Music scenes in a local context

What is it about?

Musicians who participated in a local music scene in Newcastle, Australia developed a strong sense of musical identity that developed from their connection with audiences and venues. This then became an important component in the formation of their own musical identity. The social, cultural and symbolic capital that is acquired and assists in identity formation is not however, easily transferrable to other areas and is the result of a deeply imbued sense of connection to the place from which people originate. What Newcastle came to offer local musicians was access to the necessary social, cultural and symbolic capitals connected to that place, as well as to a population large enough to support them and a variety of music scene(s) and the ability to use to its full extent the social and cultural capital available to them in their home town.

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Why is it important?

This paper arises from research conducted into the mainstream, popular music scene in Newcastle, Australia, in the 1970s and 1980s, a period which has become known in Australian music history as the 'pub rock' era. The paper adds to the literature that discusses the importance of a combination of factors such as geography, history, culture and social aspects in the development of place, that contributes to the identity and formation of a musical identity, and as such, are specific to the place in which they develop.

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