Type and hit ENTER

Commonly used tags...

Brighton Festival Brighton Fringe Brighton Pride British Sea Power Cinecity Lewes Psychedelic Festival Locally Sourced Lost & Found Love Supreme Festival Mutations Festival Nick Cave Poets Vs MCs Politics Rag'n'Bone Man Record Store Day Save Our Venues Six Of The Best Source Virgins Streets Of Brighton Street Source Tattoos The Great Escape Tru Thoughts Unsung Heroes
  • Home
  • News
  • Previews
  • Reviews
  • Features
  • Food
  • Tickets
  • Contact
  • Contribute
  • Advertise
  • Home
  • News
  • Previews
  • Reviews
  • Features
  • Food
  • Tickets
  • Contact
    • Contact
    • Contribute
    • Advertise
Features

Paul Seivewright & Ambre France, Unsung Heroes, No.21

Aug 3, 2011
-
Posted by James Kendall

The Green Door Store owners opened their doors when everyone else was closing theirs, thank god.

Was it scary seeing other venues closing when you were planning to open?
Paul: Well, at the risk of sounding conceited, no. It reinforced in my mind what we were doing was right. Your Broken Brighton headline – that was in my mind as well. When we were planning this place it was obvious to me that this is what Brighton needed.

Why has the Green Door Store been so successful?

P: The venue, our musical programme, the staff that we have here, our programmer Ed Lilo – all that combined just works. And we don’t tell any lies – it is what it is. The club nights are free to get in; we’re looking for the newest music and the coolest music.

Some of the music is quite challenging.

P: Yeah. I sit down with Ed on a frequent basis and come up with some random ideas. He’s talking about skating indoors now and I’m like, no. We start with this stupid idea and it usually flourishes into something that is quite cool and works. But we’re open seven days a week, every week of the year and you can’t have all cool, all challenging. So we do have blues and jazz – regular kind of stuff – on a weekly basis because you need to pay the rent.

The place has a really distinctive look – you told us once that if you had more money you’d have fucked it up.
Ambre: I might have said that when I was drunk.
P: Well, I think it’s true. If you’ve got lots of money then you’ve got lots of time, and with time comes doubt and with doubt you change your original ideas. We didn’t have time and we didn’t have any money.
A: Some of the décor in there was down to me being quite nerdy. Like about exposing all the brickwork around the doorways. It pretty much took a week to get the paint off each doorway.

Words by James Kendall and Sol Brown
Photo By James Kendall

Unsung Heroes
Aug 3, 2011
Email
James Kendall
James Kendall was the co-owner and editor of SOURCE. He’s been a music journalist since 1992 and spent over a decade travelling the globe covering dance music for DJmag. He’s interviewed a range of subjects from Bat For Lashes, Foals and James ‘LCD Soundsystem’ Murphy to Katie Price and the Sugababes. He’s a keen photographer and has work featured in The Guardian.
← PREVIOUS POST
Secret Eater: BBQ Shack
NEXT POST →
Street Style, Kerry
Mailing List

Recent Posts
  • Love Supreme Festival 2025 Review
    Jul 13, 2025

    Despite the poor weather, the performers, whether legends or newcomers, shone to ensure this year's festival ranked as one of the best yet.

  • Ghost Stories Review
    Jul 8, 2025

    A genuinely terrifying production, beautifully produced, stunningly acted and wonderfully directed. If you love a good psychological horror; don’t miss this.

  • Oral Habit Release Garage Frock! ep With a Family Store In-Store
    Jul 5, 2025

    Is this the best new band in Brighton? Team Source says "Hell Yeah!"

  • Get Ready For Some Summer Hi Jinx
    Jun 26, 2025

    New promotions team Hi Jinx are inviting you for beer and free live music beside the seaside. What's not to like?

  • Big Long Sun Launch Album No 2!
    Jun 25, 2025

    With two slamming singles the new Big Long Sun album should be the soundtrack to late night summer parties across the land.

  • Great Escape 2025 Day 4 Review
    Jun 13, 2025

    Day 4 started with a party whistle thrash punk Extravaganza and ended with the glorious debut of Post Common. We love you TGE.

  • Great Escape 2025 Day 3 Review
    Jun 9, 2025

    One of the real joys of the Great Escape is you can often see the bands that really grab you more than once. Day 3 delivered.

  • Great Escape 2025 Day 2 Review
    Jun 7, 2025

    Day 2 provided a diverse range of acts. Within 30 minutes we went from beautiful Australian folk to riotous Korean DnB and that was before tea time!

Website developed in Brighton by Infobo
Copyright © Brighton Source 2009-2023
Paul Seivewright & Ambre France, Unsung Heroes, No.21 - Brighton Source