Our Rising Star this week is ATC Management's Matthew Greer, read on to find out how he's making it in the management game...
How did you break into the music industry?
While at university, I tried my hand at promoting shows in Camden and before that learned about club and gig promotion during [noughties] indie’s halcyon days when Frog at Mean Fiddler and Nambucca were cornerstones of London’s music scene. There are lessons learned during those days that I still refer to, as well as lots of fond but hazy memories. After university, I started scouting and interning at ATC Management, working on campaigns for Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds and more. In 2015 I started working with Frank Carter, Half Moon Run and Metric and am involved with all three acts today.
What’s your proudest achievement so far?
Having Top 20, Top 10 and Top 5 albums back to back with Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes, while preserving their independence. Selling out O2 Academy Brixton and getting the band on the road with the Foo Fighters all summer are definite bucket-list moments too. There is lots more to come next year.
Management can be turbulent, with massive highs and crushing lows
Matthew Greer
What does it take to succeed in music?
Management can be turbulent, with massive highs and crushing lows. Maintaining a deep passion for music and the mindset that you never know what is around the corner is what drives me. The same applies in all other sectors – the music always comes first and opportunities appear often out of nowhere, changing a campaign or even a career overnight.
What does the future hold for rock?
The future looks bright with bands like Idles and Shame rewriting the rulebook and setting a new standard for the genre; writing powerful songs with depth but backed up with some of the most intense live shows people have seen in years. British guitar music suddenly feels like it’s about to turn a corner and become a global force. I am proud to be a small part of that with the Rattlesnakes. Across the pond, acts like H09909, Scxrlxrd and Ghostmane are also breathing life into the genre.
How would you change the biz?
The recorded music industry has spent years trying to move from an opaque set of business models to an ecosystem where artists have options and get treated fairly. It feels like progress has been made. In the live arena, more work is needed. FanFair Alliance has done a brilliant job of tackling industrial scale secondary ticketing whilst many stood by, watched and profiteered. However, there are still way too many mouths in the trough between artist and fan, and the live industry needs to come to the party and reform!
MATTHEW’S RECOMMENDED TRACK:
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