Meet your mentors

Krissi Murison
Editor of NME, the UK’s most influential music magazine

Krissi Murison flew back from New York to become the 11th editor of NME. Previously NME's deputy editor, Krissi left the magazine in February to take up the position of music director at US women's magazine Nylon. She joined NME in 2003 as junior staff writer and went on to work as new bands editor and features editor. She is the 11th editor of the magazine, which launched in 1952. She has also been a regular contributor to The Sunday Times and Guardian, as well stints as an A&R scout for Island Records and presenting on MTV2.

Krissi’s top tips:

1. A great gig can be in any type of venue and by any size or genre of artist. Think creatively. Some of my favourite shows of recent memory have been Patti Smith in a church, Prince at the O2 Arena and The XX in the backroom of arestaurant.

2. Inspire your acts. It's really obvious when a band are enjoying themselves, and conversely when they are just going through the motions. When a gig is good, everyone whether they're on the stage or in the crowd is buzzing with the same incredible energy.

Ben Turner
Director of Bestival, Let’s Go Crazy, Ibiza’s International Music Summit and MD of top music management company, Graphite

Ben Turner is a director and owner of top music management company Graphite. He is also director of the Bestival festivals, Ibiza's International Music Summit, the under-age clubnight phenomenom Let's Go Crazy, and co-founder of the Association of Independent Festivals, representing the UK’s best boutique outdoor event. As well as publisher of the prestigious Pacha magazine for Ibiza, Ben is involved in some of the UK’s best brand-music partnerships, such as Orange RockCorps, and has worked with stars such as Mark Ronson, P Diddy, David Guetta, Akon, Little Boots and Dizzee Rascal.

He also managers Radio 1 DJ Rob Da Bank, founder of Bestival and the Sunday Best record label.

Jason Legg
Head of Live at HMV, the UK’s best loved music store...

Jason Legg is Head of Live at HMV, which he helped to launch in 2009 with Mean Fiddler Group. Jason is in charge of the record chain’s live music business across HMV, Mean Fiddler Group and MAMA estate, which has involved working with acts ranging from The Killers, Kings of Leon, and Vampire Weekend to Take That, Pixie Lott and La Roux.

In February this year, Jason launched Next Big Thing, HMV’s inaugural music festival featuring 80 breakthrough artists playing 27 gigs across six of HMV’s London venues.

1. Pull in favours to help you and spread the workload - you are bound to have friends who are good at graphics, friends who can help with production, making tshirts, flyer other gigs for you - you name it and all you need to do is bribe them with free tickets

2. Keep your artists sweet, it’s amazing how far a decent band rider - their fave food and booze - goes to ensure a special performance and repeat business. Homemade brownies usually do the trick and don't forget to make sure your towels are unfluffy

3. This may seem hugely obvious but is one of the easiest practical mistakes anyone can make in the fervour of setting up a gig. Make sure you’ve got the times/ day/ month/ date (even year!) and venue details correct on all ads/ websites/ tickets and confirmations. You might have the best line up ever with an empty venue if everyone turns up a day early or a week late....

Max
BBC Radio 1 and 1 Xtra DJ

After stints at Capital Radio and MTV, Max joined the BBC, presenting her own weekday show on Radio 1 Xtra. Max also a regular presenter on Radio 1 and recently filmed a BBC TV documentary on N Dubz’s latest tour. She has interviewed everyone from Tom Cruise, Lady Gaga, Kanye West to Jay-Z.

Max’s top tips for bands that want to take part are:

1. Always connect with your audience. Involve them and make them a part of the experience

2. Pick your set list carefully. Make sure it contains a mix of new material as well as some of the epics all your fans know

3. Enjoy it and show it. Your fans don’t need to be right beside the stage to be able to tell whether you’re really feeling the vibe or not

Jim King
Festival Director of RockNess, Scotland’s answer to Glasto

Jim King left university in 1994 to work at the Cream Club in Liverpool and went on to become a Director of the Cream Group and ultimately running their event division and the Creamfields Festivals around the World. In 2004 he left Cream to start Loud Sound and whilst remaining as the Festival Director of Creamfields he also went on to become the Event producer of various successful music events including Heineken Music’s Thirst, Bestival, Big Beach Boutique, Camp Bestival and Tiesto in Concert. In 2005 together with partners Joe Gibbs and Rob Hicks he launched the highly successful Scottish festival RockNess which AEG Live subsequently purchased 51% of in 2007. Since then he has co-promoted this festival with AEG Live. To date King has produced and/or promoted over 50 festivals around the World.

Sophie Epstone
Founder of music and fashion youth cancer charity Trekstock

Sophie Epstone, 28, is Director and Founder of Trekstock, an inspiring charity creating exclusive gigs, treks and fashion collaborations to raise awareness and funds to fight youth cancer. Trekstock has gained the support of world famous artists and celebrities all over the world from Katy Perry and the Kings of Leon to Oasis.  

Sophie founded Trekstock after having organised a hugely successful small gig to raise money for a charity trek up Mount Everest. Support snowballed and since 2006, Trekstock has become a cult phenomenon, officially launching at No.11 Downing Street, attracting superproducer Mark Ronson as its Patron, announcing a new partnership with Cancer Research UK and launching its first ‘Trekstock Loves’ collection at hip London Boutique, Browns.

Sophie’s top tips:

Get your asks with break-through artists in early by becoming an avid reader of The Fly, NME, and the Guardian's music section with Alex Petridis

Approaching your favourite artist can be daunting but it’s got to be done if you want to land your dream line up. Save your time and theirs by checking the artist’s dates before making approaches. Look at their tour dates and also when their albums or singles might be coming out so you have a clear idea of if your event may fall into their calendar Join up the dots.

As well as going through the official agent and management channels, try and get to speak to them in person by attending their gigs.

Ben Fender
Founder of live event production agency, Drive Productions

Ben founded Drive Productions in 2003 shortly after taking a fleet of 10 British fire engines with Airstream caravans and 35 artists on tour in Europe for eight years as part of an avante-garde touring circus.

Drive Productions specialise in producing live events, from film and TV to music, and have worked with clients including Nike, National Geographic, and 02.

Stuart Bannock
Designer

Since graduating from Goldsmiths Design in 2008 he has been working on projects with clients from Prada to Direct Line. Stuart recently was part of the design team on the British Councils Incidental, which received a nomination for Brit Insurance Design of the Year 2010.

He has exhibited in group shows in Moutier, Lille and Milan and has just launched a solo show and book of his latest project in which he made a badge a day for one year. The project is currenty being shown in the newly launched Shopwork, the independent studio|gallery of El Ultimo Grito.