Video: Federico Cornetto finds out about the brand new underground music event Vocab
A team of Nottingham music event organisers called Acoustickle launched a brand new event called Vocab at the end of last year. Following its first date of 2017 last Friday (January 20), along with ambitious plans to expand, Federico Cornetto went to find out more about the increasingly popular event.
The story of Acoustickle began in 2009 at a pub on Mansfield Road.
Nottingham musician Parisa East was working at the bar and was given an opportunity to run a night when there was a gap in The Maze pub’s calendar.
She started off inviting some friends to play and decorating the venue with fancy tablecloths and candles.
However things soon escalated with more and more people joining the team and in eight years, Acoustickle saw hundreds of artists performing for them.
Acoustickle also became one of the first event organisers to book local world famous musicians Jake Bugg and Saint Raymond.
Parisa said: “Jake Bugg played for me about four or five times and asked me to be his manager because he said I was the only one booking him for gigs, and then a year later he was signed to a major label.
“When he came to me he was really young and I think he even lied about his age.
“I invite artists, singers, rappers and poets from Nottingham and the UK to come and jam with the band, I will keep it diverse and there will be jam session each time, so that all people can work with each other.
“Every month or two we had an Acoustickle night here at The Maze or at the Alley Café and we kept growing until we launched Vocab in November.”
A third night is happening in March with plans to expand outside Nottingham and book artists such as Stormzy in the future.
Parisa said: “I don’t want to give too much away but we are talking to venues in Birmingham and Leeds at the moment.
“As an artist booker I am interested in anyone with a beautiful voice or some really hard bars and a good flow.
“I like people who are very fresh and talented, and in terms of famous artists I would love to have someone like Stormzy.
“It would be great to have Stormzy on stage with the house band because I think he’s the kind of guy that would suit Vocab.”
Parisa says Vocab has the same set up as Acoustickle, with tables, chairs, decorations, incense and an intimate atmosphere, but this time she is selecting the artists who take part in the event and there is a house band playing with them on stage.
The genres showcased at Vocab range from hip hop to jazz and blues and even live poetry.
According to Parisa, Vocab is focused on underground artists and especially exponents of American black musical styles that have become popular in the UK.
The first Vocab night in November saw neo-soul singers Ben Hibbert and Chai performing on stage with rapper and poet Jahrel JP and London cellist Ayanna Witter-John, who headlined the event and amazed the audience with her ‘orchestral RnB’ music.
Chai and Ben Hibbert performed again at Vocab’s first night of 2017 on Friday (January 20) and were followed by hip-hop singer Devante Vaughan, rapper Kamar, RnB singer Onkaur and Blues singer Emily Franklin with Nottingham-based house band Three Body Trio.
Video: The opening performance at Vocab on Friday (January 20)
Singer Chai Larden thinks it’s critical for independent artists to have events like Vocab.
Chai said: “The main challenge of being an independent artist is the lack of recognition.
“You sit there writing all day and then you have to go to work to fund that writing, whereas if you are mainstream you get paid for it and you get recognition.
“Thankfully there are events like Vocab which bring underground artists to the forefront and if people want to know what is going on in Nottingham, they can just come here and find out.”
Ben Hibbert is similarly enthusiastic about Vocab.
He said: “Parisa always gathers together quite a good mix of musicians.
“I have done some other similar events before and sometimes you sit through the night thinking that maybe you are not going to stick around.
“But with Vocab I am wanting to stick around as there have been some amazing artists performing here.”
Hip-hop rapper Devante Vaughn comes from London where he is part of a collective of rappers called Society of Alumni and is currently studying in Nottingham.
On Friday, he took part in Vocab for his second ever gig in Nottingham.
He said: “The music scene in Nottingham is great, because there are so many underground artists and so many small opportunities that can lead to bigger things; it’s beautiful.”
“When you are an independent artist you face many challenges, like getting people to come to your gigs, but at the same time you have a lot of freedom as you are not commercialised.
“Me personally, I am chasing the art, the whole time is me being on a chase, not trying to make sales but trying to make the best music I possibly can, while I can.”
With Parisa’s ambition to make Vocab into a top independent music event and the great response that the first two instalments received from the public, these may be the events music fans in Nottingham will look forward to.
