Greater Brighton and Hove Area
I manage & book along with my team & partner Brightons The Hope & Ruin, a 150 capacity grassroots music venue & 100% plant based pub. Acts we have hosted include Royal Blood, Dua Lipa, Nadine Shah, Fat White Family, Ditz, Lambrini Girls, Bob Vylan, Black Country New Road, Jockstrap, Personnel Trainer, The Beths as well as countless local bands, DJs & performers. We also host The Great Escape Festival, Mutations & Triptych. The Hope & Ruin is one of the many R&D epicentres that feeds the live music & festival circuit both Nationally & Internationally. Prior and alongside that I ran & curated the much loved & much missed Sticky Mike's Frog Bar which ran successfully for 9 years until development forced us to shut. SMFB or Stickies as it was known hosted many amazing artists from all over the world many of whom have gone on to bigger & better things REST IN NOISE! As a promoter I ran the legendary comedy night "Gittins To Know You" in the venue hosted by Brian Gittins aka David Earl. The night saw many big name comedians take to the tiny stage. These included Harry Hill, Stewart Lee, Richard Herring, Lolly Adefope, Nina Conti, Tim Key, Joe Lycett, Romesh Ranganathan, Kerry Godliman, Greg Davies, Doc Brown, Adam Buxton, Al Murray, John Kearns, Cardinal Burns, Joe Wilkinson, Nic Helm, Mae Martin, James Acaster, John Kearns, Tony Laws & Zoe Lyons. Not forgetting the incredible & much missed Sean Lock (RIP) AND Angelos Epithemiou alongside his backing band Royal Blood (yes that Royal Blood). 'The world's worst stand up comedian.' - Sussex Argus 2013 I have also DJed & promoted club nights as Dynamite Sal for over 25 years. These include Dynamite Boogaloo (which we still host once a year at The Spigeltent), We Luv Pop, Kick Out The Jams, Pop Not Pop, Sub Bop, Shameless & Guilty Pleasures. The aim is to keep developing the vibrant live music scene Brighton has & to support the development of artists whilst protecting the underground subculture & allowing it to thrive here in the City. During the pandemic I helped facilitate Live is Alive a series of 4 live shows that took place at The Dome in Brighton to support artists and venues and to keep live music going whilst we were all in lockdown. This raised considerable funds all of which was donated to artists and venues. It was an incredibly important for the cities live music scene. The H&R is a longtime member of The Music Venues Alliance. I am currently chair of MVAB a local arm of MVA that meets regularly with local stakeholders to work positively to allow all the GMVs in the City to thrive.