Gaby Cartwright has worked in the UK live music sector for over a decade. Prior to joining LIVE – whose members are a federation of fifteen live music industry associations representing 3,159 businesses, over 34,000 British artists and 2,000 backstage workers – in 2022, she held positions at Cato Music, WME and Live Nation, alongside tour managing artists on the road.

In her current position as head of partnerships, Cartwright holds various responsibilities including overseeing and producing the renowned LIVE Awards, an annual event attended by over 600 people which honours and celebrates the work of promoters, venues, agents, festivals, artist managers and others working in the UK live music sector. 

She is also chair of the organisation’s Misogyny In Music group, which is committed to promoting gender equality and creating a safe and inclusive environment for all, and is a strong advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusion in the live music industry.

How do you feel about joining the Music Week Women In Music Roll Of Honour?

“I'm truly humbled and honoured to be inducted into Music Week‘s Women In Music Roll Of Honour. Throughout my career, I've had the privilege of working with talented women across the industry, and I'm constantly inspired by their dedication, creativity and perseverance. I’m grateful to be recognised alongside such an impressive group of women and for the opportunity to be part of this celebration of female excellence in music!”

How do you look back on your early years getting into the industry?

“With quite a lot of pride actually, I had so much energy and enthusiasm for live music that I’m not sure anything could have stopped me. When I was 21, after interning at The Bedford in Balham for two years, I remember saving up my student loan to invest in a small festival tent, then spent the following two summers putting on mini-festivals at local pubs in Oxfordshire. I convinced over 50 artists, including the likes of Willie J Healey, Billy Lockett and Liv Dawson to come and play on my stages. From then onwards, It was one big whirlwind, taking every opportunity I could get and meeting everyone I possibly could. 

“My first ‘real’ job in music was at Cato Music in Wandsworth, based at the Rolling Stones’ old HQ, it was the epicentre of 360 Touring. I started as the receptionist, looking after the rehearsal studios, artists and crew, moving my way up to project manager where I helped launch the first ever Roadie Academy and oversaw touring projects. I’ll never forget the day I opened the door to Ewan McGregor, walked in on Lars Ulrich doing yoga on my office floor, and hung out with Eric Idle – what a time! A lot of the people I met early on in my career I still work with now, it’s like one big dysfunctional family.”

Did you have a mentor at that stage? 

“I’ve never officially had a mentor, but there have been a lot of people I’ve looked up to over the years and who have helped me along the way. My older brother Ben was the catalyst for my love of music when I was a kid, he’s a songwriter, performer and producer and was my earliest ‘mentor’. Our parents took us to Reading Festival when I was 13, where I pointed at a woman who was standing on the side of the stage with a clipboard and said to my dad, ‘I want to be whoever she is one day’. Fast forward 10 years and I was – minus the clipboard. 

“Ben introduced me to my first ever industry contact at a show at The 100 Club, Lucy Dixon, who booked The Bedford in Balham where I subsequently went to intern, and honestly, every single job I got from there on started from that intro. People like Neil Simpson, who I met at The Bedford and at the time was managing Catfish And The Bottlemen, helped get my foot in the door at Cato Music. Glen Rowe, founder of Cato Music introduced me to Rob Markus at WME, and the following week I was in David Levy’s office interviewing. Steve Hogan and then Russell Warby, my bosses at WME, would always champion me even when I left to go and work at Live Nation.”

You are Chair of LIVE’s Misogyny In Music Group. Can you tell us a bit about the work that group does to promote gender equality across the company? 

“The group was primarily formed in response to the last Government falling short of action to help protect women in the music industry from harassment and discrimination after their disappointing response to the WEC’s [Women and Equalities Committee] report on Misogyny In Music. I was asked to take part in an evidence session for the report and that alone was enough fuel for me to start this group. 

“It works closely alongside our LIVE Workforce group – the people strand of what we do – which is chaired by the wonderful Charisse Beaumont. We host experts and specialists on issues such as diversity and inclusion, open recruitment, accessibility, and pipeline talent development. Working with venue and festival organisers, agents, managers, artists and others, we prioritise the needs of the people that make up our industry and bring to life a vision for secure, ethical and inclusive standards for our sector personnel.

