COVtember 2024
Review
As with last year's event, COVtember 2024 must rate as a roaring (in every sense) success.
Conceived initially by Paul Quinn as an annual charitable fundraiser (with the beneficiaries changing each year), that of course must be seen as the chief value of all the efforts.
Yet as a slightly subsidiary outcome, the three day festival at The Tin has evolved into a very significant cultural event: arguably the most intense showcase of wholly local artists (the Godiva Festival will always draw more people in a vastly bigger environment but nearly all their headline acts are non-local).
Whether or not 2024 can be said as being "better" than last year's is moot: comparisons can be misleading & odious, but there is no doubt that COVtember as evolved into a very powerful expression of the local musical zeitgeist & long may it remain so.
The lineup Paul put together with Joe Colombi of Sink or Swim Promotions was spectacular again. I feel very validated in the high degree of cross-over with the artists whom we have championed at "Hot Music Live": the sense of shared values is palpable.
In 2024 this meant slots for artists including HEK, Bar Pandora, Man Made Moon, The Rollocks, The Muthas, Stegosaurus Sex Party, The Loaded, Brass Hip Flask and Vertigo Flowers who have already appeared on "Hot Music Live Presents" volumes.
However (hopefully like HMLP), COVtember has its eye on the future and occasionally the honoured past and so there were also appearances for the likes of Concrete Fun House or Creaking Twitch whom we'd love to feature similarly, recently recommended ones like Otto and the Dark who again now appear on our list but also ones like Celestial who'd not managed to convene for four years or so & were effectively playing as a special reunion.
But that's merely the beginning of the aspects worth telling you about. It's easy to list performers, less so to convey the atmosphere. It was convivial but also communal. There were so many other musicians in the audience (and it's one of those events where bands stay to watch others play) and a genuine sense of being delighted in the performances of others. No wonder that rubbed off on those on stage: everyone really seemed to be having a ball.
The logistics also need a mention before we go any further. The pace of changes was challenging yet the set times I witnessed were hit: despite the complexity of the technical setups of many artists (and despite the temptation to slim down in this respect, I didn't see anyone compromise on kit: they all wanted to display their best), the sound was superb throughout: hats off to the crew and also those staffing the bar etc. It really was a communal effort.
Given that degree of enthusiasm filtered through excellent sound, it's hardly surprising that the standard of what I heard was vey high: I enjoyed what I heard irrespective of the wider implications.
I wouldn't want to underplay the latter though: this sort of event, designed in this way & lovingly curated by Paul & Joe is an ideal ground for developing local music: the ideas of cliques & competition are not in the picture. The people involved care for others.
Some of these artists I'd like to hope are developing to the point where they will experience significant career breakthroughs in 2025: we may be seeing less of them locally, so I'm glad we saw them this weekend. Others may remain stalwarts of the Coventry & Warwickshire scene & yet others may just get together when & if circumstances allow for the joy of playing together again. In any event it's all very encouraging as well as enjoyable. Roll on next year's event.
