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Chvrches’ Lauren Mayberry To Speak At Revamped Great Escape, UK
The Great Escape, the UK’s premier festival for new talent, returns to Brighton, England, May 15-18, and has unveiled the the content themes and first guest speakers for its revamped conference.
They include Lauren Mayberry, frontwoman of Chvrches, who’ll talk about her first-ever solo venture, after releasing four UK top-ten studio albums with her band between 2013 and 2021. Mayberry released her debut solo single, “Are You Awake?,” Sept. 1, 2023, followed by the single “Shame,” Oct. 10.
She’s been touring solo, as well, not just in the UK, and Europe, but the U.S., too. Some highlights from the Pollstar Boxoffice include a sold-out show at the 9:30 Club in Washington, DC, Sept. 4, 2023, selling 1,165 tickets, and turning over $40,775; and a sold-out SWG3 in Glasgow, in her home country Scotland, selling 1,000 tickets for a $31,527 gross.
The list of speakers at The Great Escape 2024 also includes Sacha Lord, chair of the UK’s Night Time Industries Association (NTIA), co-creator of Parklife Festival and the Warehouse Project, and Night Time Economy Adviser for Greater Manchester. Lord will highlight the importance of what is the UK’s fifth biggest industry, and address the unique concerns of the night time economy.
See: Q’s With Adam Ryan, Programmer At The Great Escape Festival Brighton UK
The NTIA will also curate an entire day of content during TGE. The sessions will be taking place on Friday, May 17, and provide a deep dive into the night time economy and current state of play for venues and live entertainment. The program includes “Global Perspectives and Approaches to Night Time Economy and Culture,” “Creating Safe Queer Spaces: The Importance of Inclusive Safeguarding,” and “The Empowerment of Youth and the Crisis of Political Faith.”
Thursday, May 16, will be curated by the Council of Music Makers, the umbrella organization representing the Ivors Academy, FAC, MMF, MPG and the MU, and cover key areas for anyone working in the business of music creation, including streaming remuneration, the challenges of getting credited and paid for music, touring sustainability, and more.
On Saturday, May 18, BBC Introducing and the UK’s national charity Youth Music will focus on professional development for the next generation of emerging artists and entrepreneurs, covering: how to secure funding, management, small budget marketing, and more.
The “They Think It’s All Sober” podcast will record a live episode with creators Jamie Osman, and Tom Hollings in conversation with a high-profile guest at TGE, discussing their journey of sobriety and what helped them along the way.
Other partners hosting panels across the four days and nights include TikTok, Ticketmaster, The Spanish Wave, Audio Network, BPI, Pollstar, and Music Declares Emergency.
The Great Escape also confirmed the return of the popular Steve Strange Award for its third year. Introduced in honor of the late live agent and co-founder of X-Ray Touring Steve Strange, the award recognizes a music act that is breaking through creative boundaries in the music industry, with the recipient of the award receiving a cash prize of £5,000 ($6,300). Last year’s winners were Italian post-punk quintet Milanosport. This year’s winner will be revealed on Monday, May 20, following the event in Brighton.
More speakers and the first keynote sessions will be announced next month. For those that are new to the industry, The Great Escape has launched a brand-new, affordably priced Saturday Conference Only ticket for just £35, plus a Saturday Conference & Festival Combo ticket for £75.
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Rory Bett, CEO of MAMA Festivals, the organizer of TGE, said, “We’re incredibly excited for how this brand-new evolution of The Great Escape conference is shaping up. By bringing in some of the industry’s biggest and best networks and experts to develop the event, the scope of what’s going to be covered is more in depth and bigger and better than ever. This is the UK’s number one event for networking and getting ahead in the music industry like you’ve never seen it before.”
Michael Kill, CEO of the Night Time Industries Association (NTIA), said, “The Great Escape holds a significant place in the cultural calendar, and the NTIA feels immensely privileged and humbled to be chosen as a partner.”
Daniel Williams, engagement director at Youth Music, commented, “We’re really excited to be joining forces with the Great Escape Festival conference this year. Youth Music is committed to leveling the playing field for young people in music, and this is a great place to do that. We’ll be curating a creative mix of opportunities to hear from experts across marketing, management, funding, and more, to empower emerging artists with the knowledge needed to thrive in this rapidly changing industry.”
Annabella Coldrick, chief executive of the Music Managers Forum (MMF), and a Pollstar and VenuesNow Impact International honoree, said, “Along with other member organisations in the Council Of Music Makers, the MMF is part of a united front that wants to create a more equitable music business. Historically, The Great Escape has been a launchpad for our advocacy work, such as our Dissecting The Digital Dollar publications, and we look forward to hosting some positive and forward-thinking discussions this May.”
Kelly Betts, editor at BBC Introducing, added, “BBC Introducing are excited to return to The Great Escape where we will host three showcases at the Paganini Ballroom. We are looking forward to bringing the best new talent with support from BBC Asian Network, 1Xtra, and 6 Music. New for this year, Introducing will also be curating a panel as part of The Great Escape’s brilliant day time conference.”