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Home , Alan McGee, Alex Turner, Andy Bell (musician), Andy Rourke, Arctic Monkeys, Beneath the Boardwalk

Colegiul Naţional “Dimitrie Cantemir” Oneşti

Lucrare de atestat la Limba Engleză sesiunea mai 2012

Coordonator, Candidat, Prof. Filip Felicia Panţîru Andreea

A brief history of British

Contents Foreword …………………………………………………. i Chapter 1 (“Origins: 1980s”) ………….………...... 1

 College rock and noise rock  Development: 1990s  Mainstream success: –present Chapter 2 (“”) ………………………………. 3

 Formation and early singles (1982 -1984)  Discography (1984 – 1987) Chapter 3 (“Oasis”) ……………………………...... 5

 Formation and early years (1991–1994)  Discography (1995-2009) Chapter 4 (“”) …………………. ……....8

 Early years and record deal (2002–2005)  Discography (2006-present)  ―Turner’s affair‖ - Conclusion ………………………………………………. ii Appendices ……………………………………………… iii

 Appendix 1 – ―The Smiths on the cover of NME in 2011‖  Appendix 2 – ― on the cover of Q magazine in 1996‖  Appendix 3 – ―Arctic Monkeys on the cover of in 2009‖ Bibliography ……………………………………. ………vi

Foreword

Indie is a genre of which for the past 10-12 years has been slowly but surely taking shape and emerging from musical underground into becoming the broadly beloved outlaw of mainstream, defying the charts and gathering followers like a new unconventional religion. With roots spread across the , and Canada since the early 1980s, the British indie movement will remain the most significant and ardent, through the eagerness and ambition of both its veterans and rookies. As far as a definition is concerned, indie rock is generally associated with a number of styles that are: "too sensitive and melancholy; too soft and delicate; too dreamy and hypnotic; too personal and intimately revealing in its lyrics; too low-fidelity and low-budget in its production; too angular in its melodies and riffs; too raw, abrasive, too oblique and fractured in its song structures; too influenced by experimental or otherwise unpopular musical styles." (clashmusic.com) The purpose of this paper is to offer an overall view on the evolution of the British indie scene as well as the succinct story of several significant musicians throughout its different stages, from The Smiths, standing out as a defining band back when indie rock was not yet a clearly distinct genre, to Oasis, who have brought a revolution not only in their area, but in the entire British music scene with visible effects until this day, and Arctic Monkeys, the representatives of today’s indie rock culture, carrying on their legacy and assuring that this genre is yet to have proven its full potential.

i

1. Origins: 1980s

 College rock and noise rock

In the mid-1980s, the term "indie" began to be used to describe the music produced on post-punk labels rather than the labels themselves. The indie rock scene in the US was prefigured by the college rock that dominated college radio playlists, which included key bands like R.E.M. from the US and The Smiths from the UK. These bands rejected the dominant synthpop of the early 1980s, and helped inspire -based jangle pop; other important bands in the genre included 10,000 Maniacs and the dB's from the US, and and The La's from the UK. The most abrasive and discordant outgrowth of punk was noise rock, which emphasized loud distorted electric bands and powerful drums, and was pioneered by bands including Sonic Youth, Swans, Big Black and Butthole Surfers. A number of prominent indie rock record labels were founded during the 1980s. These include Washington DC's Dischord Records in 1980, Seattle's Sub Pop Records in 1986 and City's Matador Records and Durham, North Carolina's Merge Records in 1989. 's Touch and Go Records was founded as a fanzine in 1979 and began to release records during the 1980s.

