UPRAWR Podcast

Today’s guest is Liam Cromby, former We Are The Ocean frontman and now a solo artist rebuilding his career on his own terms. After growing up surrounded by music, Liam went from local bands and MySpace auditions to playing huge stages, releasing major records and touring with bands like Muse. From the outside, it looked like the dream but behind the scenes, the pressure, burnout and declining mental health were slowly taking their toll. In this episode, Liam speaks openly about the highs and lows of his journey, from the early rise of We Are The Ocean and the moments that felt like everything was finally happening, to the crash that followed when it all became too much. He talks honestly about losing his identity, stepping away from music completely, and the long road back through counselling, busking and learning how to love music again. He also shares how social media unexpectedly helped reconnect him with We Are The Ocean fans and how his solo project has given him a fresh sense of purpose. This is a must listen for anyone in a band or wanting to be in a touring full time band! Lets get into it 

Today's guest is Dante Bonutto who is currently the director of A&R at Spinefarm a subsidiary of Universal Music! Dantes responsible for signing Sleep Token and working on “Take me back to Eden” where he watched the band break in real time! We chat with Dante about how he got his start in music over 40 years ago - starting out as a journalist and actually becoming editor at Kerrang! super early on (from issue #8!). From there, he travelled the world with bands, writing pieces about them, before creating his own magazine, RAW, which he eventually sold. He then made the jump into the label world and hasn’t looked back, working with bands like Rammstein early in their careers, and of course, eventually signing Sleep Token which became a wild and unforgettable time for the label. This one's a rollercoaster so get ready! Let’s get into it. Just search UPARWR podcast anywhere you listen to them!  Follow us to see Behind The Scenes:  Jack - https://www.instagram.com/jack_uprawr/  Joe - https://www.instagram.com/joe_davis77/ 

Today’s guest is Stuart Galbraith, one of the most influential promoters in the UK live entertainment industry. He is the founder of Kilimanjaro Live, the company behind major tours and events putting on shows like Ed Sheeran and festivals such as Sonisphere. Today, Kilimanjaro sells millions of tickets every year! we wanted to know what it really took to reach that scale. Stuart shares his journey from being one of the earliest employees at Live Nation (employee #4) to leaving to build his own company from scratch. He talks candidly about the risks he took along the way including moments where he almost lost his house (few times) aswell as how he launched Sonisphere to compete directly with Download Festival. He also discusses his ongoing campaign to reform ticket resales, including proposals to cap resale prices at no more than 10% above face value, a policy that has gained political support from the labour party  Let’s get into it. Just search UPARWR podcast anywhere you listen to them!  Follow us to see Behind The Scenes:  Jack - https://www.instagram.com/jack_uprawr/  Joe - https://www.instagram.com/joe_davis77/ 

Today’s guest is Adam Sagir, founder and head of The Noise Cartel, one of the biggest PR companies in the UK. If you’re a fan of heavy music, you’ve definitely listened to one of the bands he’s worked with. Adam has been in the industry since he was 16, starting at Century Media, where he spent eight years working his way up to head of the label’s UK division. We spoke to Adam to about finding his way into century media, working there for almost a decade and then why he left. He also walks us through starting The Noise Cartel, why PR is important and what it’s been like working with bands like Baby Metal, Asking Alexandria & even festivals like Sonisphere! Let’s get into it. Just search UPARWR podcast anywhere you listen to them!  Follow us to see Behind The Scenes:  Jack - https://www.instagram.com/jack_uprawr/  Joe - https://www.instagram.com/joe_davis77/ 

Today’s guest is Roy Davis, a music industry veteran with over 40 years of experience. Back in the 1980s, Roy signed two major record deals with his band SHY, contracts worth millions at the height of the era’s excess.In this episode, Roy breaks down what the music industry was really like in the ’80s, how big those deals truly were, why things didn’t work out the way he hoped, and what eventually led to the end of the band.We also dive into Roy’s career behind the scenes, from building a successful rehearsal room business and music venue, to managing artists like Those Damn Crows, who went on to land a number one album.This is a must-watch for anyone interested in the real story behind record deals, roys a funny bugger so lets get into it

Today’s episode is all about how Jack has managed to run a nightclub for 15 years without ever going out of business! Ever wondered what it really takes to start a club and how you adapt as times change?We talk about how the club began, how he’s kept it alive for a decade and a half, and why switching to a weekly night actually saved the club from going under. 

We recently threw a Five Nights at Freddy’s themed clubnight that went a bit viral online. Some of the posters pulled in thousands of likes (and millions of views), but they also attracted a fair amount of hate. So we decided to talk about it. lets get into it!

Today’s guest is Dean James, who’s had an incredible journey in music. He was one of the co-founders of the MAMA Group, which at its peak operated some of the UK’s most iconic venues and festivals including the Hammersmith Apollo before eventually selling the business to HMV. We spoke to Dean about how and why he got into live music, how he went on to build the MAMA Group, and what eventually happened to it. I don’t want to spoil too much of this one & there’s so much to learn from this one so let’s get straight into it. Support us on Patreon if you want this podcast to continue! You can also sign up for free

Today's guest is Steve O'G, the creator behind a thriving YouTube channel dedicated to alternative music and reaction-style content. His channel continues to grow, and we wanted to know the secrets behind his success We dive into how Steve monetizes music reaction content, what the industry thinks about it, and the real value of his reactions. Steve also shares his journey into music, spending most of his 20s touring the world with various bands and even playing drums in front of 1,000,000 people at the London Olympics! This episode is perfect for anyone looking to start on YouTube, or for those in the music industry who want to understand the impact of reaction channels. Let’s get into it  

Today’s guest is Luke Morton, the editor of Kerrang! one of the biggest rock magazines in the world! We talked to Luke about how he got his start in the industry, from his early jobs at places like Front Magazine, where he first experienced the chaos of creative work environments, to writing his debut book - Standing Like Statues, the official Enter Shikari biography. We also discussed how he landed the role at Kerrang! and what goes into choosing a cover artist for the magazine. Luke’s journey into the industry is anything but linear, a great reminder that sometimes you’ve got to take whatever opportunities come your way. Let’s get into it!