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47-492: 2007 Mega City Four were an English indie rock band formed in Farnborough, Hampshire , who obtained popularity throughout the late 1980s and 1990s. Mega City Four consisted of guitarist and vocalist Wiz , his brother and rhythm guitarist Danny Brown, bassist Gerry Bryant and drummer Chris Jones. According to Uncut magazine, the group "earned a reputation across the globe as an exciting live band". Wiz and Bryant were in

94-602: A b-side to their single "Resistance" on 22 February 2010. This was dedicated to Wiz, as Muse had been inspired by Mega City Four's music. Sebastopol Rd. was reissued through 3 Loop Music in September 2013. The re-issue has previously unreleased demos and also John Peel session tracks. The album was issued for the 21st anniversary of its original release. Indie music The origins of independent music lie in British independent record labels, such as Rough Trade and Mute . In

141-414: A major acute hospital , St George's Hospital also offers specialist care for the more complex injuries and illnesses, including trauma , neurology , cardiac care , renal transplantation , cancer care and stroke. It is also home to one of four major trauma centres and one of eight hyper-acute stroke units for London. St George's Hospital also provides care for patients from a larger catchment area in

188-442: A band together at school called 'Stallion', who performed two shows together. One of the shows took place at Cove Secondary School (where "Stallion will come for you" stickers were handed out in an attempt to bolster the bands following) and the show was concluded when the school cut the power. Wiz, seeking more independence to write his own music, decided he wanted to form a new band with Bryant and Danny Brown, named 'Capricorn', after

235-515: A biography of the band, Mega City Four: Tall Stories and Creepy Crawlies , published in 1993. The band had been together for over a decade when they broke up in early 1996. Wiz moved to Montreal , Quebec, Canada and joined Canadian alternative rock band, Doughboys . Wiz and Bryant continued playing together in a group Wiz formed called Serpico after the demise of Mega City Four. After Serpico, Wiz went on to form Ipanema, who were still playing and recording until late 2006. Having just returned from

282-411: A direct, do-it-yourself manner allowing creative distribution. There is the potential for artists to gain large numbers of streams on Spotify if their music are included in certain popular playlists. For both independent and major labels, the label generally owns the copyright to the sound recording. Artists who maintain their copyrights usually must sacrifice other parts of their deal, and must give

329-593: A distinct musical style found in indie music, which was influenced by post-punk and new wave . Important albums that contributed to this style include Joy Division 's Unknown Pleasures (1979) and Depeche Mode 's Speak & Spell (1981). Released on Rough Trade, Inflammable Material (1979) was the first independently-released album to sell over 100,000 copies. By the 1980s, the indie pop band The Smiths , signed with Rough Trade, "came to exemplify indie both musically and culturally" according to The Conversation . The Smith's authentic sound contrasted with

376-669: A long history of promoting developments in popular music, stretching back to the post-war period in the United States, with labels such as Sun Records , King Records , and Stax . In the United Kingdom during the 1950s and 1960s, the major record companies had so much power that independent labels struggled to become established, until the launch of new labels like Virgin Records . Several British producers and artists launched independent labels as outlets for their work and artists they liked;

423-565: A mass exodus of medical staff left, in 1733, to set up what became St George's Hospital. The Board of Governors had favoured a house in Castle Lane but the medical staff preferred Lanesborough House at Hyde Park Corner . Lanesborough House, originally built in 1719 by James Lane, 2nd Viscount Lanesborough , was at that time located in open countryside. The new St George's Hospital was arranged on three floors and accommodated 30 patients in two wards: one for men and one for women. The hospital

470-423: A partnership. One issue is that artists often forgo their mechanical royalties in 50-50 deals, and it can be more difficult to recoup the advance, meaning it takes longer to turn a profit. Some labels forgo a formal contract altogether, and their deals include few restrictions. Independent music is a broad category that is made up of distinct subgenres with influences from various other genres. Indie pop

517-445: A report claiming "inadequate" internal scrutiny of the department; also the surgeons were divided into "two camps" showing "tribal-like activity". Bewick stated, "In our view the whole team shares responsibility for the failure to significantly improve professional relationships and to a degree surgical mortality." The hospital maintained it was taking action. Among those who have been associated with St George's are: The old hospital

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564-732: A scene or movement, and often combines influences from a variety of genres. It has origins in the 1990s, with artists like Stereolab , Arab Strap , and Disco Inferno contributing to the style. Indietronica largely grew in popularity in the 2000s, with the rising accessibility to home recording and software synthesizers . Influential artists of this era include Hot Chip , Metronomy , and The Postal Service . Some 2010s artists achieved wider success with their music, for example, James Blake and The xx . Indietronica artists usually release their music on independent labels, with examples including Sub Pop , Warp , and Ghostly International . St George%27s Hospital St George's Hospital

