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David Martin, contemporary music producer at Brighton Dome and Brighton Festival, is evolving a new approach to music programming, working closely with record labels.
“I'm from Edinburgh and I am fairly new to Brighton and I was here at the same time as Brighton Dome had reopened its two music venues after refurbishment. With the venues back, Brighton Dome was looking to build a music programme in those spaces.
“During the time of the refurbishment of Brighton Dome's programme was concentrated in the Concert Hall that everyone refers to as the Dome but the return of these two spaces now gives us the chance to start something a little bit more experimental again that could be the stepping stone for something more creative. Rather than big names I was looking at the fact that we've got the Studio which is 200 seated or 300 standing and the Corn Exchange which is 900-1,000 standing or 500 seated. We've also got the Concert Hall which is 1,500 seated or 1,800 standing and so that gives us a really nice range of sizes.
“But with the two smaller spaces I was wanting to do something a little bit more creative and a little bit more strategic. Rather than a series of shows which might appear random, I was wanting a line-up which has been curated and actually thoughtfully put together. And I was thinking about the fact that independent music venues are struggling across the land and how much the industry has shifted and how things have changed for the record labels. People are not buying as many records as they used to, and the record labels have changed. Now they manage the whole artist’s journey. They advise on brand and identity and how the artist should present themselves. With audiences buying fewer records now, the labels feel much more for the concentrated fans so I thought it would be really interesting to work with the record labels.
“Labels that Brighton are known for have a reputation for a certain kind of act and I'm really interested in bringing those into our venues. It seemed like a natural partnership with the record labels given the fact that Brighton Dome had been sitting on these venues in effect for a long time. They are very high-spec spaces. They are very smart and really architecturally very nice. It's a real offer and it just seemed like a good idea.
“And I think for the record labels it felt like an exciting opportunity for them. It's an opportunity for them to offer their bands something extra as well as being for us as a venue a way to access a really exciting group of artists. Booking an artist at a venue is not just like buying stuff out of catalogue. There's a lot and negotiation and timing and persuasion involved so working with the record labels made a lot of sense and it's a great way to create programmes that have a real identity.”
Manchester’s Gondwana Records opens a packed weekend of music on March 27 with an eclectic line-up in the Corn Exchange featuring composer and saxophonist Jasmine Myra, electronic duo Svanesborg Kardyb and Portico Quartet’s Jack Wyllie playing music from his Paradise Cinema albums, plus a set from Gondwana’s resident DJ, Mari. The following night, supported by Brighton label Tru Thoughts, New Orleans’ Hot 8 Brass Band (Mar 28) return to the Concert Hall for a loose-limbed party soundtracked by their trademark funk, rap and hip hop-inflected music. On March 29, Circle of Live creator Sebastian Mullaert is joined by electronic music trailblazers Clark and Rival Consoles for an immersive experience that sees the three play live simultaneously for the first time, creating a one-off show on a specially designed in-the-round stage in the Corn Exchange.
On April 4 in the Studio Theatre, the inaugural Jazz Connections, a new event series produced by Brighton Dome and Jazz for Unity to celebrate the best emerging talent in the UK’s vibrant jazz scene, features award-winning Scottish ensemble Fergus McCreadie Trio with piano-driven music that evokes the beauty of the country’s landscape.
The following evening, What’s in the Salsa? (April 5) spotlights Afro Cuban culture through music, dance and conversations with artists from Cuba, Nigeria, the US and the UK.