Jess (centre) of London In Stereo is on the list
Depending on where you look, you might think live music in the UK is feeling a little dry of late. Venues are shutting down faster than it takes to pull a pint, young people are skinter than ever, and it seems like only international stars selling out arenas can gather any interest from the mainstream media.
But if you dip your head underground, you’ll soon discover that there are a bunch of people who are doing everything they can to ensure that genuine musical talent is still bringing in crowds who are desperate to experience something they never have before. Whether it’s promoters packing sweaty basement venues, or YouTube channels shining lights on new acts that are otherwised ignored, grassroots movements are very much keeping the country at the forefront of innovative, experimental and accessible live music.
To salute the people who are keeping decent live music afloat, the people at WeGotTickets recently announced the INDIE50, a new campaign that shines a light on unsung music lovers who are dedicated to promoting local scenes and bringing independent music to the forefront. The list includes the founder of NTS radio, Femi Adeymi, SBTV’s preternaturally talented leader, Jamal Edwards; as well as countless other promoters, event bookers, and editors. On the list is a talented young editor called Jess Partridge, who is head of live listings magazine and website London in Stereo. We recently caught up with Jess to talk about the INDIE50, running London in Stereo, and the state of live music in the capital.
How does it feel to be included in the INDIE50 list?
Jess Partridge: It's always nice to be recognised. There are a lot of people in music who work super hard, but there's not that much that recognises independent people within music.
What are your thoughts on the current state of live music in London? There's been a lot of news recently about venues closing...
I think it's lacking a lot of support. There are real issues, especially with smaller venues not being able to afford to bring bands or properly promote events, but I think there are loads of venues opening as well as venues closing. There are some real shockers - like the whole Fabric thing is awful, really really bad - but for the most part, especially in London, we end up on a fairly even keel.
Why did you decide to start London In Stereo?
I decided to set it up because I was unemployed, and because I was just really annoyed with missing gigs constantly. I didn't know that they were happening. I also really try to find out who's supporting at shows - like maybe I wouldn't have gone to a show because of the headliner but then I'd find out that two bands I really wanted to see were supporting, and I'd get really annoyed at missing them!
How did you go about setting up London In Stereo?
It started entirely online. I had a friend in Bristol who did something similar in print, and they helped guide me through some of the processes for that side of things. I've worked in music for a while so I had a good set of contacts in terms of getting people to advertise and getting venues on board, as well as getting them to trust that I was doing something good and not just something pointless.
What were you doing before in the industry?
I've worked in music since I was 16 and I set the magazine up when I was 23. I've done so many different jobs.
I imagine that was that a big help in terms of getting people to write for the magazine...
Yeah. All my friends at the time were writers. I lived with someone who worked at NME for years; one of my closest friends is an Editor at Line of Best Fit. It was super simple to get writers. We paid our writers from the word go, because they were all my friends and I didn't feel like I could sit there and ask them to write for free.
Unlike a lot of publications that have kind of pushed them to the side, London In Stereo still writes a lot of album and gig reviews. Why are these still important to you?
It's not so much that they're still important to me. I think people enjoy writing them, I think bands enjoy reading them - most of the time. I still think they have a place. We do a massive range of content. We're very relaxed with what we let our writers cover, because listings are at the heart of what we do. So we don't have to curate in the same way that other sites do - to maybe show their tastes or something. We have a purpose outside of that.
I hear you have another full time job. What's it like running the magazine and working somewhere else - how do you fit it in?
I've always worked elsewhere in music and run London in Stereo, but now that the magazine has an Online Editor it is actually way easier for me. I still get up at 7am and work for two hours before I go to work, and then my weekends and evenings are pretty much taken up by the magazine. I recently decided that because I have an Online Editor I had enough to set up a third thing - a charity called Support Act. It asks people on guest list to pay a pound towards their entry fee, which goes to two charities which help refugees.
Do you ever get any time off?
The thing is, if you do something you enjoy and your friends work in the same industry, the things that you do for work you'll end up doing with your friends. Going to an event, or going to a friend's house to do some work, isn't necessarily time off...but we all get it. We're all on the same boat.
Head over here for more on the INDIE50.
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