611-512: A tour of the United States, Wiz collapsed at a band rehearsal. It was announced on 7 December 2006 that Wiz had died at St George's Hospital , Tooting , South London from a blood clot on the brain on 6 December. Bassist Gerry Bryant currently owns and runs The Rooms Rehearsal Studios in Farnborough, Hampshire. British band Muse released a cover of the Mega City Four song "Prague", as

658-477: A variety of methods of distribution, with the label generally owning the copyright for the sound recording. They generally give smaller advances , or sometimes no advance, and some may offer higher royalty splits than major labels. Although "Indie" was first used to described music released on independent record labels, the term grew to describe a specific sound because of the creative freedom of its initial bands and artists. A defining characteristic of indie music

705-914: Is a large teaching hospital in Tooting , London. Founded in 1733, it is one of the UK's largest teaching hospitals and one of the largest hospitals in Europe. It is run by the St George's University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust . It shares its main hospital site in Tooting in the London Borough of Wandsworth , with St George's, University of London , which trains NHS staff and carries out advanced medical research . The hospital has around 1,300 beds and most general tertiary care such as accident and emergency , maternity services and care for older people and children . However, as

752-513: Is a style of folk music which originated in the 1990s with artists like Elliott Smith and Will Oldham . The genre grew from traditional and contemporary folk , but took a distinctly independent approach inspired by indie rock. The genre gained further popularity and support in the 2000s from labels such as Saddle Creek , Barsuk , and Sub Pop . Notable 21st century indie folk artists include Fleet Foxes , Bon Iver , Great Lake Swimmers , Sufjan Stevens , and Phoebe Bridgers . Indie folk

799-451: Is a style of rock music and is one of the most popular independent music genres. It originally grew out of the alternative rock , punk rock , and independent movements of the 1980s, with local scenes emerging in many American cities and college towns . The New Zealand Dunedin sound of the 1970s and 80s was also influential in indie rock's development. By the 1990s, indie rock had separated from alternative rock and gained popularity in

846-598: Is a style of pop music that originally grew out of British post-punk in the late 1970s. Indie pop was one of the first independent music genres, and was initially synonymous with "indie". Indie pop is characterized by a focus on melody , arrangements, and harmony , with less angst and distortion as compared to indie rock . It features the homemade intimacy commonly found in independent music. Notable subgenres include chamber pop , which adds lush chamber orchestration , and twee pop , which features "primitive simplicity". Indie rock (also referred to as simply "indie")

893-404: Is distinguished by its acoustic instrumentation – and often consists of just vocals and acoustic guitar – although some artists experiment with more diverse instrumentation. As well, indie folk artists are often singer-songwriters . Indie electronic , also known as indietronica, is a broad categorization of music that combines independent and electronic music styles. It is not considered

940-583: Is one of a small number of A&E departments to benefit from Pearson Lloyd's redesign – 'A Better A&E' – which reduced aggression against hospital staff by 50 per cent. A system of environmental signage provides location-specific information for patients. Screens provide live information about how many cases are being handled and the current status of the A&;E department. In October 2010 St George's Healthcare NHS Trust integrated with Community Services Wandsworth , after approval from NHS London . In May 2014

987-420: Is that artists have less to pay back, and therefore can begin to profit quicker. There are a number of ways that an independent label may structure their contract. Some independent labels have contracts that are essentially equivalent to major label deals. On a major label, a typical royalty rate (what the artist takes) is 13% to 16%; however, some independent labels offer 50-50 splits, which functions more as

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1034-540: Is that artists retain much more creative control over their music as compared to major labels. Bands often have small budgets, and employ a do-it-yourself ethos which influences their sound. Indie music generally represents guitar-oriented music which strays away from commercial conventions. It often features lyrics that are earnest and emotive, with many cultural and sociopolitical references. Many artists signed to major labels have retained creative control and are still considered indie artists. Independent labels have

1081-575: The South East of England , for specialities such as complex pelvic trauma. Other services treat patients from all over the country, such as family HIV care and bone marrow transplantation for non-cancer diseases. The trust also provides a nationwide endoscopy training service. Following a disagreement between medical staff and the Board of Governors over the expansion of the Westminster Infirmary ,

1128-401: The 1970s, these labels contributed to the emergence of a distinct sound, influenced by post-punk and new wave . NME released the influential compilation album C86 in 1986, and helped with indie's spread and development. American independent music first emerged in the 1980s, and was spread via college radios . Styles that evolved out of indie music and reached wide commercial success in

