City of Culture – Mary Anne Hobbs blogs for Sheffield

Here the lifestyle is honest and I feel set free from the chaos, congestion and consumer pressures of London.

I’m much more connected to the community in Sheffield. I know my postmen, my neighbours, local shopkeepers and even the Sheffield university staff. Sheffield has a village type community and everyone says thank you – even the bus drivers! Sheffield may be the 4th largest city on the UK but you can still sleep very peacefully here.
Sheffield’s electronic music scene has a pioneering status. Warp records is the most influential electronic label in the world. Artists from many different camps – indie, rock, bassline, techno, dubstep, electronica – can work harmoniously alongside each other and also come together on major projects here, such as Tramlines. The city has a dazzling, very diverse and defiant sense of creative energy.
I have performed at Sonar for four years, the advanced music and multimedia festival held in Barcelona, and this year I took a film depicting the nightlife of Sheffield shot by the brilliant local photographer Shaun Bloodworth, which played behind me on a giant screen as I performed my set in front of 10,000 people.

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The UK City of Culture 2013 will be announced tomorrow.
*Mary Ann Hobbs image courtesy of Shaun Bloodworth