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From Beatlemania in the 1960s to the current craze for One Direction, Britain has always been a nation of music-lovers.
Now a new study of the gig-going habits of UK music fans has shown that rather than follow the trends, they're actually setting them, as more than a quarter (27 per cent) of Brits claim they can spot future talent before they hit the big time.
When asked to name the best musical venues to spot emerging talent, the home of the Beatles - the Cavern Club - came top with 18 per cent of the votes. However, Glasgow was voted the best city with more top ten venues in the list than anywhere else in the UK.
Glasgow's King Tut's Wah Wah Hut, where Oasis was signed; The Arches, whose patron is Carl Cox; and the Barrowland Ballroom, which Metallica credited with being the venue of their best ever gig, all appear in the top ten.
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"Glasgow is particularly renowned for nurturing and supporting young talent, famously launching the careers of many of the world's biggest names including Oasis, Travis, Snow Patrol, Franz Ferdinand, The Fratellis, Teenage Fanclub, Primal Scream, Paolo Nutini and Texas,” said Councillor Gordon Matheson, leader of Glasgow City Council. “And with the recent news that Glasgow will welcome the MTV European Music Awards to the city in 2014, our music star continues to rise."
The top 10 venues to discover new acts are:
1. The Cavern, Liverpool (18 per cent)
2. King Tut's Wah Wah Hut, Glasgow (13 per cent)
3. Ronnie Scott's, London (12 per cent)
4. The Arches, Glasgow (10 per cent)
5. Royal Northern College of Music, Manchester (9 per cent)
6. Barrowland Ballroom, Glasgow (8 per cent)
7. O2 Academy, Birmingham (7 per cent)
8. Stables, Milton Keynes (6 per cent)
9. The Sage, Gateshead (5 per cent)
10. O2 Academy, Oxford (4 per cent)
Commenting on the research, Geoff Ellis, CEO of Scottish music promoters, DF Concerts, said: "Scottish audiences are incredibly passionate about the arts and their reaction to live music in particular is often commented on by some of the biggest names in the world.
“It's not surprising therefore, that Glasgow comes out on top as the best city to spot emerging talent. In fact, we're often told that King Tut's is THE place for music fans to find their new favourite band.”