1175-578: The 1990s include grunge ( Nirvana , Pearl Jam , and the Smashing Pumpkins ) and Britpop ( Blur , Pulp , and Oasis ). In the 21st century, due to the internet, indie music saw a global spread in popularity, as music fans were no longer dependent on physical publications to find new music. Independent record labels , important to the development of indie music, are characterized by their smaller operations, lower funding, and greater creative control as compared to major labels . Independent labels use

1222-556: The Capricorn era, was decided as Mega City Four. The group were officially formed in 1987 and the band's career started with performing gigs around their local town of Farnborough before making their vinyl debut in September 1987 with "Miles Apart"/"Running in Darkness". The single led to a round of gigs with fellow punk -influenced bands like Senseless Things and Snuff . "Miles Apart" and "Running" were reissued (separately) in 1988 on

1269-637: The Trust's application for Foundation Trust status was approved by the NHS Trust Development Authority following a positive rating from the Care Quality Commission . In the last five years the trust has turned around a large deficit and repaid a debt of £34m. The TDA identified several areas that the trust will have to work on to ensure it gets through the final stages of FT assessment. These include improving its A&E performance against

1316-488: The UK, this music was not referred to as "indie" until the 2000s. Indie music reached wide commercial success in the 1990s, especially with Britpop bands like Blur , Pulp , and Oasis . As well, American grunge bands like Nirvana , Pearl Jam , and The Smashing Pumpkins received mainstream success. In 1991, the Grammys added an Alternative section to its awards ceremony, for "non-traditional form[s]" existing "outside of

1363-661: The brothers' shared the star sign . Capricorn formed in June 1982. They consisted of drummer Martin Steib, vocalist and guitarist Wiz, rhythm guitarist Danny and bassist Gerry. The band had a personal fallout in regards to musical direction and dissolved in 1986. A four-track demo was recorded in 1982, and they released one demo, titled ' The Good News Tape ' in 1985. The trio of Gerry, Danny and Wiz maintained closeness and enlisted Chris Jones (who drummed in local band Exit East ) to join their new group. The new name, initially suggested by Steib in

1410-615: The centre. There are now fewer, larger medical schools in London. The expansion of St George's, University of London (formerly St George's Hospital Medical School) has become part of this policy. In 2004, neuroscience services located at Atkinson Morley Hospital in Wimbledon moved to the brand new Atkinson Morley Wing on the main St George's site. This addition to the hospital now also houses cardiac and cardiothoracic services which have moved from

1457-444: The chances of greater success. There are a few ways an independent label may go about distributing its music. Some independent labels are owned by major labels, who carry out the distribution for them. Other labels instead go through independent distributors. Many current artists use their own resources to produce, record, market and release music through Spotify , SoundCloud , and other streaming platforms with social media in

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1504-631: The common highly produced pop music of the time. The UK Indie Chart was first compiled in 1980, and independent distribution became better organized from the late 1970s onward. In 1986, NME released the compilation album C86 , which was influential to the development of indie music. In the United States, independent music was first spread by in the 1980s by college radios and thus dubbed college rock (also later termed modern rock and alternative rock ). Defining American albums of this era include Sonic Youth 's Daydream Nation (1988) and Pixies ’ Doolittle (1989). However, unlike

1551-525: The cost of smaller budgets and personnel. They are often able to support artists working in niche styles of music, and rely heavily on personal networking, or word of mouth , to expose their acts. Indie labels are usually small operations, with almost no outside assistance and run out of tiny offices. Some artists choose to go from an independent label to a major label if given the opportunity, as major labels have considerably more power and financial means to promote and distribute products, sometimes increasing

1598-547: The four-hour waiting time target and putting together a robust operating plan for the next two years. From October 2014 the hospital's Accident and Emergency department has featured in the Channel 4 documentary series " 24 Hours in A&E ". In August 2018 it was reported that the average death rate nationally among patients receiving cardiac surgery was 2%, but that the cardiac unit at St George's had experienced 3.7%. Toxic disputes between surgeons were blamed. Mike Bewick wrote

1645-611: The independent label Decoy, along with the more melodic "Distant Relatives" and "Less Than Senseless". A healthy following latched on to them quickly, and by 1988 the group were performing to packed audiences on a regular basis. Continuing on their local success, the band would eventually release their 1989 debut album, Tranzophobia . The band continued to tour extensively in the UK, Europe and North America, working with bands including Les Thugs , Ned's Atomic Dustbin , Carter The Unstoppable Sex Machine and Doughboys , amongst many others. The band's second studio album, Who Cares Wins ,

