Music in Cornwall

Cornwall has always had a good reputation for live music.  Back in the 80's and 90's the now sadly demised Cornwall Coliseum played host to world famous artists such as Paul McCartney, Elton John, Genesis, The Smiths, Blondie, Black Sabbath, New Order and Siouxsie and the Banshees.  

The latest news on Cornwall's music scene is that a group of shanty singers from Port Isaac called The Fisherman's Friends have just signed a million pound deal with the Universal label, home of Lady GaGa and Take That.  With the album released in April and appearances at Glastonbury and other festivals booked, who knows where this will lead! 

Since the turn of the century, the Eden Sessions have taken over the mantle of drawing the big names into the county, with the likes of Muse, Kaiser Chiefs, Kasabian, Basement Jaxx and Lily Allen coming down and wowing the audiences with the stunningly lit biomes as a backdrop.  This year sees Primal Scream, Pendulum, Brandon Flowers, Fleet Foxes and The Flaming Lips as headliners.

Hall for Cornwall in Truro has lately played host to Bloc Party, Newton Faulkner and Elbow, with the Princess Pavilion at Falmouth catering to the needs of the resident student population with the latest indie bands, along with the best of the tribute bands and homegrown talent.

But to get down to an even more local level, the live music scene in Cornwall's pubs is hard to beat.  Most nights of the week you can find pretty much every genre of music playing somewhere - whether you prefer folk to rock, or punk to indie, then there is probably a band playing to suit your particular tastes.  

For up to date info on who's playing where, check out the local press such as the West Briton, Cornishman or Cornish Guardian.