 Development: 1990s

The 1990s brought major changes to the alternative rock scene. bands such as Nirvana, Pearl Jam, and Alice in Chains broke into the mainstream, achieving commercial chart success and widespread exposure. Punk revival bands like and also became popular and were grouped under the "alternative" umbrella. Similarly, in the United Kingdom saw bands like Blur and Oasis emerge into the mainstream, abandoning the regional, small-scale and political elements of the 1980s indie scene. As a result of these changes the term "alternative" lost its original counter-cultural meaning and began to refer to the new, commercially lighter form of music that was now achieving mainstream success. The term "indie rock" became associated with the bands and genres that remained dedicated to their independent status. Ryan Moore has argued that in the wake of the appropriation of alternative rock by the corporate music industry that what became known as indie rock increasingly turned to the past to produce forms of "retro" rock that drew on , , blues, country and swing.

1  Mainstream success: 2000s–present

In the 2000s, the changing music industry, the decline in record sales, the growth of new digital technology and increased use of the Internet as a tool for music promotion allowed a new wave of indie rock bands to achieve mainstream success. This new commercial breakthrough and the widespread use of the term "indie" to other forms of popular culture, led a number of commentators to suggest that indie rock had ceased to be a meaningful term. During the decade, the term which previously in the United States had very limited usage "became the label of choice for Americans – and an even greater worldwide audience – to talk about and ". Wendy Fonarow, an anthropology professor and author of the book ―Empire of Dirt: The Aesthetics and Rituals of British Indie Culture‖, asserts that this change occurred because at the turn of the century American bands began to be influenced by British indie music and the Internet, which made British music publications and online music websites such as Media immediately available to readers. In the early 2000s, a new group of bands that played a stripped-down and back-to-basics version of guitar rock emerged into the mainstream. They were variously characterized as part of a garage rock, New Wave or post-punk revival. Because the bands came from across the globe, cited diverse influences (from traditional blues, through New Wave to grunge), and adopted differing styles of dress, their unity as a genre has been disputed. There had been attempts to revive garage rock and elements of punk in the 1980s and 1990s and by 2000 scenes had grown up in several countries. The commercial breakthrough from these scenes was led by four bands: , who emerged from the New York club scene with their début ―‖ (2001), , from , with their third album ―White Blood Cells‖ (2001), from , after their ―‖ (2001), and The Vines from with ―Highly Evolved‖ (2002). They were christened the "The" bands by the media, and dubbed "The saviours of rock 'n' roll", leading to accusations of hype. A second wave of bands that managed to gain international recognition as a result of the movement included , Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Modest Mouse, , Interpol and from the US. From the UK were , Franz Ferdinand, , Editors, , Placebo, , and , but without a doubt, Arctic Monkeys were the most prominent indie rock act to emerge from the UK scene at the time, owing their initial commercial success to the use of Internet social networking.

2 2. The Smiths

 Formation and early singles (1982 -1984)

The Smiths were an English alternative rock band, formed in in 1982. Based on the song writing partnership of (vocals) and (guitar), the band also included (bass) and (drums). Critics have called them the most important alternative rock band to emerge from the British scene of the 1980s. The Smiths were formed by Steven Patrick Morrissey, a writer who was a big fan of the and briefly fronted band , and John Maher, a guitarist and . Maher changed his name to Johnny Marr to avoid confusion with drummer John Maher, and Morrissey performed under his surname alone. After recording several demo tapes with Simon Wolstencroft (later of The Fall) on drums, Morrissey and Marr recruited drummer Mike Joyce in the autumn of 1982. The band picked their name in part as a reaction against those used by synthpop bands of the early 1980s, such as Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark and , which they considered pretentious. In a 1984 interview Morrissey said that he chose The Smiths "because it was the most ordinary name" and because he thought that it was "time that the ordinary folk of the world showed their faces". Signing to indie label , they released their first single, "", in May 1983. The record was championed by DJ , as were all of their later singles, but failed to chart. The follow-up singles "" and "What Difference Does It Make?" fared better when they reached numbers 25 and 12 respectively on the UK Singles Chart.

