Sheffield blog

Sheffield’s shoegazers

The Suncharms were part of Sheffield’s contribution to the shoegazing music scene of the late 80s/early 90s.

Shoegazing is characterised spacey tones, a groovy feel and melodic vocals often buried in a wall of fuzzy guitars. Notable bands of the genre include Ride, Catherine wheel and Chapterhouse, and although not as successful, those that remember the Suncharms do so with fondness.

I’m told that they were named after a soft drinks factory in their home town of Huddersfield called Suncharm which sold dandilion and burdock and lemonade in glass bottles.

The two 12″s that they released are now quite collectable. Their debut EP – out 18 years ago this month – included the track Sparkle and got good reviews after being sent to the music weeklies in a Catherine wheel record sleeve. It was also played by John Peel.

Tranquil day was the follow up release and continues in much the same vain of their debut. Hear this at the Static fuzz blog where it is described as ‘fuzzy pop melodies wrapped in sugar-coated melancholy’.

According to this article, the band continued until 1993 with a final live appearance at BBC Radio 1′s Sound City in their adopted home of Sheffield. It turns out that the drummer went on to be a teacher here where he was also known to play drums in bands with his pupils.

Here is a psychedelic video for Sparkle, edited using live footage from a Library theatre gig in Sheffield:

June 2009 update

Here are this month’s additions to the list of Sheffield people and organisations of interest on  Twitter, with perhaps the most notable being the addition of the council (@SCCPressOffice). The full directory can be found on the Sheffield Twitter users page.

Sheffield city council press office – the council’s press office
@SCCPressOffice

Art Sheffield – Sheffield contemporary art forum
@artsheffield

Sheffield Hallam university – the university’s central Twitter account
@sheffhallamuni

Quba new media – web agency
@quba_nm

Sheffield live – community radio station
@Sheffieldlive

Fuse  – show on the university’s Forge radio station
@FUSE_forgeradio

Celluloid screams – Sheffield horror film festival
@sheffhorrorfest

SSiD Sheffield – University of Sheffield student services
@SSiDSheffield

Vox Sheffield – Volunteer-led organisation that exists to nurture, encourage and showcase creative expression and experimentation
@voxsheffield

Sheffbookclub – Twitter-based book club on Sheffield
@Sheffbookclub

The Earl – Queens Road pub
@EarlPub

SCCWeb – Sheffield city council web team
@SCCWeb

Sheffield university Japan society – University of Sheffield student Japan group
@shefjapansoc

ELR auctions – Antique and fine art auctioneers and valuers
@ELR_AUCTIONS

teamNomad – digital agency
@teamnomad

Becky Hayes – Hallam FM presenter and former High street honey
@Bhorhais

PH weddings – wedding photography and planning
http://twitter.com/PHWeddings

Shane Rounce – designer and photographer
@srounce

Martin Field – photographer
@martinfield1

Team Cooper – Flash developers
@tim_cooper_uk

BFFS – British federation of film societies
@_BFFS_/

PHS Sheffield – Psychological health website updates
@PHSsheffield

Sheffield alumni – University of Sheffield alumni department
@SheffieldAlumni

CAaD – contemporary art as dialogue blog
@CAaDSheffield

Bex knitwear – hand knitter and designer of knitwear
@bexknitwear

If you want to be listed on it then follow @sheffieldblog, get in touch or comment below.

‘The only place to buy Guinness cake in Sheffield’

A few months ago I asked @sheffieldblog Twitter followers where the best independent coffee shop was to be found in Sheffield. The responses included many of the popular outlets, although Bragazzis wasn’t mentioned which surprised me a little, as I rate that as one of the best.

While there is talk of Bragazzis imminently moving down the road to a bigger location, another gem of a shop opened last week a little further down Abbeydale Road: the Rude Shipyard.

You might have seen it mentioned in last week’s Sheffield Telegraph, and I would definitely recommend a visit. The place has a lovely feel to it, with bookcases lining the walls, proper old furniture and a collection of musical instruments in the corner which customers can play if they want. In fact, the atmosphere reminds me a bit of both Cocoa and Bragazzis.

The drinks are good – excellent coffee and a range of teas including sweet chilli – and the Guinness cake is amazing. The rest of the homemade food menu looks tasty, with eggs sourced locally from hens owned by friends of proprietors Sally and Pete.

You’ll get a warm welcome from the owners and they have plans for plenty of events including jukebox Sundays, open mic poetry and prose nights, bistro evenings and there is currently a competition to design the sign for their toilet door. Keep an eye on their Facebook page for what is going on.

Oh, and it is open until 8pm during the week and 10:30pm on a Saturday so offers a cosy alternative to the pub.

Amazing Guinness cake at the Rude Shipyard coffee shop, Sheffield