A Maverick Metropolis

First up, I’m delighted to report that ‘Track 12’ has, over its two parts, already clocked up the highest combined readership for any instalment of ‘Challenge 69’ so far. I had fears of a drop-off, so I would like to pass on a big thank-you, once again, to every subscriber, old and new, who is sticking with (and hopefully enjoying) the story.

But while we wait for ‘Track 13’, which is currently going through final edits and will ‘hit the streets’ next Saturday 11th March, I thought I could use this interim post to explore a question which fits in thematically with the book.

Which city can lay claim to the most maverick musical heritage?

Let’s leave the USA to one side for now (parking them on a shelf for another post, another time) and restrict this, today, to a UK centric question?

Here is a quick rundown of the contenders:

• London, despite the supposed levelling up agenda, probably still has more of everything! From the Stones & Kinks, through the Clash & Pistols, up to Blur & Coldplay, the capital has probably always had a monopoly on the ‘biggest selling’ bands, but I would argue this is typically more mainstream than maverick.

• Liverpool is always going to feature on any such list due to the Beatles legacy (who I used to dismiss, but would now maintain were indeed mavericks), and it definitely had an offbeat purple period in the 70s/80s (Bunnymen, Teardrops, Wah, FGTH etc.), but hasn’t come up with a huge amount since?

• Manchester in true arrogant, Gallagher style will always lay claim to this title (or any other), and in Factory Records can definitely make a strong case for having spawned the most maverick Label, but I heard the mayor Andy Burnham concede recently that, “musically, we’re still living on past glories,” and I agree with him.

• Glasgow would easily walk away with the Scottish title (just as Celtic or Rangers do), and deserve a mention here, if only for Postcard Records’ “Sound of Young Scotland,” and Alan McGee’s Creation renaissance, but could they really cut it in the Premier maverick league?

• I feel duty bound to give a shout out to Sheffield where, again, a good case can be made for a truly explosive age of ‘alternative ascendency’ during the post-punk phase, with weirdness seemingly lurking around every corner. But I’m not sure the city can really be said to have stood the individualistic test of time.

So, if none of those, who are we left with?

Having interrogated my record collection, and researched online, when it comes to musical nonconformism there would appear to me to be one clear, unrivalled winner.

With an occasional lapse into mainstream output (more of which below), there is one city, it seems to me, that has consistently delivered the highest quality of mavericity.

Please take a big step forward:

Leeds …

… and I will rest my case with the attached playlist; a (lucky for some) thirteen prime cuts of the finest leftfield Leeds (which I’m afraid, with apologies to any fans, is an entirely Kaiser Chiefs and Alt-J free zone!)

Please enjoy.

PS. I wanted to make sure I included at least one current Leeds group on my list (to avoid any accusation of living in the past!), and it simply strengthened my argument that I had so many options to choose from.

In the end though, who could possibly resist a song called ‘Bart Cobain’!