BurySOUND’s history explored ahead of competition’s return for 27th year in Bury St Edmunds
Before a town’s popular annual music competition kicks off tomorrow night, we take a look at the competition’s origins and nearly three decades of history.
Since its launch in 1998, BurySOUND has been a platform for emerging musical talent in Bury St Edmunds and beyond with its annual ‘battle of the bands’-style competition.
Decades earlier, live music in the town faced a major setback after The Clash’s infamous 1978 gig at The Corn Exchange led to a ban on live events in Bury, an era Paul Johnson – who worked with Bury youth and community development officer Jackie Smith to develop the BurySOUND concept – said was like ‘something out of Footloose’.
He said: “The music ban was taken very, very seriously in the town, it was like a grudge against rock and roll.”
In the late 1990s, Paul was a student studying travel and tourism in Ipswich when his class was given a final major project (similar to a dissertation) to create a concept event which would engage young people.
While some suggested fashion shows or art exhibitions, Paul envisioned a music competition. He shared the idea with Jackie Smith, who was already leading efforts to bring live gigs to town and played a key role in establishing Bury’s first skate park.
Jackie said: “I visited every upper school in the area, gathering as much input as possible on what young people wanted. Music was a top priority, and from there, it just snowballed.
“I wanted it to be as professional as possible to give young people the chance to perform on a real stage. It only happened thanks to the hard work of our volunteers.
“It’s amazing to see how much it has grown since its early days. Credit goes to the community who got it off the ground back then and the local businesses that sponsored it and provided prizes.
“It’s such a special thing and I’m incredibly proud to have been a part of it.”
The original idea was for multiple towns to have their own version of the competition, such as HaverhillSOUND or SudburySOUND, and he remembers being drawn to the capitalised branding of the name.
“Even on paper, it looks loud,” Paul said. “That was the energy I wanted in Bury — something a bit new and exciting.
“We had the challenge of manufacturing something out of nothing really and I guess that really appealed to me.”
He also wanted the name to echo the Scouse slang, ‘that’s sound’, meaning something is great.
While Paul’s concept helped to spark the idea for the music competition, it was Jackie who became the driving force behind BurySOUND, shaping the event and the town’s thriving music scene.
Due to work commitments, Paul said he was not as involved in the competition’s growth as he had hoped but continued to support from the sidelines.
BurySOUND’s popularity exploded in the 2000s thanks to Jackie’s leadership, with early winners like Billion Dollar Brain, The Hip Down, Miss Black America, Blue Gandhi and Percythrower in the spotlight.
A key musician and figure during this period was Seymour Quigley (formerly Seymour Glass) who performed with winning bands Billion Dollar Brain and Miss Black America — which went on to have their music featured on BBC Radio One, earning them coverage in NME and Kerrang!
Seymour said he reflects on that time in his life with fondness and credits Jackie for nurturing his music interests at a time when the town had few venues to support that passion.
“We had to travel to Cambridge, Ipswich, Norwich or Colchester just to see live music,” he said. “There was no appetite for it in Bury — no venues were willing to support local bands.
“But when I met Jackie, she was an adult who actually took us seriously. She listened to our dreams of performing and made us believe they were possible. If you wanted to do something creative, she made you feel like you could actually achieve it.
“Thanks to her, I played on a huge stage in the Abbey Gardens and I performed Motorcycle Emptiness by Manic Street Preachers — and I had no idea that moment would change everything. People in the crowd approached me afterwards and that’s how Miss Black America started.
“Being on that stage didn’t just give me confidence — it set my entire life into motion. I even met my wife while on tour with the band.”
After Jackie stepped down from BurySOUND, Simon Pickering took over as lead organiser from 2007 to 2014, overseeing wins from acts like The Four Kicks, Student, Head-Full and Cure Caballo.
However, Simon recalled the period as challenging — attributing the competition’s cancellation in 2012 to a shift in youth culture.
“It happens all the time, doesn’t it?” he said. “Everything goes in waves. Something is cool one minute and the next, no one is coming to the shows.
“We moved BurySOUND from the Corn Exchange to The Apex and, for some reason, it just didn’t click with young people at the time.”
Despite the decline in numbers, Simon remained passionate about providing opportunities for the town’s youth.
He said: “It was such an amazing thing to be part of. We wanted to give young people a chance to get involved, whether performing or working behind the scenes on the sound desk or lighting. I wanted to give people those fantastic opportunities.”
As Bury’s youth and community development officer, Simon continued championing youth projects in the town, including supporting the 2015 skate park redevelopment which secured £250,000 for a major revamp which he describes as ‘one of the best things I’ve ever done’.
After the music competition took a year off, Simon joined forces with Seymour, who was involved with putting on gigs at The Hunter Club with the support of venue owner Nick Pooley.
With Nick’s support, the competition was restructured with heats taking place at The Hunter Club and each heat winner would secure a spot in the grand final — performing on the larger stage at The Apex.
This format remains in place today, producing winners such as The Virtues, Suburban Minds, Tundra and Influx Of Insanity throughout the late 2010s.
Seymour’s dedication to Bury’s music scene continues as he now runs BurySOUND alongside Tim Willett, the creator and host of the New Music Generator radio show which highlights emerging talent across East Anglia.
Seymour said: “We have gradually built the scene up over the years which is why it went from having three heats with 12 bands to now having five heats with 25 bands.
“That growth really is down to having a great venue like The Hunter Club — I highly doubt BurySOUND would be what it is today without it.
“I think there used to be quite a bit of rivalry between the bands taking part back in the day, but we haven’t got that at all anymore — its all about just having fun and getting involved with our town’s brilliant music scene.”
A poignant moment unfolded at last year’s BurySOUND competition when Seymour paused the show to acknowledge someone in the crowd — Paul Johnson – the man who helped to form the initial idea for the competition.
Despite sparking the concept that Jackie would go on to lead, Paul had never attended a BurySOUND gig until last year.
As Seymour introduced him, the crowd erupted into applause — welcoming him into the music community that had grown without him for nearly 30 years.
Paul said: “That was a really special moment for me, I just wasn’t expecting it at all and I honestly didn’t know how to react.
“My relationship with BurySOUND has always felt a bit surreal — even now, I’ll be out shopping and spot the poster for it in the supermarket and it’s wild to think it’s still going strong after all these years.
“I’m really proud to see how much it continues to thrive.”
Recent winners include Fleas, Collars, Bluefeed and Jaded Teeth and now all eyes are set on this year’s competition as a new wave of talent takes to the stage.
The first heat kicks off tomorrow at 6pm at The Hunter Club and you can secure your tickets here.
For the full lineup of acts set to perform across this year’s five heats, follow this link.
Seymour added: “BurySOUND gives people the freedom to step on stage and try something new — that’s its core purpose and it will always serve that purpose, it will always make people’s lives better.
“Even for those who don’t pursue a career in music, so many people have gone on to achieve incredible things and I truly believe BurySOUND helps build confidence in ways that stay with people for life.
“People are always welcome at The Hunter Club and I hope anyone reading this will come down, say hello and get involved.”
