Brighton gigs in close collaboration with the record labels
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.