 Discography (1984 – 1987)

In February 1984, the group released their debut album ―The Smiths‖, which reached number two on the UK Chart. Early in 1985 the band released their second album, ―‖. This album was more strident and political than its predecessor, including the pro-vegetarian title track (Morrissey forbade the rest of the group from being photographed eating meat), the light-hearted republicanism of "Nowhere Fast", and the anti-corporal punishment "The Headmaster Ritual" and "Barbarism Begins at Home". The band had also grown more diverse musically, with Marr adding rockabilly riffs to "Rusholme Ruffians" and Rourke playing a bass solo on "Barbarism Begins at Home". Morrissey brought a political stance to many of his interviews, courting further controversy.

3 Among his targets were the Thatcher government, the monarchy, and the famine relief project Band Aid. Morrissey famously quipped of the last, "One can have great concern for the people of Ethiopia, but it's another thing to inflict daily torture on the people of " ("torture" being a reference to the music that resulted from the project). The subsequent single- only release "Shakespeare's Sister" reached number 26 on the UK Singles Chart, although the only single taken from the album, "That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore", was less successful, barely making the top 50. During 1985 the band completed lengthy tours of the UK and the US while recording their next studio record, ―‖. The album was released in June 1986, shortly after the single "". The single again featured Marr's strident acoustic guitar rhythms and lead melody guitar lines with wide leaps. ―The Queen Is Dead‖ reached number two in the UK charts, and consisted of a mixture of mordant bleakness (e.g. "Never Had No One Ever", which seemed to play up to stereotypes of the band), dry humour (e.g. "Frankly, Mr. Shankly", allegedly a message to Rough Trade boss disguised as a letter of resignation from a worker to his superior), and synthesis of both, such as in the now legendary "There Is a Light That Never Goes Out". The album which preceded the break-up, ―Strangeways, Here We Come‖, peaked at number two in the UK and was their most successful album in the US, reaching number 55 on the . It received a lukewarm reception from critics, but both Morrissey and Marr name it as their favourite Smiths album. Since the band broke up, Morrisey and Marr have attracted criticism over the division of royalties with Joyce and Rourke; recurring speculation about a reunion, often fuelled by the pair themselves; and their apparent efforts to maximise returns on the band's modest back-catalogue by continually repackaging the same material. The Smiths have influenced a number of alternative rock bands. As early as 1985, "the Smiths had spawned a rash of sound-alike bands, including James, who opened for the group on their spring 1985 tour". Marr's guitar playing was a huge building block for more Manchester legends that followed The Smiths, including , whose guitarist has said Marr was an influence. Oasis guitarist Noel Gallagher also cites The Smiths as an influence, especially Marr: "when split, The Smiths started, and I totally went for them."

4 3. Oasis

 Formation and early years (1991–1994)

Oasis were an English rock band formed in Manchester in 1991. Originally known as The Rain, the group was formed by (vocals and tambourine), Paul "Bonehead" Arthurs (guitar), Paul "Guigsy" McGuigan (bass guitar) and Tony McCarroll (drums, percussion), who were soon joined by Liam's older brother Noel Gallagher (lead guitar and vocals). They have had eight UK number-one singles and eight UK number-one albums, and won fifteen NME Awards, nine , four MTV Europe Music Awards and six , including one in 2007 for outstanding contribution to music and one for the best album of the last 30 years as voted by the BBC Radio 2 listeners. They have been nominated for three Grammy Awards. As of 2009, the band have sold an estimated 70 million records worldwide. Also the band was listed in the Guinness Book of World Records in 2010 for ―Longest Top 10 UK Chart Run By A Group‖ after an unprecedented run of 22 top 10 hits in the UK. The band also holds the Guinness World Record for being the most successful act in the UK between the years 1995 and 2005, spending 765 weeks in the Top 75 singles and albums charts. After over a year of live shows, rehearsals and a recording of a proper demo (known as the ―Live Demonstration‖ tape), the band's big break came in May 1993 when they were spotted by co-owner Alan McGee. Oasis were invited to play a gig at King Tut's Wah Wah Hut club in , , by a band called Sister Lovers, who shared their rehearsal rooms. Oasis, along with a group of friends, found the money to hire a van and make the journey to Glasgow. When they arrived, they were entry to the club as they were not on that night's set list, which reportedly caused the band to bully their way in (although both the band and McGee have given contradicting statements about how they actually managed to get into the club on that night). They were given the opening slot and impressed McGee, who was there to see 18 Wheeler, one of his own bands. McGee was so impressed by what he saw he signed the band to Creation four days later. Due to problems securing an American contract, Oasis ended up signing a worldwide contract with Sony, which in turn licensed Oasis to Creation in the UK.

