Happy Independent Venue Week! The nationwide campaign that celebrates the work independent venues do for artists and the industry kicks off today.
Independent venues up and down the country like Bedford Esquires and The Boileroom in Guildford are hosting a variety of artists, from Northern Ireland ambassador SOAK, to Porridge Radio, and many, many more.
We were lucky enough to speak with Welsh ambassador for Independent Venue Week, Mace The Great on his Welsh musical inspirations, his dream line-up, and his emotional response to getting back into performing post-lockdown.
What does it mean to you to be a part of campaigns like Independent Venue Week?
It’s an honour not only to be noticed by IVW for my music but also to be given the opportunity to be the ambassador for Wales and have the chance to push music of black origin from Wales to the forefront of the UK music scene!
Do you have a show that you played from early in your career as a singer/songwriter that holds a special place for you?
That would be one of last year's shows..
I supported XL Life in Clwb Ifor Bach and hadn’t performed live for over a year due to lockdown and the response was crazy in my hometown too, people were literally singing 'Brave' word for word and it was the first time I had performed the track live, it was emotional!
Who are some of your Welsh musical inspirations?
Older than me it would be Local & Astroid boys for the heights of their career they both reached. From the younger generation I’d say Ceelo and IamCas.
How important are indie venues to you?
Independent venues are important as it gives artists like myself a chance to put on their own shows and gives the consumers a place to come and see live performances. It’s all about bringing people together and creating a sense of community in the music scene.
What are the main differences you see as a performer in an indie venue?
I think it’s harder for indie venues in all areas in comparison to mainstream venues with corporate backing, but most indie venues are happy to go that extra mile, especially when it comes to working with local artists because they know the struggle.
What are the main differences you see as a performer in an indie venue?
Everything usually feels a bit more personal.
If you could curate a line up who would be on it and where would it be?
If I could curate one line up it would be; Stormzy, Skepta, Kano, Ghetts & Chip at Clwb Ifor Bach!
Check out all the artists that are taking part in Independent Venue Week on the See Tickets website.
Keep up to date with your favourite artists, priority bookings and exclusive offers from See Tickets:
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