Southsea

Take a cross-section of British society in its basic form, take the uniformity of the modern High Street and the mundane nature of the modern music fan and none would be found in Southsea. Quite a bold statement for such a small town located inside its uglier and often harder working older brother, Portsmouth. Southsea has and will undoubtedly continue to be an anomaly in an otherwise generic part of the south with some of the greatest cultural potential this side of Brighton but unlocking it will be the biggest quest the people of this town will ever have to achieve. Some would say that this has already been achieved and that Albert Road has fast become the street of choice for eaters and drinkers alike city-wide but I would say that the potential is far greater than people could imagine. In an age where the vast majority of the UK suffers from cultural stagnation it is refreshing to see that a small enclave of an island off an island can claim to be at the very heart of hedonism, a true gem of eclectic citizens all with the same relative ideas of live music and great atmosphere. You can go to very few places in Britain and feel part of something truly unique where, particularly along Albert Road, you are faced with an almost enviable mix of pubs, quirky shops and restaurants that haven’t sold their soul to corporatism and will probably continue in this same fashion for generations to come unbowed by the modernist’s dream of pedestrianisation and plastic facades.

Southsea truly holds the ultimate sense of eclecticism, a place that has been relatively well-hidden from the outside world as a place of character with an alternative vision. Walking amongst the Stella-boys migrating south from Guildhall walk you can still bump into the several thousand of students all vying for a place at the bar dressed in their golfing attire. Meanwhile you can still hold that drunken conversation with a member of the Old Conservative Club about the state of Sunday League refereeing whilst being heckled by twelve Pompey fans buoyant after Fulham away. This truly is the cosmopolitan mix that the Blairite years fascinated about, albeit without the middle-England blandness and wannabe’s drinking espresso’s on the pavement because they think it’s the done thing. One thing Southsea can claim is that it doesn’t subscribe to recent fads or trends in popular culture in so much that you can be 99% sure that whatever is popular in the rest of the country Southsea refuses to follow suit. The scene-ista’s that give any town or city its edge have found their home in Southsea too through the recent indie-girl converts hanging around the bands in Jonny Russell’s to the Fred Perry mopheads reliving a mod-revival moment because you can add a swagger and a Marlboro Light and be someone else. With only two credible live music venues dotted around Albert Road its hard to believe that so many bands have had the chance to showcase their talents and this has always been the real let-down with an otherwise up and coming scene. With more and more places to eat and drink opening all the time surely it is time to really showcase the talent and solidarity of such a fascinating corner of the world and provide the places and nights with which the potential truly deserves.