 Discography (1995-2009)

Following a limited release of the demo of their song "Columbia", their first single, "Supersonic", was released in April 1994, reaching number 31 in the charts. Oasis had their first UK number one single in April 1995 with "". During this period, the British press seized upon a supposed rivalry between Oasis and Britpop band Blur. Previously, Oasis did not associate themselves with the Britpop movement and were not invited to perform on the BBC's "Britpop Now" programme introduced by Blur singer . On 14 August 1995, Blur and Oasis released new singles on the same day, setting up "The Battle of Britpop" that dominated the national news. Blur's "Country House" outsold Oasis' "Roll with It" 274,000 copies to 216,000 during the week.

5 ―‖, their first studio album went straight to number one in the UK Albums Charts on initial release. It was the fastest selling debut album of all time in the UK when it was released and went on to be certified 7x Platinum (2.1 million+ sales) by the BPI. It marked the beginning of Oasis' success in America, selling over one million copies there, despite only peaking at 58 on the Billboard 200. The album went on to sell over eight million copies worldwide and brought widespread critical acclaim. ―(What's the Story) Morning Glory?‖ is the second studio album by the English rock band Oasis, released in October 1995 through Creation Records. The album is the band's most enduring commercial success, staying at number one in the UK charts for 10 weeks, and reaching number four in the U.S. It propelled Oasis from being a crossover indie act to a worldwide rock phenomenon. It has been pinpointed by music critics as a significant record in the timeline of British indie music, demonstrating just how far into the mainstream independent music had ventured, and is followed by ―Be here now‖ (1997) and ―Standing on the shoulder of giants‖ (2000). Throughout 2001, Oasis split time between sessions for their fifth studio album and live shows around the world. Some gigs included the month-long Tour of Brotherly Love with The Black Crowes and and a show in supporting . The album, ―‖, Oasis' first album with new members and , was released in July 2002. The album reached number 1 in the UK and number 23 in US, although critics gave it mixed reviews. After much turbulence, the band's sixth album was recorded in -based Capitol Studios when producer Sardy took over the lead producing role from Noel, who decided to step back from these duties after a decade of producing leadership over the band. In May 2005, after three years and as many scrapped recording sessions, the band released their sixth studio album, ―Don't Believe the Truth‖, fulfilling their contract with Sony BMG. The record was generally hailed as the band's best effort since ―Morning Glory‖ by fans and critics alike, spawning two UK number one singles: "Lyla" and "The Importance of Being Idle", whilst "Let There Be Love" entered at number 2. Oasis picked up two awards at the Q Awards: one a special People's Choice Award and the second for ―Don't Believe the Truth‖ as Best Album. Following in the footsteps of Oasis' previous albums, ―Don't Believe the Truth‖ also entered the UK album charts at number one. In June 2008, the band re-signed with Sony BMG for a three-album deal. Oasis recorded for a couple of months in 2007 between July and September—completing work on two new songs and demoing the rest. , the band's seventh studio album, was released on 6 October and went to number one in the UK and number five on the Billboard 200. The band's again-new lineup started touring for a projected 18-month long tour, with support from , The Enemy and Twisted Wheel. Noel Gallagher gave conflicting information about what he planned for the group's future following the tour. In one interview, he stated that he wanted the band members "to go off and do [their] own projects", and added "it would be interesting to see what comes out. See how the four parts make up the whole." On August 28, 2009, following a fight between the Gallaghers in a backstage area, which reportedly resulted in Liam breaking Noel's guitar, the group's manager announced the cancellation of their concert at the festival near Paris just minutes before it was about to begin, along with the cancellation of the European tour and a statement that the group "does not exist anymore".