“Before the MIM group formed, LIVE made the decision to co-opt three females onto the board so that we have a better gender balance at the top. That was a great first step and the cooperation was across the board for it. We are now in the process of forming LIVE’s next steps and are working towards eradicating misogyny in the live music industry, with plans for a statement of commitment, a benchmarking exercise of female representatives across LIVE’s membership so we can track progress, promoting gender diversity and inclusivity, education and awareness via training and workshops and establishing zero-tolerance policies. The group and its plans have been well received so far and I’m looking forward to sharing more over the next few months!”

As an advocate for diversity in the music industry, do you think the business is doing enough to champion the LGBTQIA+ community? In your opinion, where is it falling short in its support and what can it be doing more of?  

“With the nature of my role as an ally, I get introduced to so many amazing organisations, initiatives, conferences, events and groups who champion the LGBTQIA+ community, so from what I have seen and experienced, it would seem that the industry is doing a lot. However, being a straight woman, I may not have a holistic view of this. One thing I am aware of is the lack of representation for trans people, which is something we are working on within our LIVE Workforce group via the creation of a Trans Charter for the music industry, led by Saskhia Menendez. It’s important that absolutely everyone feels welcome, seen and safe across all parts of our sector.” 

There has been a huge focus on artists going viral in the last couple of years. Do you feel like the live sector is being protected enough, and still regarded as a vital part of breaking artists? 

“As someone who doesn’t have TikTok and regularly deletes Instagram to protect my mental state, it’s hard for me to comprehend that our industry could ever be in a place where artists don’t need to play gigs before they can sell-out Wembley. It’s not breaking news that we have a crisis at the grassroots level at the moment, and I feel for all those people who have lost access to music in their communities because of venue closures. I do think we’ll see a shift soon though, the industry is working hard to resolve the crisis and support all elements of grassroots activity – artists, venues, promoters, festivals, agents, so that we can protect those brilliant artists who still want to hone their craft in a live setting.”

What do you think the most pressing issues are facing the UK live music sector currently?

“Unfortunately, I’m all too familiar with the issues that exist across our sector, having worked at LIVE now for three years. Some of the top ones we’re looking at are the crisis at grassroots level, misogyny in the industry, sustainability and the climate crisis, ticket touting, EU touring post-Brexit and having the highest VAT rates on tickets in the whole of Europe. But this is why LIVE exists, so that we can coordinate the sector and speak as one voice to the government, the wider industry and the public to tackle all of these issues face on – check out our Manifesto!”

What’s your biggest achievement so far?

“If I had been asked this question at varying points in my life, the answers would be very different. In my twenties it was all about working with certain artists, going to as many festivals and shows as I could, and knowing as many people as possible, I felt like I achieved so much in those years, but perhaps at a cost. Now, honestly, I think my biggest achievement has been enabling myself to put my mental health, family and friends at the forefront of all my decisions. It took me a while to get here but to be able to say that I’m still working in the live music sector in a role where I can make a positive impact, to be recognised for all the work I’m now doing, but from the comfort of my own home in the countryside, happy and healthy with my partner and dog by my side, is by far my biggest achievement.”

What advice would you offer young women about enjoying a successful career in music?

“My advice to young women aspiring to build a successful career in music is to embrace authenticity and pursue opportunities that resonate with you and that protect your well-being. Never be afraid to ask questions and if you sense that something doesn’t feel right, speak out.”

What’s the best advice you’ve ever had?

“I’m not sure if it’s the best, but it’s one piece of advice that I’ll always remember which was, ‘Never assume anything’. It’s something that really stuck with me from my early days at WME and taught me how to be really thorough with my work. If you’re not 100% sure, double-check! Assumption can be the mother of all fuck-ups.”

Is there a young woman you'd like to shout out who you think is a rising star in the industry?

“Shout out to Sophie Beasor from The Power Of Events, she’s a force to be reckoned with.”

Similarly, is there a young woman artist whose music you're enjoying right now/excited about?

“I’ve had the privilege of tour managing Cat Burns this year, and watching the impact she has on her fans is just incredible. She shines a light for so many underrepresented communities and is genuinely the kindest, funniest and most talented pop queen. She deserves it all!”

Finally, what’s your biggest lesson from 2024 so far? 

“I’ve had some really exciting opportunities come my way this year and at times it has felt overwhelming, but with the help of my colleagues – shout out to Jon Collins! – friends and family, I’ve found the confidence to go for it and the outcome has been so rewarding. So I guess the lesson has been, don’t be afraid to challenge yourself and believe in your abilities.”