaded by club nights and promoters such as Let It Bleed, All Night Passion, Rare, Majestik, Rhythm and Bohemia who all regularly host club nights at Tunnels and promote equality, safety and a LGBTQ+ friendly environment
Lemon Tree. Slightly bigger cap than Tunnels, it’s a great venue. It’s clean, safe and has a great bar! Stage has plenty of room, and the sound system is great. Supported many bands there over the years, but it’s really a venue you’d want to headline when you’re big enough.
Café Drummonds. Old-Skool venue that has seen many great bands perform there over the years. A key part of Aberdeen’s nightlife located on the iconic Belmond Street. The load-in is a hassle, having to climb up which often feels like an endless set of steps. But it’s totally worth it.
HANG-OUTS
The beach. Whether you’re going for a run, walking your dog, or catching a movie, the beach offers it all. The views are spectacular, even on a stormy day. All of us spent our youth there hanging out drinking beers, having parties, or just grabbing a tan (rarely). We’ve shot music videos there. It’s a really cool spot, with some really cool restaurants.
Hazlehead Park. Perfect place to go on a sunny day for a park beer. It even has this creepy old maze that’s fun to get lost in. So many childhood memories locked in one place. You even used to get festivals there during the summer prior to Covid.
RECORD LABELS
Fat Hippy Records. Captain Tom’s Indy label. We released Deathchasers through them a few years ago. Incredibly fair and supportive label ran like a family. It’s been a fantastic launchpad for so many bands to get their music out and continues to sign many bands which will go on to be successful.
fathippyrecords.co.uk
HISTORICAL FACTS
Aberdeen used to be known as the energy city because of its booming offshore oil industry. That industry is thankfully now in decline.
The Aberdeen area has the largest number of whiskey distilleries of any whisky producing area in Scotland
The name Aberdeen probably comes from the word "aber" (meaning mouth of the river) Don. Aberdeen was probably founded by the 8th century AD as a fishing settlement. However, by the early 12th century Aberdeen had grown into a town. One sign of this came in 1136 when the burgesses (merchants and craftsmen) of Aberdeen were given the right to charge a tithe (a tax of one 10th of all goods) on ships entering or leaving the harbour and by then it was a busy little port. Exports from Aberdeen included salted fish, hides, and wool.
In the 12th century, some of Aberdeen’s inhabitants were immigrants from Flanders (roughly modernday Belgium). They would have spoken French.
During the Middle Ages, the people of Aberdeen lived by fishing or by weaving and dyeing wool or by working leather (some of them were skinners, tanners, glovers, and saddlers).
The church was very powerful in the Middle Ages and its presence was everywhere. St Machar’s Cathedral was built in stages in the 14th and 15th centuries.
During the Middle Ages, there were friars in Aberdeen. (Friars were like monks but instead of withdrawing from the world they went out to preach). The Trinitarian friars (known as red friars because of the colour of their costumes) arrived about 1211. The Dominican friars (known as black friars) arrived about 1221. The Carmelite or white friars arrived in Aberdeen in the late 15th century.
The 14th century was a troubled time for Scotland. However, according to tradition, in 1306, the people of Aberdeen helped Robert the Bruce by entering the castle and killing the defenders. Later the town’s motto became Bon Accord, which was the password on the night the castle was taken. Robert the Bruce rewarded the people for their loyalty to him by granting them one of his hunting forests. The revenue from the forest went into a common fund.
RECORD SHOPS
Cavern Records. Our mothers and fathers bought records from this store, and we continue to buy them today. Located on Belmont Street, this tiny little hideaway is a hidden gem.
Maindinvinyl. I love this place. It has such a diverse selection of vintage and modern records, and is a true testament to the fact that buying records in a store is far better than buying them online. Kennys Music. Formally the famous R&B Music, this store has a great selection of affordable and premium guitars, basses, keyboards and drums. Located on the Green, it’s a great shop with some really helpful staff.
RamJam Music. This is the place to go in Aberdeen for ANYTHING guitar related. I love this place. I could spend hours in there. Located on Crown Street, this small shop has everything. The staff are super knowledgeable, and they even do servicing repairs on amps and guitars. This superb shop always has an incredible selection of amps, pedals and guitars. Thoroughly recommend checking them out.
