Page 39 - Black Velvet Magazine Issue 98

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Name, age & location: are where it all comes together. I love them all, at the Royal Armouries. The executive pro-
Richard Watson, good vintage but not matured I really love music, and music of many different ducer and Hollywood legend Anthony Waye
yet, Leeds. genres, so the gigs do not feel like work, it is came; he’s worked on Star Wars and a whole
like a night out. I spend a lot of my week meet- heap of big movies; he brought the Bond as-
What do you do - or what do you aim to do? ing musicians and helping and advising them, sistant producer David Wilson who is also the
I promote live music events, under the 360 with general advice or things specific to a cam- grandson of Cubby Broccoli. The screening
Club moniker. I specialise in promoting and paign, such as the release of their music. was a world first and exclusive, and to work
mentoring new emerg- with these legends helping young people was
ing talent, mainly from Have you very exciting.
West Yorkshire, play- had any
ing host to different p r o f e s - If you could meet one of your inspirations
acts every week and sional train- and ask them one question, who would you
showcasing a variety ing or taken like to meet and what question would you
of genres and styles part in any ask?
from gig to gig. One courses to I talk to him on a regular basis, he’s my Dad. I
week could be blues, i m p r o v e am blessed to have him, and for him to still be
the next alternative your career with us.
rock or electronic; if it along the
is good I put it on, as way? Advice to others that may want to follow in
long as each gig’s line- No, although your footsteps?
up has acts that complement each other. Be- I have done a lot of training in the art of con- Get on with it, you’re a long time dead, and be
hind the scenes it’s all about helping the bands suming Guinness. prepared for a lot of hard work. It’s not all rock
out and teaching them the things I’ve learnt and roll and parties … but there’s plenty of that
from the industry over the years. I want to be Highlight(s) of your career so far? and fun to be had!
an industry person they can turn to without any I’m 51 years old and have been fortunate to do
hidden agenda, that will give them good hon- a lot of different things I have wanted to do with Where do you go from here? Plans for the
est advice, without any strings. my career and life, so there are too many to future?
choose from really, which makes me feel very As it stands, we'll continue on with the ‘Tracks
How long have you been doing it for - and fortunate. Some of the ones that I remember You Might Have Missed’ series, hopefully
what made you choose this career? and treasure the most are the results of using branching out to work with some other inde-
I have been promoting 360 Club events for 10 my networks and contacts in pendent record labels to push
years, and promoting for 25 years, doing many music, film, television and dance their bands as well as more
events and club nights in the UK and over- to do projects with young peo- unheard/unsigned artists.
seas. It was an accidental start, I was working ple, some of which come from We're also looking to get
as an industrial chemist and a passion for very challenging backgrounds more involved with some live
music and lack of being able to go out and find and awful situations of abuse; events here in the UK. We're
what I loved, led me and George Evelyn because of the nature of some working closely with the Pile
(Nightmares On Wax) to put on a party / night of that and the work I can’t be Up Festival team who are
of what we loved for our mates, and have a too specific about it. Being told putting on some great shows
night out we wanted. It wasn’t a business de- that your project made a mas- this year, and have huge
cision but one born of a passion for music, the sive change in the confidence plans to take the alternative
business aspect came later. We set up a night, and behaviour of those people is festival scene by storm next
Funky Mule, which specialised in hip-hop, trip- very rewarding and emotional year. To grow #360RAW and
hop and drum and bass; we were putting on too. From that I learned I could the regular 360 Club gigs;
people like Roni Size, DJ Shadow, Krush, make very good use of the net- keep on doing what I do with
Coldcut, Morcheeba when nobody really knew works and contacts I have to music and keep on enjoying
who they were. help others; it ultimately gave me my inspira- it; and promoting more, great emerging talent
tion to be less commercially focused and gave and helping them to get more widely known
What does a general working day or week me my work motto: make a difference and not and appreciated. And I should also renew my
usually consist of? a fortune. The biggest highlight was probably passport and have a holiday. I am an addict to
Booking gigs, liaising with the acts, advertising persuading the makers of the James Bond my music work and really bad at taking proper
and marketing shows and the acts them- films to come to Leeds and do a session for holidays.
selves, doing press and radio for them. All of me for young people, about making a story
this takes quite a lot of time and some of the into a film. This was just ahead of the release Website for more info:
admin is mundane and nowhere as rock and of Casino Royale, which I persuaded them to https://www.facebook.com/360Club
roll as some people may think, but the shows show to the young people in a private cinema

ZEALOT IN WONDERLAND you’d do anything for, then this Mr. Ginger Wildheart. You can feel well worth pur-
GARY DAVIDSON book is for you. Even if you’re not Gary’s enthusiasm during this chasing. Visit
The power of music is a won- a Wildhearts fan yourself, you’ll music-inspired journey, but you w w w . w i l d -
derful thing. Devotion to an artist relate to Gary as he goes about also read about Gary’s depres- h e a r t s -
can bring such joy, passion, cre- his own life while following his sion. If you suffer from depression book.co.uk to
ation and be life-changing. At the favourite band. He’s a great writer. yourself, you’ll relate, and if you order your
end of Zealot In Wonderland by The book is both personal, like a don’t, you may learn and under- copy. Whilst
Gary Davidson, AKA Gary Wild- diary, and informative. You read stand a bit more. Zealot In Won- originally giv-
heart, we shed a tear. Without about Gary’s own highs and lows derland was first published in ing a percent-
wanting to give too much away, a while, simultaneously, the history 2017 but a new edition is out now age to the
special moment happened for the of The Wildhearts. You join Gary with an updated epilogue. The Samaritans, 10% of the proceeds
author that made everything worth as he buys tickets, ventures into epilogue really gives the book a of the book are now going to Scott
it. Zealot In Wonderland is the hu- romantic relationships, attends more powerful ending, and was Sorry’s GoFundMe Medical Fund
morous and often emotional concerts, purchases and reviews the ending that it really deserved. - www.gofundme.com/scottsorry
rollercoaster life of a music fan. If The Wildhearts’ albums and Priced at £9.99, Zealot In Won- YYYYY
you’ve got a favourite band that meets his hero, the man himself, derland is a fantastic read and Shari Black Velvet

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