Live & Kicking 2016: Kicking music into the future

What lies ahead for the music industry?

At a time when the music industry has been rocked by the loss of some of its biggest names – David Bowie, Motorhead frontman Ian Fraser “Lemmy” Kilmister and Eagles guitarist Glenn Frey –  Solent has been taking a closer look at the future of the live music industry.

Welcoming an impressive panel of industry professionals, the University hosted ‘Live & Kicking’, a conference exploring some of the issues surrounding live music.

Now in its third year the annual conference – organised by Johnny Hopkins, Senior Lecturer in Popular Music and Media Industries – provides a platform for a series of lively debates on the latest hot topics in the field of live music.

This year staff and students got to hear from and discuss issues with guests including: Mel Archer, Production and event manager (Bestival, Glastonbury); Mark Ward  runs (Moondust Events) and band member of Solar Wolf; Marcus O’Dair, music journalist (Guardian, Pitchford), academic and author; Roxy Robinson, gig promoter, festivals consultant (Kendall Calling, Beacons Festival), academic and author and band member of Grasscut; and Sophie Williams, music PR and band manager of The Charlatans.

Read more about Music PR in the age of social media, The future of music festivals, and How can we save the small music venues here:

Kicking music into the future | Blog | Southampton Solent University