Arabell Walter, Booking Agent, This Is Now Agency and Suitcaselife Booking

I went to my first ever gig at the age of 13 and immediately fell in love with everything I found there: loud live musi and, being part of a community. Even if it was only for some hours, it was a door that suddenly opened a way to a world I didn’t know, and the wider I pushed it open while going to more gigs, the more I wanted to make this a part of my daily life. So at the age of 17 I started my first beloved German music blog „Lieblingstape“ (favourite mixtape), which gave me a reason to go to gigs and somehow provided the people around me with an explanation for my excessive gigging across the whole country and the whole of Europe – I was now able to say I did it to do interviews with artists I liked. I wrote an awful lot of reviews about gigs and new and old records which meant something to me, and I tried to support my favourite artists as much as possible.

After finishing school and traveling around the world for even more gigs, it was time to decide what kind of job I wanted to do. I somehow ended up with two internships at a booking company and a local promoter, both in the media and press department. But I didn’t want to end up doing press related stuff – I didn’t want to make people write about music and do interviews, I wanted to do it myself and be involved at the gigs exactly at the point where they actually happened. And luckily the people around me, people I knew because they went to gigs with me or because they played in the bands I went to see live, encouraged me to go a step further.

So at the end of 2013, I started to look into getting an apprenticeship to become an event manager. I was more than lucky and got one at my favourite venues, the Lido in Berlin. After six months, I was already putting shows on by myself, and even better one of the first shows was for a German artist I really admired for his music and who I had interviewed some years ago. He even remembered me from said interview.  It was funny to see for myself how I turned from a supportive fan into a person who made his show happen - in Berlin, no less!

Time moved on, I did lots of shows, some of them with even more artists I’m in love with, like Joey Cape, Emily Barker, Austin Lucas, CKY, Me First And the Gimme Gimmes and more, while I continued to travel around Europe to see even more gigs in my free time. In November 2015, some of my friends and I went to the UK to see Frank Turner and his support acts Skinny Lister and Will Varley. It was the first time I heard about this Varley guy and I fell in love with him and his music within the first seconds of his gig at Barrowlands, Glasgow. Two gigs later, I was already able to sing along to his songs during his gig and on the fourth and last night I decided I needed to get a tattoo of his lyrics, as they were (and are) top notch. As soon as I was back in Berlin, I got in contact with Xtra Mile, who then gave me the contact of his agent. I had to organise a gig for this guy in Berlin! Some mails later Adam Gainsborough, head of This Is Now Agency, decided to let me book a whole Germany tour - I only did this once before, but I believed in Will's music and I was sure people in Germany would at least love it as much as the people in the UK. During the summer of 2016 we announced a nine-day tour and to be honest, I couldn’t believe it was me who had done this. December 2016 arrived quicker than I expected it to and the tour went nuts - we sold out six out of the nine shows and in the middle of the whole thing I got a message from Adam asking me if I wanted to book shows over here for Beans On Toast too. Hell yeah, why not? Four months later Jay came over for his first proper Germany tour and again gigs sold out pretty quickly and Jay declared me his new favourite person. Once again I couldn’t believe what had actually happened. Somehow I was still a simple fan who just did her part of supporting musicians she liked and somehow I ended up being a part of their business. Even nowadays it’s hard for me to wrap my head around this.

When I got my first contact with this whole music and concert business a close person told me not to be a fan when it comes down to the business - people wouldn’t take you seriously. From what I've experienced, it's the opposite. I think I got my internships and my apprenticeship because the people knew about my passion and love for live music. Adam of This Is Now Agency trusted me with both artists (Will Varley and Beans On Toast) while I was pretty open about being a fan from the very beginning. If I was to give anyone any advice about starting a job in the music business, it would be: remain true to yourself, dare to break out of your comfort zone, be ready to work long and hard and long. At some point it will all pay off.

Samlin Miller, valued XMR Market Rep

Some people figure out what they want to do early in life. Some people decide around age 5 or 6 that they want to be a doctor and they follow that dream and succeed. I’m not that person. I’m 23 with a degree and I still don’t know what I want to do with my life, but when I went to college and was surrounded by a thriving music scene for the first time, I was compelled to do something, to get involved somehow. Conveniently, Xtra Mile started a street team around that time.

Being on a street team is a great way to get involved in the music industry on your own terms. I tend to explain it to non-music people as a remote internship where you set your own hours and level of commitment. With the wonders of social media, you can participate from anywhere in the world, and it’s an incredible way to meet new people in your scene. I can’t count the number of friends I have made because I was tweeting about a band we both like, or posted online looking for a gig buddy. 

Street teaming allows you to carve out a space for yourself in this weird industry. You can make yourself known and valued for your unbridled enthusiasm (something that non-male fans are often shamed for). You can learn about all different aspects of music promotion, from flyering to Thunderclaps. Most importantly, a street team is an incredible community to be a part of. You always have someone to talk to about a new album that you love, or a music video that blew your mind. Whether it’s a stepping stone toward a career in the industry or just something fun you do on the weekends, street teaming has something to offer everyone.

