The Plaza: An Update
From Hagen Patterson, The Plaza Co-Ordinator
Like most, or all of us, we find ourselves living amid strange and uncertain times, as the novel coronavirus continues to flourish. It is with a sad inevitability that it affects all parts of our daily lives, but what is most concerning is that our beloved music industry has been grounded to an absolute halt. However, this time has given us all some great reflection and with isolation giving the creative the time to thrive, I have thus decided that it was time to sit down and update you all on the efforts that contribute towards THE PLAZA.
Although coronavirus has claimed our April edition, what a journey it has been so far. Let me take this opportunity to first of all thank each and every one of you who has taken the step to walk over the threshold of THE PLAZA door, in support of its cause. For somewhere that is inclusive to all, our house of music was set up to cater for our rich local artistry who require that brick-high platform to play on and network from, as well as sustaining a vibrant and exciting music scene here in the small town of Dumfries. Using our plentiful abandoned, wasted and forgotten about spaces that litter our town, the project has focussed all its energy on sustaining a strict D.I.Y. approach. Although a lot has been learned up until this half-way mark, what gives us a great incentive is that our community is pulling together to support its music scene. I mean, we have seen audience members as far as New Galloway support the effort as well as local business owners bending-over-backwards to make sure this project is housed and roofed-over safely.
THE PLAZA is rather simple considering it offers a no over-complication towards music, rather there to support our local and national artists from ground level and below. Our billing is non-conforming to the standard model of building and creating a gig, since we use various experimental ways to break the monotony of ordinary gigs. Essentially all of our efforts are centric to the music and our line-up is not confined to genres, styles or aesthetic, for THE PLAZA offers up a great variety show.
Back in October 2019, THE PLAZA showcased some of our very own local emerging and established artists and bands, as well as tapping into some of Scotland’s hotly-tipped sounds. When we first launched THE PLAZA, and took-over the Soul Soup Cafe on Irish Street, the concept was clear but the practicalities of rigging up and putting on a pop-up gig was rather blurry. Since then we have established a healthy board of local working music professionals and creatives. From the likes of Dave Miller (Circa 16 Recording), Sandy Sweetman (South West Audio), Cara McNaught (Interior Designer), Alex Wakefield (Barsperson & Personal License Holder) and Carla Feuerstein (Sound Engineer), our gender-balanced board have brought their creative reign into the space and helped shape up THE PLAZA.
Slowly but surely we have managed to treat each acquired space with a design template and toolkit which has allowed us to sustain an identity and a comfortable place for all. Since the showcase at Soul Soup Cafe, the project was taken to an all-new experimental period. Using an old abandoned art gallery, ‘The Secret Gallery’, on Friars Vennel, filled with cobwebs and character it proved that when there is great planning put in place, with the right passionate hands and heads, it can be done with great ease. In the depths of December, THE PLAZA invited in Edinburgh-based artist Callum Easter, Cumbernauld’s poet and spoken work outfit, Steven Thomas and our very own home-grown, Kate Kyle, to fill a night of crucial words and music. Although the hardest gig we have had the joy of promoting, for being just before Christmas, the showcase harboured the full concept of a D.I.Y. sound and aesthetic, and from that experience, granted a huge learning curve.
By February 2020, THE PLAZA experienced its first sell-out at the above storage space at Mrs Illingworth’s Vintage Shed, on Queensberry Street. The night offered up an eclectic range of music from locals, Tam’s Twin Sister, and Tiderays, as well as Edinburgh band, Yoko Pwno. What was taken away that THURSDAY night was that there’s a large response to our scene’s cry out – I think it is safe to say that the concept has well and truly been grasped.
“Our house of music was set up to cater for our rich local artistry who require that brick-high platform to play on and network from, as well as sustaining a vibrant and exciting music scene here in the small town of Dumfries.”
But that does not mean we can relax, for there is much work yet to be done, bills must be built bigger, the acquired venues need to maintain full and our showcases needed to become more extraordinary. When we have an opportunity like this, we have a duty and a responsibility to drive it to its limits that are beyond each and everybody’s imagination. We have what we need, hands and heads, love and passion, that is all what is really required. In time and in effort we are half way there. Without you and without our partners, this would not be where it is at. THE PLAZA belongs to each and every one of us. It is there for the taking. Support your scene.
Onwards.