6 Two hours later a statement from Noel appeared on the band's website writing that "with some sadness and great relief...I quit Oasis tonight. People will write and say what they like, but I simply could not go on working with Liam a day longer". On 5 September 2009, it was reported in that Liam Gallagher was planning to continue with Oasis despite Noel's absence. Many bands and artists have cited Oasis as an influence or inspiration, including The Killers, Arctic Monkeys, The Enemy, , , , The Strokes, , , The Kooks, The Rifles, , and Kasabian.

7 4. Arctic Monkeys

 Early years and record deal (2002–2005)

―They’re an amazing band and they’re northerners, like us. I look at these and I know they’re not going to ruin it, because they’re solid, they love each other those four. I stood out in the front in Brixton with all the sweaty people and there’s only two bands I’ve done that for. I saw The Libertines at The Forum and they had something for a while, but they lost it. But watching that, they’re the only two things that I’ve seen since Oasis that had what we had and The Libertines lost it. They [Arctic Monkeys] have proved to me that youth culture is alive. If that’s the music that the kids are making then I’m happy for the kids. And I’m happier because I didn’t feel old at their gig.‖ (Noel Gallagher) Formed in 2002 in , a suburb of , UK, the band currently consists of (lead vocals, lead/rhythm guitar), (rhythm/lead guitar), Nick O'Malley (bass guitar, backing vocals) and (drums, percussion, backing vocals). They began rehearsing at Yellow Arch Studios in Neepsend, and played their first gig on 13 June 2003 at The Grapes in Sheffield city-centre. After a few performances in 2003 the band began to record demos at 2fly studios in Sheffield. Seventeen songs were demoed in all and the collection, now known as ―‖, were burned on to CDs to give away at gigs, which were promptly file-shared amongst fans. Slowly as more demos were spread, they were all classified under this name. This has led to many people falsely believing that ―Beneath the Boardwalk‖ was an early album, or that the early demos were all released under this heading. The group did not mind the distribution, saying "we never made those demos to make money or anything. We were giving them away free anyway – that was a better way for people to hear them", admitting that they did not even know how to get their songs onto the Internet. When asked about the popularity of the band's MySpace site in an interview with Prefix Magazine, the band said that they were unaware what it was, and that the site had originally been created by their fans. They began to grow in popularity across the north of England, receiving attention from BBC Radio and the British tabloid press. A local amateur photographer, Mark Bull, filmed the band's performances and made the to "Fake Tales of ", releasing it on his website, alongside the contents of ―Beneath the Boardwalk”. In May 2005, Arctic Monkeys released their first single, ―Five Minutes with Arctic Monkeys‖ on their own Bang Bang label, featuring the songs "Fake Tales of San Francisco" and "From the Ritz to the Rubble". This release was limited to 500 CDs and 1000 records, but was also available to download from the iTunes Music Store. Soon after, the band played at the Carling Stage of the Reading and Festivals, reserved for less known or unsigned bands. Their appearance was hyped by much of the music press and the band was watched by an unusually large crowd.

8 Eventually, they signed to Domino in June 2005. The band said they were attracted to the "DIY ethic" of Domino owner Laurence Bell, who ran the label from his flat and only signed bands that he liked personally. Their first single with Domino, "I bet you look good on the dancefloor", was released on 17 October 2005 and went straight to #1 on the UK Singles Chart. The success preceding ―I bet you look good on the dancefloor‖ didn’t intimidate the Monkeys, but caused Turner to protest against overnight success he felt they had not earned yet. The video – a live performance of the tune – begins with a piece of advice for the crowd: ―Don’t believe the hype‖, quote which is representative for Arctic Monkeys’ attitude until this day for their reluctance towards praises such being declared as the band with the potential to become ―bigger than ‖ by NY Times, only managing to further irritate Turner who found the statement insulting towards his favourite band and felt they had not even musically made their point yet. Their second single, "When Goes Down" released on 16 January 2006, also went straight to #1 on the UK Singles Chart, selling 38,922 copies. The band's success with little marketing or advertising led some to suggest that it could signal a change in how new bands achieve recognition.