You can find out more about the XMR Street Team here.

Clara Cullen, Music Venue Trust

Music Venue Trust is a registered charity founded in January 2014 with the aim of protecting, securing and improving grassroots music venues. In London alone, in the last decade, 34.7% of grassroots music venues have closed. This is a broad trend we have witnessed across the country. Of the grassroots music venues that remain, many are struggling in an increasingly harsh economic climate. With noise complaints continuing to force venues to close, coupled with lingering licencing issues, massive rises in business rates, and the constant threat of redevelopment, running a grassroots music venue is an intense labour of love. 

My personal story with music started with Banquet Records in Kingston Upon Thames. I firmly believe that finding Banquet Records as a teenager changed my life. I started a blog and went to as many gigs as I could. Soon I was staying up late interviewing bands after shows and writing reviews. Somehow, I still managed to make it to class the next day. Immersing myself in punk’s DIY culture, I watched as all my friends formed bands. This eventually led me to think ‘hey, I can do that’. So I got together with my best friends and we formed our own girl gang called Foreign Correspondence, playing shows around the country. After spending many nights hanging out in beer-stained venues and dimly lit dive bars; my love of live music eventually led me to join Music Venue Trust in late 2017. 

A project that I am particularly proud to have helped with is Music Venue Trust’s push for the adoption of the Agent of Change principle. In early 2018, the government pledged to adopt Agent of Change into the National Planning Policy Framework. This is a considerable win for small venues and will help halt the decline of grassroots music venues across the country. I also assist in patron development, helping Music Venue Trust cultivate diverse relationships with artist and industry figures. Frank Turner is one of our patrons and fronted our Agent of Change campaign. I feel incredibly fortunate to be doing a job that stands at an intersection between my interests in music, politics and the charity sector.

However, breaking into the music industry took time and persistence. Here are a few tips that I have picked up along the way. Firstly, you don’t need to do this all by yourself! There are some great networking groups and organisations for women that are working to help press for progress. In the UK, they include: She Said So, Girls I Rate, Women In Music, and Let’s Be The Change. I would suggest checking them all out as they offer great panels, networking events, and chances to meet other interesting and empowering women. 

The second practical tip I have is to volunteer at music industry conferences. Working these conferences and showcases (for example The Great Escape or Liverpool Sound City etc) not only gives you something tangible to put on your CV but also, more crucially, allows you access to industry figures you would not normally get to meet. Once you’ve had your initial introduction make sure you always send a follow-up email. This can help get you remembered when the next round of jobs is advertised. Practical things like putting yourself out there and being a bit tenacious in asking for meetings with people already working in the industry and then following up on them can really help solidify important relationships.

Having written all this, landing my job was not down to my own deluded mix of unbridled enthusiasm and bloody-mindedness alone. For many years, I have had the good fortune to have mentors who have helped me along the way. Looking back over my attempts at breaking into this industry, one constant I have had is the women who have shared their knowledge, expertise, and extended a helping hand to me when it wasn’t expected of them. Although this is likely to make all of them incredibly embarrassed (this is terribly un-British after all), I would like to take a moment to shout out a few of these fantastic women.

I first met Maryam Hassan when I was 16 years old and just discovering punk music. Maryam was the photo editor at Punktastic, a music website I used to write for, and she was one of the first people to guide me through London’s punk scene. Some of our early days of hanging out in pubs in Camden are still some of my favourite memories. With her own characteristically joyous brand of exuberance and compassion, Maryam helped me break out of my shell and walk with confidence. 

XMR’s own Head of PR Dani Cotter was also someone who, luckily for me, took a chance on me. Dani has over the years been incredibly gracious with the time she has given me, as well as the willingness she has shown in passing on her knowledge.  Often going above and beyond in helping me succeed I couldn’t ask for a cooler champion.

Finally, my boss, Beverley Whitrick is Music Venue Trust’s Strategic Director. One of the reasons I enjoy working at Music Venue Trust is the scope I am given to grow in my current role. I think this is a really important aspect in pressing for progress in the workplace. From the offset, Beverley has keenly encouraged me to learn new skills, given me the freedom to involve myself in the larger running of MVT, and trusted me with important projects that go beyond my job description. In doing so, I have quickly been able to grow the scope of my work and diversify my interests. When you work alongside people who actively want you to succeed and give you opportunities to do so, it really is the best of all worlds. 

I could keep going but this would quickly risk turning into an Oscars acceptance speech. As such, I hope that my anecdotal stories highlight how important it is to surround yourself with women who want you to succeed. It is my number one tip. If you take only one thing from this garble of words, get yourself a mentor! This is a tough industry, but having a strong support system of people who help challenge you whilst raising you up, is an incredible privilege. 

If I had to sum up my advice into one sentence it would be to work hard, be kind, surround yourself with inspiring people, and always remember your own worth.

For more information on Music Venue Trust, please head here: http://musicvenuetrust.com/