Groovy, Laidback and Nasty

Daniel Dylan Wray is at Showroom Cinema on Friday 16 October, talking about his first book, Groovy, Laidback and Nasty. It's part of the Off the Shelf festival, and he'll be in conversation with Elizabeth Aubrey, a freelance arts and culture journalist and lecturer.

If you've spent any time listening to the city's music scene, the title should ring a bell. The book is a musical history of Sheffield spanning nearly seven decades, and Wray didn't just rely on the archives — he sat down for more than 150 interviews. The names that come up are the ones that have defined the city's sound: Pulp, Arctic Monkeys, The Human League, Cabaret Voltaire, Self Esteem and Richard Hawley. It's a broad reach, from the synth-pop and industrial pioneers to the indie giants and the newer voices.

Wray lives in Sheffield and writes mainly for The Guardian, but he's also contributed to the BBC, The Independent, Pitchfork, The Times, New Statesman, Uncut and The Quietus. He was also involved in the University of Sheffield's 'Sheffield: City of Music' report, so this is a subject he's been working on for a while. He describes the book as both a cultural study and a love letter to the city, tracing the underground scenes, the legendary venues and the DIY ethic that put Steel City on the global map.

The talk starts at 6:00 pm at Showroom Cinema, and tickets are £12 or £10 depending on where you get them. It's a good one for anyone who's ever wondered how all those different Sheffield sounds — from the early electronic stuff to the guitar bands — fit together in one place.