 Discography (2006-present)

The band finished recording their debut album, ―Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not‖, at Chapel Studios in Lincolnshire in September 2005. It became the fastest selling debut album in UK chart history, selling 363,735 copies in the first week. This smashed the previous record of 306,631 copies, and sold more copies on its first day alone – 118,501 – than the rest of the Top 20 albums combined. The cover sleeve of ―Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not‖, showing Chris McClure, a friend of the band smoking a cigarette, was criticized by the head of the NHS in Scotland for "reinforcing the idea that smoking is OK". The image on the CD itself is a shot of an ashtray full of cigarettes. The band's product manager denied the accusation, and suggested the opposite – "You can see from the image smoking is not doing him the world of good." The band's second album, ―Favourite Worst Nightmare‖, was released on 23 April 2007, a week after the release of accompanying single "". Like its predecessor, "Favourite Worst Nightmare" also went straight to #1 in the album charts. Early reviews of the release were positive, and described it as "very, very fast and very, very loud." Meanwhile, the band continued to pick up awards from around the world, namely the Best New Artist in the United States at the PLUG Independent Music Awards, the Album of the Year awards in Japan, Ireland and the US, awards for Best Album and Best Music DVD at the 2007 NME Awards. They ended the year by clinching the Best British Band and Best British Album at the 2008 BRIT Awards. For the second year in a row, the band were nominated for the annual , although they failed to match their feat of 2006 after the award went to ' ―Myths of the Near Future‖.

9 On 29 April 2007, the day ―Favourite Worst Nightmare‖ charted at #1 in the UK Albums Chart, all 12 tracks from the album charted in the Top 200 of the UK Singles Chart. On 27 April 2007 they had a total of 18 tracks in the Top 200. In a preview article on ClashMusic.com, writer Simon Harper claimed that the band had "completely defied any expectations or presumptions to explore the depths they can reach when stepping foot outside their accepted styles", and that "Turner is his usual eloquent self, but has definitely graduated into an incomparable writer whose themes twist and turn through stories and allegories so potent and profound it actually leaves one breathless". On the same site, Alex Turner revealed that the band had listened to , and Cream while writing the new album, the title of which would be ―Humbug‖. Like both of its predecessors, the album went straight to #1. Q magazine reported that the fourth Arctic Monkeys album will be of a "more accessible vintage" than ―Humbug‖. Q printed edition 299 states ―It's the sound of a band drawing back the curtains and letting the sunshine in‖. On 10 March 2011 the band revealed the album is to be called ―‖ and was released on 6 June 2011. The band allowed fans to listen to the entire album on their website before deciding about whether to purchase it or not. "Suck It and See" was then released on 6 June 2011, and went straight to #1 in the album charts. In doing so, Arctic Monkeys became only the second band in history to debut four albums in a row at the top of the charts.

