10 Years // A Decade of Mongering 
In the Spring of 2012,
Listen With Monger slowly arrived in the world like a sleepy Sloth being born
at the early hours. There was no fanfare, no glitzy launch and no celebrity
endorsement but there was good old fashioned writing, a real passion for music
and a genuine desire to share new music with the world wherever the music comes
from and whatever the genre. It just has to be good.
Now, in 2022, Listen
With Monger is approaching 5,000 reviews with nearly 750,000 unique hits and
more new artists than you can be reasonably expected to shake a stick at (I tried,
it gets boring). But still, those celebrity endorsements don’t come and the
glitzy invites to showbiz parties continue to go missing in the post.
So, I’m
taking matters in to my own hands and throwing myself a party for this here
blog because I’m proud of it and I don’t care who knows it. And no, I’m not
hiring out a trendy venue or inviting the current cast of Love Island to sup
on fancy cocktails whilst talking over the music. This birthday party of sorts is
going to be at my local pub in Cornwall with four of the most talented artists
that I’ve had the pleasure of discovering through Listen With Monger and you’re
all invited. Seriously, it's free entry, there are plenty of drinks on tap (you’re
all paying though, just to be clear on that) and the view over the sea works
perfectly with almost any style of music (Thrash-Jazz not included).
In all seriousness,
so many good writers, bloggers and music supporters have fallen by the wayside
in recent years that I’m genuinely amazed to still be going and also massively
appreciative for everyone out there reading this and sending me music to review. I could totally do this
without you but it wouldn’t be anywhere near as fun and it would be about as fruitful
as screaming the names of my favourite new artists in to my microwave.
If you want to come
along then all the details are on Facebook but if you’re
still not convinced then let me tempt you with the running order of Gozer
Goodspeed & the Neon Gamblers, Maisy Grace, Jamie Yost
and Lily Ward. That’s right, all that talent and for free on Saturday 24th September at the Inn on the Shore in Dwonderry. It’s going to
be a blast.