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In a significant move for the UK’s independent music scene, industry veterans Dan Ickowitz-Seidler and Richard Buck have joined forces to launch Propaganda Independent Venues, reclaiming several iconic venues previously sold to Australian entertainment giant TEG.
The new venture has successfully re-acquired a portfolio of venues that Buck’s MJR Group sold to TEG in 2019, including Tramshed and The Globe in Cardiff, Wales, along with XOYO and Camden Assembly in London, and XOYO Birmingham. For both founders, the acquisition represents a homecoming of sorts, as Ickowitz-Seidler and Buck originally created Tramshed, which celebrates its tenth anniversary this year, while Buck was also the previous owner of The Globe and The Mill (now XOYO Birmingham).
“This acquisition establishes Propaganda Independent Venues as a significant name in the independent live music sector,” the company stated in its announcement. The move signals a renewed commitment to grassroots music venues at a time when many are facing significant operational challenges across the UK.
Propaganda brings considerable experience to the venture. Founded by Ickowitz-Seidler using his student loan, it has grown over two decades to become the UK’s largest indie club night. The brand has helped launch the careers of major artists including Ed Sheeran, Lily Allen, and Catfish & The Bottlemen, while expanding internationally to Australia, the United States, Brazil, and Ibiza. Propaganda also established a record label that released Yungblud’s debut vinyl.
The company already co-owns The Warehouse in Leeds, one of Britain’s oldest music venues, adding to its growing portfolio of historic performance spaces.
To support operations across their venues, Propaganda Independent Venues has formed a strategic partnership with Ghostwriter Consultancy & Events, which will manage back-office functions including finance, health and safety compliance, booking, marketing, and ticketing. The collaboration builds on a 20-year relationship between the companies and provides Propaganda with access to Ghostwriter’s venue management expertise.
Ghostwriter currently partners with several other UK venues, including Braehead Arena in Glasgow, The Prospect Building in Bristol, The Olympia in Liverpool, Warehouse in Leeds, and Quarters in Brighton. The partnership with Propaganda represents a further expansion of this operational model throughout the country.
In a notable move that demonstrates their commitment to the sector’s sustainability, Propaganda has announced that all venue ticket sales will include an optional customer donation to the Music Venue Trust, an organization dedicated to protecting and improving UK grassroots music venues.
Mark Davyd, Music Venue Trust CEO, welcomed the development: “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.”
The acquisition comes at a challenging time for independent venues in the UK, many of which have struggled with rising operational costs, changing audience behaviors, and the lingering effects of pandemic closures. Several iconic venues have closed in recent years, highlighting the precarious state of the grassroots music ecosystem.
Ickowitz-Seidler emphasized the company’s artist-friendly approach: “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.”
This policy stands in contrast to practices at some larger corporate venues, where merchandise commission fees have become increasingly controversial, with artists arguing they cut significantly into their touring income.
As the independent venue sector continues to face headwinds, Propaganda’s expansion represents a vote of confidence in the future of grassroots music spaces and their crucial role in nurturing emerging talent and local music communities.
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11 Comments
I’m curious to see how Propaganda will approach running these newly acquired venues. Their experience in the industry will be valuable, but the specific needs and identities of each location will be important to maintain. Hope they can strike the right balance.
Good point. Preserving the unique character and community connections of these venues will be key. Experienced local leadership should help them navigate that challenge.
Interesting move by Propaganda to acquire these independent UK venues. It’s encouraging to see industry veterans investing in grassroots music spaces, which are so vital but often struggle. Hoping this helps strengthen the local music scenes in these cities.
Yes, this could be a positive development for the independent music scene in the UK. Preserving and supporting these kinds of local venues is crucial.
The independent live music sector has faced major challenges in recent years, so this move by Propaganda is timely. Bringing experienced management back to these venues could help them weather the storms and continue supporting emerging artists and fan communities.
Absolutely. Indie venues are critical infrastructure for the music industry. Investing in their long-term sustainability is important, especially as the sector recovers from the pandemic.
This seems like a strategic acquisition for Propaganda. Reclaiming these iconic venues from the larger TEG group and putting them back in the hands of experienced local operators is an encouraging sign. Music fans will likely welcome the renewed focus on independent live music.
Agreed. Grassroots music venues are the lifeblood of local music scenes, so it’s good to see efforts to protect and nurture them.
It’s great to see industry veterans like Ickowitz-Seidler and Buck doubling down on independent music venues. These spaces are the lifeblood of local scenes, so their commitment is admirable. Curious to see how this acquisition unfolds and what it means for the future of UK live music.
This is an interesting development for the UK live music scene. I wonder what kind of programming and artist bookings we might see at these venues under Propaganda’s ownership. Hopefully they can continue to support emerging talent and diverse genres.
Yes, the programming will be important. These venues have cultivated loyal followings, so maintaining that community connection while potentially introducing new acts and events will be a delicate balance.