Propaganda Independent Venues Acquires TEG’s UK Venue Portfolio

Dan Ickowitz-Seidler, founder of the UK’s Propaganda live events series, and Richard Buck, founder of MJR Group, have launched Propaganda Independent Venues (PIV).

Why it matters:

• PIV has reacquired MJR’s former venue portfolio, which became TEG’s when the Australian live company acquired MJR Group in 2019 to form TEG UK.

• The venues include Tramshed and The Globe in Cardiff, Wales, XOYO and Camden Assembly (formerly the Barfly) in London, and XOYO Birmingham.

• Ickowitz-Seidler and Buck founded Tramshed, which turns 10 this year.

• Buck also owned The Globe and The Mill, which became XOYO Birmingham.

Partnerships:

• PIV will enter a long-term strategic partnership with Ghostwriter Consultancy & Events, who will support venue operations and deliver back-of-house functionality, including finance, health and safety compliance, diary management, in-house booking, marketing and ticketing.

Grassroots support:

• PIV has announced that all venue ticket sales will include an optional customer donation to the Music Venue Trust to support its vital work in the independent sector.

What they said:

• Dan Ickowitz-Seidler: “I am really excited to have reacquired Tramshed, our original venue that Rich and I created 10 years ago, along with the other incredible venues that made up TEG’s venue estate. It is a challenging time for grassroots venues at the moment, and for a lot of touring artists. We are owned and run by music fans and want to support the touring ecosystem as much as possible. We won’t charge our artists merch fees, and we’ll also have a fairer ticketing allocation model, ensuring greater support for the artists who play our venues, as well as our promoters and customers.”