 „Turner‟s affair‟ - The Last Shadow Puppets

Front man Alex Turner has been regarded by many as a talented and varied lyricist, who has successfully written music in a range of different styles, including film score for the British movie ―Submarine‖, and also the most poetic song writer of his generation. Many try to sing about life’s mudanity, but what makes Alex Turner stand out as a genius is that he makes getting chucked out of the queue of a sound exhilarating, a life-affirming right of passage. Yet his co-writing with The Last Shadow Puppets, the so-called ―Turner’s affair‖ due to a his statement quoted on the cover of NME regarding the side-project - ―I was worried the Monkeys would think I’d had an affair‖ - allowed Turner to explore a more cinematic view of storytelling. It’s that combination of emotional mystique and sharp observation that have coloured the Monkey’s best work. In August 2007, NME magazine reported that he and lead singer of newly formed The Rascals, , would be recording an album with , old friend of Turner and producer of all four Arctic Monkeys albums, producing and playing drums. Turner and Kane had become friends when Kane's previous band, The Little Flames, played support for Arctic Monkeys on their 2005 UK tour. The Little Flames also supported Arctic Monkeys on their April 2007 UK tour, when Turner and Kane wrote songs together for a collaborative project which would satisfy their desire to revive a type a music that their generation had forgotten about. Their collaboration initially extended into Arctic Monkeys material. The initial recording of the songs that would eventually form their debut album took place in in late August 2007 with additional material added between August and December of that year. 10 was appointed to arrange the strings, brass and percussion for the album with the 22-piece Metropolitan Orchestra. Their first and so far only record, ―The age of the understatement‖, boils over with the sheer fun of its own making: galloping violins sweep and swoon as if they are auditioning for the production of ―Phantom Of The Opera‖, producer James Ford hammers out stampeding lounge beats on the drums and Alex and Miles swap harmonies like Eurovision lovebirds from 1972. The duo's almost indistinguishable voices occasionally chafe against the lush backing, but there's still a fervour to their harmonies at odds with Turner's usual laconic approach. Their pastiches feature such an abundance of loving detail that ―The age of the understatement‖ frequently seems as much about the overwhelming effect Scott Walker's greatest hits can have on the listener as the mysterious ―femme fatale‖ who inhabits almost every lyric. It's an album that bounds out of the speakers, grabs you by the arm and starts yelling about the fantastic records it's been listening to recently. Even if you heard those same records years ago, it's hard not to find that kind of enthusiasm infectious. NME writes ―Turner’s affair‖ is a remarkable achievement – ―a modern reinvigoration of an archaic, dead musical language‖.

11

Conclusion

With newly acquired knowledge on the journey towards the worldwide success of these acts, as well as a general perspective over the international indie scene, at least two conclusions are easily drawn. Firstly, ―independent rock‖ was the result of the desire for the common working class man’s chance at recognition and his need for music which he could easily relate to. It came as a response to the music industry’s tendency to revolve around financial gain, promoting means of pursuing dreams at reasonable costs, thus, representing the opposing camp in this battle for establishing what should rightfully be placed at the foundations of every musical act. Secondly, it is interesting that the ―heroes‖ of this movement, regardless of their age and era, fall into a pattern of the initially anonymous misfit, setting out to change the world with no weapon beside an idea and the power of their own will, becoming a glorified genius and controversial maverick - a type of character the common man can aspire to be, but is unlikely to ever succeed. Seemingly, it is enough to know that it is possible, not necessarily probable, for anyone who has something valuable to show the world to stand out, and that there are still artists out there who make music for your soul, not only for your wallet.

ii Appendices

Appendix 1 - The Smiths on the cover of NME in 2011

iii

Appendix 2 – Noel Gallagher of Oasis on the cover of Q magazine in 1996

iv

Appendix 3 – Arctic Monkeys on the cover of Hot Press in 2009

v Bibliography

1. Reference books:

 Fonarow, Wendy, 2006, ―Empire of Dirt: The Aesthetics and Rituals of British Indie Culture‖, Wesleyan University Press, Middletown, USA;  Goddard, Simon, 2006, ―The Smiths: Songs that saved your life‖, Reynolds & Hearn, USA  Mathur, Paul, 1996, ―Take me there: Oasis story‖, , London, UK  Craic, Seamus, 2010, ―Arctic Monkeys‖, Artnik Publishing, London, UK

2. Internet sources:

 Wikipedia.org  NME.com  Guardian.co.uk  ClashMusic.com

vi