The Shadowrun Supplemental #11 - Music in 2060
by
Matthew Wilshin
By 2060 the face of music has changed a great deal, yet at the same time returned to its roots. Walking through downtown Seattle at 2 a.m. you are just as likely to hear a Troll Thrash metal band as a Mariachi band. The most predominant sounds in the UCAS are rock and synthesised music (in all its varied forms). Some of the various bands and sounds of 2060 are detailed below.
Concrete Dreams
Concrete Dreams are the most famous rock band in the world, although they haven’t played a concert since 2044 and only produce one album a year. They made their first appearance in 2030 at Club Penumbra in Seattle, although they did not become truly famous until 2032. The band members are Warren Cartwright (Guitar), Andrea Frost (Synthlink), Moira Thornton (Programmer/Songwriter), and François Nyanze (Drumbox). The instruments the band use are predominantly synths, of various sorts, with Warren Cartwright being the principal player of ‘traditional’ instruments such as the electric guitar. Moira suffered a nervous breakdown in 2038 shortly after their multiplatinum Nightmares of the Soul album was released. Street gossip says that Moira in fact died and that when the band staged their comeback in late 2039, the apparently healthy looking Moira was in fact an impostor, a vat grown double grown/created by the bands controlling corporation.
Toxic Frog
The strangely named Toxic Frog appeared in late 2059, the first Troll Thrash
Metal band to stay in the charts for more than four weeks at number 1. The lead
singer (if you can call her that) is Astra Max, a surprisingly good looking
troll. There are three guitarists, who alternate between the various roles
within the band when they feel like it. Two of them are Elmer and Marco, a pair
or identical twins, and JoJo, the only ork in the group. The bands drummer is a
huge (3.2 m) troll, who demands that everyone call him ‘Crusher’. Street gossip
says that Crushers real name is James Tiberius Kirk (his mothers name is Elaine
Kirk, and yes, she does watch reruns of Star Trek: The Wonder Years), but no
one has been stupid enough to ask him to his face. Yet.
Orks Teef
The worlds first Ork prog-rock band, also known as ‘Trog Rock’, were formed in
2056 and tour regularly in the UCAS and Europe. The lead singer, Gold Nail,
first became famous singing his now-famous cover of ‘Wanna be in my gang’. The
sight of six huge orks dressed in silver flared sequinned suits jumping around
a stage sticks in the mind for a long time. The band has a huge following in
the German states, where their lead singer Klaus ‘The Quiff’ Knockwurst
originates from. It’s rumoured that the drummer, Erei Sallom, used to be an
‘Enforcer’ for Boris ‘The Bludgeon’ Smith, the notorious London gangster.
» Ereis real name is Eric Smith, he’s actually The Bludgeons son. The Bludgeon
is fiercely racist, and only let Eric live because his wife pleaded him to
» Wideboy
Rivet Join
Another famous Glam rock band, this time populated by dwarves. This British band currently comprises of Grom Silver, Brother Gurnison (lead guitar), Mad Mac McMad (mad dwarf bassist), and Billy the Club (troll drummer). The band are known for classics like the "Stout Dwarf Stomp" and similar titles, which are played in dwarven dives everywhere.
Grom is a short stout dwarf usually seen in at least 3" platform soled heavy boots and wearing a brightly patterned sparkly longcoat with hideously long collar. Grom has bright ginger hair oiled and moulded into a quiff, he is usually seen with a hideous grin and has a deep scottish accent. Grom Silver has just completed a wildly popular tour of the UCAS and has retired to his home in Aberdeen to compile a new album (Technicolour Dragon) for the coming year.
» Half of Groms family are pirates, or Shadowrunners of one sort or another.
Grom originally trained as a roughneck on a North Sea oilrig, but eventually
was sacked after repeatedly breaking the strict fire regulations by wearing too
much hair gel.
» Glitterball.
Urban Combat Zone
(UCZ) are the latest group to hit the big time. They seem to have a rotating
group
membership, with the only constant member of the group being an Irish-American
Elf called Maxim. The group always appear in public dressed in stylised
security armour. They are very popular within the military and merc
communities, although Maxim says that his music is actually denouncing all
violence in the 21st century. How this ties in with their image is still
unclear.
» What they don’t say is that Maxim served ten years in Joliet for aggravated
assault. It’s rumoured that when he was inside he was used as an experimental
subject for some sort of psychotropic black ice which has left him with a split
personality. Most of the time he is a normal, peaceful, if alcoholic, pop star,
but occasionally he can flip and turn into a homicidal maniac.
» Snooper.
» Rubbish. Maxim has never been arrested, yet alone put in prison. The rumours
about Maxims instability were spread by the lead singer of an Aztechnology
sponsored band, after UCZ managed to enter the charts straight to number one,
just as their band was about to have their very first number one.
» Musicman.
Láes
An Elven folk group, generally they turn out one album every couple of years. The style is the same as in Irish folk music, but the words tend to be in Sperithiel. The band recently received the honour of playing a private gig for the High Prince of the Tir, he was said to be ‘very impressed’ by the bands talents, and commended them as great ambassadors for the elven nation. The band currently live in Seattle, although they regularly visit both Tirs, and the Caribbean League.
» They often visit Dante’s Inferno, where they can be seen in the lowest
levels, partying away.
» Talent Spotter
The Top Ten
For Saturday July 17th 2060
The top ten has never been a good guide to what music people are buying, but even less so in the middle 21st century. The major corporations often buy huge amounts of new releases, just to get their latest new band into the public eye. The list below is compiled from the Rock-Net channel. Also shown are the number of sales so far.
1 | Concrete Dreams | Sounds of a Dragon | Platinum | 1,001,004 units |
2 | Monster Machine | Truck Stop Rumble | Platinum | 900,400 units 1 |
3 | Rivet Joint | Bouncing to the Beat (Remix) | Gold | 600,432 units |
4 | Urban Combat Zone | Napalm | Gold | 600,431 units |
5 | Maze | Neverending Circles | Silver | 434,567 units |
6 | Transdental Smash | Walk in the Park | Silver | 236,500 units |
7 | Static Hiss | Nothing to hear (on the radio) | Silver | 205,456 units |
8 | Use of Weapons | Azzie | New Release |
|
9 | Million Dollar Android | Who needs money? | Platinum | 1,002,456 units |
10 | Flapjack | Hey Ricky! | Gold | 423,987 units |
1 200,000 rumored to be an Aztechnology bulk purchase