Welcome to the latest edition of Six Questions With..., a weekly short and sharp interview with a live music figure. Email jhanley@nbmedia.com if you would like to take part or recommend someone for inclusion.
This week's Q&A is with Simon Birkumshaw of record label and events brand Sense Traxx.
What was your first job in music?
Technically, my first job in music would be working in a nightclub as a promotions manager - I have been running, and involved with running, events for over seven years. However, my first proper full-time job earning a salary was working at Defected Records in A&R and running the weekly radio show/podcast.
How long have you been in your current role?
I have been the label manager at Madhouse and MadTech for nearly 18 months now, and since then I have started becoming more involved with Champion Records too. On the side, I’ve been running my own brand Sense Traxx for five years, which continues to grow in good health as a party and as a label.
What is your favourite thing about working in the live music industry?
Promoting events - that bit at about 2am when it’s in full swing and you can start to relax a bit. I think it’s the buzz of seeing people having a good time from all the hard work you put in, the rewards you get after spending weeks and months planning, knowing that you’re connecting with people through music. It’s a great chance to socialise and meet people from different backgrounds who are all connecting through the same thing.
What is the one thing you would like to change about the business?
The business is always changing and adapting to new things. Fortunately for me, I can see things from different perspectives from where I am involved with events as a promoter, as a record label, as an artist and as a consumer. I definitely feel that some artists are well over-priced for the return you actually get on ticket sales, but on the flip side I know how hard it is for a label to make money and the live part of the industry is where most artists now make their money. I just struggle to justify how some artist can demand so much.
It makes it very difficult to put together line-ups as a small promoter when you have people paying over the odds for acts, which in turn push the prices up and make the smaller guys struggle to compete - either that or the big festivals and promotes have exclusives.
Don’t get me wrong, there are some really understanding agencies out there that want to help and support people like us - and I use ‘us’ as I know I am not the only one who has experienced this - to keep their roster healthy and exposed to more rural areas. That said, I could rant and moan about the industry all day, but the fact is the world changes and you need to move with the times to make sure you don’t get left behind. Embrace the change, adapt, and make it work to your advantage.
What has been the highlight of your career so far?
I think the highlight so far is where I am now to be honest. In the space of five years I have got my head down, worked hard and managed to go from working at Defected in A&R to label manager of Kerri Chandler’s Madhouse. I continue to build my own label and run events on the side too, so it can be tricky keeping all these plates spinning and making sure everything gets the quality attention it needs. I set some targets that I wanted to achieve by the time I am 30 within music and I am on track, so ask me again in another five years and I’ll hopefully have a new answer for you!
What’s the best gig you’ve ever been to?
There have been many gigs/events I have been to over the years, but I would have to say that it’s a very close call between Eric Prydz Epic 5.0 this year in London, or about five years ago when I saw Deadmau5 at Victoria Park - both the music and production was on point and they were fantastic experiences. These kinds of acts are all about the production and the experience, and as much as I love a dark dingy club with underground house or techno, these bigger events are just as amazing.
