Propaganda Independent Venues Launched, Acquires TEG’s UK Venue Portfolio

Independent venue veterans Dan Ickowitz-Seidler, founder of the UK’s iconic Propaganda live events series, and Richard Buck, founder of MJR Group, together launched Propaganda Independent Venues.

One of the first oders of business of the new company was re-acquiring MJR’s former venue portfolio that became TEG’s, when the Australian live-powerhouse acquired MJR Group in 2019 to form TEG UK. This includes Tramshed and The Globe in Cardiff, Wales, XOYO and Camden Assembly (formerly the legendary Barfly) in London, and XOYO Birmingham.

Tramshed in Cardiff, which celebrates its tenth anniversary this year, was created by Ickowitz-Seidler and Buck. Buck also owned The Globe and The Mill, which became XOYO Birmingham.

“This acquisition establishes Propaganda Independent Venues as a significant name in the independent live music sector and marks the start of an exciting new chapter for Propaganda, reinforcing the company’s deep-rooted commitment to supporting grassroots venues, artists and music fans, and ensuring that these iconic venues continue to thrive under independent ownership,” according to today’s press announcement.

Propaganda is the UK’s biggest indie night, famously started by Dan Ickowitz-Seidler using his student loan. Its two-decade legacy has seen Ed Sheeran, Lily Allen, Catfish & The Bottlemen, and many more taking to the Propaganda stage; an expansion into Australia, America, Brazil and Ibiza; and the release of Yungblud’s debut vinyl via Propaganda Records.

Propaganda also co-owns The Warehouse in Leeds, England, one of the UK’s oldest venues.

Propaganda Independent Venues will also enter a long-term strategic partnership with Ghostwriter Consultancy & Events, who will support the operation of the venues and deliver comprehensive back-of-house functionality, including finance, health and safety compliance, diary management, in-house booking, marketing, and ticketing. The partnership is evolution in the 20-year relationship between Propaganda and Ghostwriter’s directors, delivering a wealth of industry knowledge, experience and expertise across both companies.

“Propaganda venues will join Ghostwriter’s existing venue partners, including Braehead Arena (Glasgow), The Prospect Building (Bristol), The Olympia (Liverpool), Warehouse (Leeds) and Quarters (Brighton), as the model continues to expand throughout the UK,” the press release continues.

As part of a its commitment to the grassroots, Propaganda announced that all venue ticket sales will now include an optional customer donation to the Music Venue Trust, providing another revenue stream to support the Trust’s vital work in the independent sector.

Mark Davyd, Music Venue Trust CEO, commented, “It’s fantastic to see these five venues being taken on by such an experienced and professional team. We are pleased to welcome Propaganda Independent Venues into the fold of the Music Venues Alliance family and look forward to working with them so they can deliver an exceptional live music offer to their communities.”

Dan Ickowitz-Seidler said, “I am really excited to have reacquired Tramshed, our original venue that Rich and I created ten years ago, along with the other incredible venues that made up TEG’s venue estate. It is a challenging time for grassroots venues at the moment, and for a lot of touring artists. We are owned and run by music fans and want to support the touring ecosystem as much as possible. We won’t charge our artists merch fees, and we’ll also have a fairer ticketing allocation model, ensuring greater support for the artists who play our venues, as well as our promoters and customers.”

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