Hello, Babe. Ready to Gig in the City with me?
I'm Cheri Amour, a freelance writer, editor, and pop enthusiast. Babe, Gig In The City? is a love letter to live music and a place to celebrate that magical moment when you’re rapt in a crowd singing your heart out. But this newsletter is also an opportunity for you to get a sneak peek into the city scenes I visit along the way, from Brighton’s beachfront to the Black Country right through to the scenic stage of Margate’s Dreamland and the Puget Sound of Seattle.
Maybe you’re a fellow gig-goer and want to share notes. Maybe you haven’t been to a show in a while and want some recommendations of new bands to see (or returning bands worthy of a revisit!) Either way, you better believe they’ll be an excellent soundtrack to accompany the articles and a few exclusive treats to tuck into in the future…
What is Substack?
Unlike those pesky algorithms behind your social media feeds, Substack’s newsletter format gets sent directly to your inbox. You don’t need the app or to interact with the chat function on your desktop (no one needs more communication channels added into the mix). Just simply add your email address and I’ll come straight to you.
How does it work?
Every week I write here. Normally on a Thursday (my favourite day thanks to my inbuilt recollection of that being the same day I had my guitar lessons with Mr. Cooper in my teens). I’ll round up my latest gig-going adventures or share a heftier Scene Report from a recent city visit or festival weekender. If you’re following along, you’ll get these musical musings as soon as they land with no aggressive push notifications or needless ads.
Why should I subscribe?
If you’re a fellow music fan, you’ll know that the arts sector is a tough space to be right now, particularly for freelance journalists (and, of course, our beloved indie artists). For far too long, I’ve written for websites and journals that are “working on their payment model” i.e. please write for free indefinitely. But what if I could do this on my own terms?
My work has always been rooted in amplifying unrepresented voices (that’s part of the reason that I wrote a whole book on vastly unrated no wave noiseniks ESG last year) Babe, Gig In The City? is a reader-powered publication, a place for me to champion those artists in a space of my own, to tell you the stories that might not get commissioned and to flip the script on the music industry’s (often) male gaze. Because as the heroic Jessica Hopper once said, “Replace the word ‘fangirl’ with ‘expert’ and see what happens.”
Here are some highlights from Babe, Gig In The City? so far:
Thirty Years On, Is This Still Rock and Roll’s Leading Frontman?
The Revival Spiral: This Noughties Genre is Back In A Big Way
Where else can I find your writing?
I’m also a big fan of profiling brilliant women and have spoken to a slew of them, from funny woman Bridget Christie to feminist punks Big Joanie. You can also find me penning opinion pieces on politics in pop and telling tech tales with guitar greats. But I keep the live reviews just for you.