1692-447: The label a temporary license to the recordings. An advance is a pre-payment of royalties from the label for the artist to record the album; it is paid back through the album's royalties. Independent labels generally give out much smaller advances than major labels, if any. Additionally, some independent labels will cover an album's recording costs instead of proving a set dollar amount as an advance. One advantage of smaller advances

1739-426: The last time in 1980. The building still stands and is now The Lanesborough Hotel on the west side of Hyde Park Corner. The new hospital at Tooting was built in stages. The first stage, which included 710 beds and the medical school, was completed in 1976, although the main hospital was not completed until 1980. In 1981, medical education in London was reorganised to recognise the movement of population away from

1786-781: The main entrance in Knightsbridge and the back entrance in Grosvenor Crescent Mews. In 1948, the National Health Service was introduced and plans for a new site for St George's at The Grove and Fountain Fever Hospitals at Tooting were eventually agreed upon. In 1954, the Grove Hospital became part of St George's, and clinical teaching started in Tooting. After a new hospital had been built at Tooting, St George's Hospital at Hyde Park Corner closed its doors for

1833-695: The mainstream music consciousness". The internet 's ease of spreading information influenced indie music's popularization in the United States and global spread. Music fans no longer relied on publications or magazines to hear about new artists. At the beginning of the 21st century, the term indie came to describe a number of related but distinct subgenres . One example is indie folk , a stripped-back low fidelity approach to folk music , as seen in Fleet Foxes or Bon Iver 's first album, For Emma, Forever Ago . Widely popular indie rock bands of this era include Arcade Fire and Arctic Monkeys . By this time,

1880-487: The mainstream, pushed along by the popularity of Seattle's grunge scene, especially Nirvana . Notable artists of the 2000s included The Strokes , Yeah Yeah Yeahs , and the Arctic Monkeys , while some of the 2010s included The 1975 and Vampire Weekend . Indie rock went onto inspire a multitude of subgenres and derivative styles, such as dream pop , noise pop , lo-fi , math rock , emo , and more. Indie folk

1927-415: The majority failed as commercial ventures or were bought by the major labels. During the punk rock era, the number of independent labels grew. In 1977, Manchester -band Buzzcocks released Spiral Scratch , considered the first independently released rock release. In the late 1970s, certain UK independent labels (such as Rough Trade , Factory , Fiction , and Mute ) contributed to the emergence of

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1974-466: The old fever hospital wards. St George's today provides a total of over 1,000 beds making it one of the biggest in the country. In April 2010 St George's Healthcare became part of the South West London and Surrey Trauma Network (SWLSTN). All Accident and Emergency (A&E) departments within the network continue to provide trauma services with St George's designated as the major trauma centre. It

2021-516: The singles "Wallflower" and "Iron Sky", which both placed 69 and 48 in the UK Singles Chart respectively. After falling out with their record label, they moved to Fire Records to record their final studio album, Soulscraper (1996). In addition to their studio albums, the band also released a live album, a Peel Sessions disc, and a number of singles. The British music journalist , Martin Roach, wrote

2068-400: The term indie had transcended the definition of solely independently released music, and came to represent a "general resistance to popular and mainstream culture, evoking realism, independence and authenticity". An independent record label is one that operates outside of the funding and creative control of major record labels . Independent labels generally have greater creative freedom, at

2115-415: Was gradually extended and, by 1744, it had fifteen wards and over 250 patients. By the 1800s, the hospital was slipping into disrepair. The old Lanesborough House at Hyde Park Corner was demolished to make way for a new 350 bed facility designed by architect William Wilkins . Building began in 1827 and was completed by 1844. By 1859, a critical shortage of beds led to the addition of an attic floor. This

2162-541: Was released in 1990. Extensive touring across Europe began again, with the band performing in the Reading Festival that year. Who Cares Wins was followed by a compilation album of their early 7" singles, called Terribly Sorry Bob (1991). The band subsequently moved to a major record label to record two further studio albums, Sebastopol Rd. (1992) (recorded by Jessica Corcoran at London's Greenhouse Recording Studios) and Magic Bullets (1993). This album produced

2209-519: Was soon insufficient and led to the creation of a new convalescent hospital, Atkinson Morley's in Wimbledon , freeing up beds at St George's for acute patients. A medical school was established in 1834 at Kinnerton Street and was incorporated into the hospital in 1868. The Medical School, now St George's, University of London , was built in the south-west corner of the hospital site in Hyde Park, with

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