James Kendall: It’s a turbulent time for venues at the moment, what with the smoking ban and the licensing law changes.
Russell Haynes: You can drive yourself mad being fearful of the climate, the competition, the rules that you have to adhere to.
James McKeown: Trying to be a step ahead of what’s going on in terms of the acts and projects that you’re working on. Some of our projects go all the way to next summer.
JK: When you’re booking bands in it seems like it’s almost like gambling.
RH: It’s total instinct. But we’re trying new things to get big artists in the venue too. Silent Disco Live is a completely new concept we’re excited about. The level of artist that are interested in playing only happens because it’s a conceptual thing. It goes back to the idea of competition in a depressed market. I don’t think you can keep emailing artists asking them to play a gig. It’s about driving forward new ideas. And there’s an element of risk in anything new that you do. But the uptake of Silent Disco Live has been fantastic. I think it’s going to be big.
JMcK: The concept is an entirely live artist performance in complete silence because everyone’s wearing headphones. That in itself has never been done before – it’s really, really strange. We did a trial run at Glastonbury and it was a resounding success. I think the key to it is that it’s a brand new experience for a live audience. The great thing is that you don’t lose any of the dynamics. You don’t lose the personal touch, but you gain the sound quality and the detail. Being enclosed with the music brings you much closer and it becomes a more personal thing.
RH: At some stage I’d like to see it where – technology permitting – for you to be able to listen to a musician on their own. If it was Fun Loving Criminals you could listen to Fast play his bass. There’s still room for it to develop. Listening to a musician play live on his own is normally the sort of thing only a studio engineer gets to experience.
JK: The lack of noise leads to loads of interesting possibilities for bands playing in unusual places.
JMcK: Definitely. One of the ideas that I’m working on at the moment is an electronica artist playing on the roof of the Concorde sometime next year. The good thing about it is that we could do it, essentially, at three o’clock in the morning. Having that complete silence allows us to pretty much put a gig on anywhere.
JK: So the experience becomes more important than the booking. As people get more used to seeing bands – after this massive revival we’ve had this century – anything out of the ordinary is going to be exciting.
Silence Is Golden
The Silent Disco Live Performers
Mon Sep 22nd- FATBOY SLIM plus Simian Mobile Disco
It’s the week leading up to the Big Beach Boutique, so what better way for Norm to warm up than in total silence? SMD are the new Chemical Brothers – big stadium dance music that works on stage despite being totally electronic. The key is their circular table bank of machines that makes them look like they’re flying the Tardis through an asteroid field.
Tues Sep 23rd- THE MYSTERY JETS plus guests
They’ve missed every festival this summer due to complications from singer Blaine Harrison’s spina bifida. Shame, as the new album of tight, angular indie songs is getting everyone in a spin.
Wed Sep 24th- VERY SPECIAL GUESTS
Rumours abound as to who this could be, with names as far reaching as Dirty Pretty Things, Audio Bullys and even Jamie Cullum being whispered…
Thurs Sep 25th – SUPERGRASS plus guests
Not quite disco, but still very mobile and unquestionably simian, Brighton’s own Gaz Coombes takes to the stage with his fellow ‘grasses for a silent workout of their sprightly guitar pop.
