Thriving music scene could explode thanks to city’s new cultural strategy

CREATING a cultural strategy for Portsmouth could help shine a light on the city’s thriving music scene, thrusting it into the spotlight.

That’s the view of Steve Courtnell, co-founder and owner of Southsea’s Pie and Vinyl.

The independent record store boss was fully behind the plan to set up Portsmouth Create and said it would help dispel harmful myths surround his beloved home city.

‘Portsmouth has got so much to shout about and perhaps this stigma that the city is a rough place to go to has held us back,’ he said.

‘But now we’re brave enough to say that’s not who we are and to challenge people to come and see what our city is really like.

‘It’s the perfect time for us to be doing something like this.’

Mr Courtnell felt the new cultural team could do wonders for the city’s underground music scene, which has been ‘bubbling away’ for years.

‘People have been working miracles around here for the last five or seven years,’ he added. ‘But we’re permanently fighting against this stigma of Portsmouth being this rough, undesirable place.

‘When people actually come here I think they’re really amazed at what the city is really like.

‘So any extra money or grants that can come into the city would be brilliant.’