Croakheads North: an Interview with Abzero
Q: What does the scene mean to you personally?
The scene, especially local, brings me so much joy. Whether I'm in it with my pals or alone, I love to take a moment to look around and soak in the happiness that everyone is experiencing with each other and that stays with me for a few days after I get home! I'm a sober raver and it means a lot to me that the scene doesn't pressure me to drink and it really does feel like it's about the music in some cases. As much as there is this joy, I think it's really difficult for artists these days because promoters are only booking their friends and not scouting for talent outside their friend groups. I would like to see the sense of community broaden a little bit more.
Q: Which Northern grassroots venue shaped you the most, and why?
This venue is incredibly new but the impact it had on me was immediate and beautiful and that is The Bag Factory. This venue was born from a group of pals who had a vision and stood up and did something about it. The vibe is so beautifully intimate, the decoration is brilliant and most importantly the staff are the best people ever. I find myself at The Bag Factory multiple times a month, I can't help it, It has it's hooks in me.
Q: What’s the biggest challenge facing grassroots venues in your area right now?
I think about this a lot and even did a uni project on it. The challenge is finances but also ravers willingly choosing large scale raves/concerts over local stuff. People love to say that there's no money in the scene but I see posts everywhere of people going to WHP and O2 venues every weekend and ordering rounds and rounds of £8 pints so the money is there but people are just not choosing us. I can appreciate how a massive arena concert can feel but to me the smaller scale ones are where the love is. If you love a producer, there's almost certainly a local DJ rinsing all their tunes that you could go and see for £6.
Q: What gives you hope for the future of Northern nightlife?
The bright ideas that my fellow women in the scene have. I speak to a lot of women who are tired of how things are in the scene right now and I love our back and forth of innovative ideas and I really believe in them, they are the future of northern nightlife. It's also the artists and promoters who are taking risks for the love of the craft, I speak to artists who want to ditch CDJS and perform in other ways and I speak to promoters who want to switch up the concept of the rave. The people that take creative risks are going to save our nightlife.
