Solen – Live Music Manager @ Electric Circus, Edinburgh

So how did it all begin?

I wasn't really sure what I wanted to do after university, I was working a rubbish job to pay the bills and a friend suggested a yearlong Music Marketing and Management course at Jewel & Esk College as I was forever at local band gigs and indie clubs.

What made you give it a bash?

I really didn't fancy working for Standard Life or having a dull job!

I've always wanted to enjoy what I do with my time over looking for well paid but soulless jobs. Very few people make a lot of money from music events but if you find your niche and have a bit of ambition and creativity you can make a decent living. There are lots of different kinds of jobs in music events, from sound engineering to tour management to marketing. I’ve been lucky to be able to work as an in-house promoter at a couple of great venues.

How did you get started?

Through the Jewel & Esk course I met some great contacts in the industry - part time lecturers and guest speakers. I also started flyering for Unique Events, the company that organises all of Edinburgh's Hogmanay events when I started the course. At the end of the year they were looking for staff and it all progressed from there.

Where was your first related job?

Working at Unique as their receptionist for a few months while they planned Edinburgh's Christmas and Hogmanay events. I was utterly useless! I didn't know anyone or what they did but it was a massive learning curve and really great experience to see all the different areas of organisation required for such large scale events and to work for really experienced and talented folks.

From there I went on to work for Glasgow Jazz Festival as Marketing Assistant and luckily just as that contract was about to end as the festival was wrapping up I got a call from one of the Unique Directors looking for help in the office at Regular Music, who at the time where promoting a big weekend festival in Glasgow. I ended up working for them for 4 years before moving to Cabaret Voltaire as the gig promoter.

Who/what inspired you?

I’d have to blame my dad! He's a massive music fan and used to build his own 7 foot speakers so music would always be blaring out around the house and he took me to gigs from when I was very young.

What kind of events do you organise now?

For the last year I’ve worked as Live Music Manager for Electric Circus, which is new venue in the city centre. It’s 300 capacity and is a very different space to any other venue in town, which lends itself to all manner of events so I’ve had to opportunity to work with some great club promoters and event organisers, creating all sorts of fun nights from straight up live gigs to bandaoke (where anyone can get up onstage and sing with the venue’s band!) to a run of craft fair, high tea and music nights to festival shows and cabaret.

What was the first event you ever helped to put on?

Edinburgh's Hogmanay programme but I wouldn't say I was much help!!

The first event I programmed myself would have been our first gig, a local band night, at Cabaret Voltaire.

What's the most memorable event you've put on?

I loved the Withered Hand EP launch party we did at Electric Circus last summer as it was our first sold out show and I’m a massive fan of his music. It was an epic gig with about 6 or 7 acts all of whom were great and the place had an amazing atmosphere. It makes the job a sheer joy when gigs like that happen.

What's the best thing about organising music events?

That you get to see and hear so many great bands, you meet some crazy characters and every now and then a band you really love will go on to receive national or international recognition and you get to be really proud of them. It’s also pretty sweet when you see a packed crowd singing back at the act that you booked.

What skills are most important in your role?

It’s very important to be an effective communicator; you have a strict deadline so make sure you are sharing the right information with the right people make ensure that the event runs smoothly.

Mostly the job on the day is just troubleshooting if bands are late, equipment breaks or ticket sales are slow for example, and it’s your job to try to make things work for everyone and to your budget and curfew.

Staying calm when things go wrong is very important, but it’s not rocket science, just use your common sense! It’s also important to learn who your audiences are for different events or live shows to make sure you are promoting it to the right people.

Challenges?

There are plenty of challenges. It's not cheap to put on a good show with great bands.

Find out what gear the bands use and can share, what the venue provides or trying to find an amp 10 minutes before doors open when the band turn up late without one can be a bit of a nightmare!

The more events you do and more people in all areas of the industry that you meet the easier it becomes as you can always call in a favour to help you out in times of crisis!

Knowing lots of bands that can pull in a good crowd at short notice, making sure the financial offers you make to band management and agents make sense and are do-able, keeping a track of your ticket sales and promotion plus reading contracts and pointing out anything that might be an issue in advance are important.

Top tips for budding event's organisers?

• It’s good to learn which bands already work with specific national promoters in Scotland. Keep an eye on national promoter websites and listings ads in Skinny and List magazine, people like DF Concerts, PCL, Regular and Synergy know what they are talking about, where and when to put on acts and what to charge for entry. Annoy them till they let you flyer for them! Try to get work all on sorts of events, to have rounded knowledge on how events are run.
• The best lesson is to go out and find some great local bands with a decent following and start putting on your own shows. It'll cost you a little bit of cash to promote and pay for a venue but will be invaluable experience. But don’t assume just because you like them others will! You have to go out and sell their music to live music fans.
• Do your research, learn about the venues you are using and who they’re usual audiences are. Send them information and they should help promote your shows.
• Collect email addresses at events to tell them about your next show.