Published: Tuesday, 12th January, 2010 7:00pm

Breathtaking scene

by Reading Rocks Steady

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READING is on the rise again - that's the view of promoter, DJ and all round Reading-music-scene-hero Pete Wheeler in his exclusive column for The Guide this week (see Reading Chronicle, Thursday January 14).

It is with baited breath that I must agree with him.

Born and raised in Manchester and oak-barrel matured in Sheffield, I've lived in a few cities that pack serious musical punch. Nobody expects Reading to be in the same league as Manchester - for starters, Reading's population is incomparable with Greater Manchester's two and a half million. It's not even a city.

But when friends from the far North grimace and tentatively ask me, "So, what's the music scene like?" I can happily and honestly reply that it is a thousand times better than they imagine it to be.

No, nobody has taken an iconic album cover shot outside Sonning Working Men's Club and no band will ever start a riot over the Royals. But there is a lot going on here.

Take just three of the best. Personal favourites Pete And The Pirates are sure to be the last word in indie this year - their charming lyrics, clever double vocals and kicking guitars have already won hearts all across the globe.

Midimidis are unashamedly polarising: most people either love or hate their music which is patchworked together from sampled 80s games consoles. But that is exactly what makes them so exciting.

This duo approach things with the attitude that what they are creating is more like art than something designed to get everyone happily singing along on Radio 1, and every day they are pushing limits.

Attention Thieves are another band that excite me - and not just because of their outrageous good looks. Their fresh, punky rock has caught the attention of a big name music producer too: Reading-based Adam Whittaker who has worked with the likes of Mark Ronson and The Doves. Check out The Guide's interview with him this week too.

Wheels is right - Reading's music scene IS on the rise, and I'm very excited to be a part of it. Keep up via The Guide in The Chronicle and online, by joining some of the local Facebook groups (try starting here: http://bit.ly/8f6JvH ) and, most importantly, by getting out into town and supporting the young bands trying to make their marks.