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 Jane Beese, head of music at Camden's legendary Roundhouse venue.
What was your first job in music?
Receptionist at Asgard Agency. There were three people that I used to really look forward calling up – the legendary Vicki Wickham, my hero Christy Moore and Phil “The Mangler” Kaufman.
How long have you been in your current role?
I started as Head of Music at the Roundhouse in September 2015 after 15 years at the Southbank Centre.
What is your favourite thing about working in the live music industry?
Working with emerging artists in the Roundhouse Studios. We’re currently working with over 4,000 young people across music, broadcast and digital and performing arts.
What is the one thing you would like to change about the business?
That artists would get properly paid for their work and that there was more government support for non-classical music.
What has been the highlight of your career so far?
Working with some incredible artists on Meltdown Festival is up there – Patti Smith, David Byrne, James Lavelle and Yoko Ono in particular. The most recent highlight was the Little Simz show at the Roundhouse – working with her team is always a real pleasure and to see an artist who took spoken word projects at the Roundhouse as a teenager headline the main space is a really special moment.
What's the best gig you’ve ever been to?
This is hard. There are too many. Patti doing Horses as part of her Meltdown, Radiohead in Barcelona in 1997 launching OK Computer, Double Fantasy on Yoko’s Meltdown, New York Dolls, Morrissey, David Byrne all in the Festival Hall, Iggy Pop and Josh Homme at the Albert Hall, Kate Tempest at the Roundhouse and as part of our In The Round series here – Ghetts, Marianne Faithfull, Mulatu Astatke, John Cale and Julian Cope. And many, many more...
