Damnation 2010 Preview - Interview with Press Officer Lisa

How did you get involved with the Damnation Festival?

Damnation Festival and UK Metal Underground (the site I founded and help to run) started up around the same time with the same ideology to support the UK underground metal scene so both of our teams had bumped into each other online and as the Damnation guys are all based in Glasgow which isn’t far from me, we met up at gigs etc. Over the years I watched the festival grow and evolve and several times I was due to attend only to get caught at the last minute with boring things like surgery which meant I couldn’t go. This year Gav the festival director approached me, asked if I’d like to help out and the rest is history.

You've got various 'hats' to juggle with Invisible Hippo PR, Basick Records and this, how do you find the time?

No sleep, working seven days a week, lots of coffee. This year has been manic. I started with Basick Records in Nov 09 and my role there has grown and evolved and is pretty much a full time commitment. This year I started up Invisible Hippo PR as an extension of my work at UKMU as loads of bands kept approaching me for PR and representation. At that point my diary was pretty much full to bursting but Damnation came along and I couldn’t turn them down. I won’t lie, it’s hard work trying to juggle 3 full time commitments but each flows into the other because they all live and breathe in the same space – same contacts, just as you say, different hats!

What does your role at Damnation involve?

As Press Officer it’s my job to ensure we get coverage for the festival prior to the event, make sure all our press contacts are happy, fully informed and have what they need to do their jobs when covering our festival. This has meant building up a custom database of contacts, regular mailings, day to day chat with the press pack and also awarding media accreditation for press to attend the event. After the festival it’s about ensuring the press cover the event in the magazines, webzines and on the radio and starting the ball rolling for the next event. As the festival has a small team I’ve also been roped in to look after Social Media and some Technical aspects as well – it’s all very hands on with every team member multi tasking over several areas.

I guess that by the day of the festival your job is mostly done?

No, although the pre-festival preparation is a huge part of the build up, by the time the big day comes my job is really just kicking into action. My role on the day is to welcome the press, make sure they’ve got all the materials they need (whether it’s an info leaflet or a beer!) and keep the press area flowing with interviews and chat. This year we’ve also got 4 smaller unsigned bands who’ve won competitions to open our stages and I’ve jumped in to act as their press liaison to help make sure that they’re not left out of the coverage. So many people can focus on the bigger acts but one of the founding principles of Damnation is to bring through emerging UK talent and showcase it at the festival, so it’s important that we help the smaller acts get some press time as well.

Apart from mine, what's the flimsiest pretence that's been tried to blag a press pass?

No one has actually tried to blag anything from us this year which has been refreshing. All press were asked to fill out the accreditation form as per normal and from that it’s pretty easy to see who’s really wanting to cover the event and who’s just looking for a free day out.

Come the big day, will you be enjoying the bands or running around like a headless chicken?

I’m hoping for a bit of both but as this is my first year I’ll undoubtedly be more situated in the press area than at the stages. I’m going to make a huge effort for our stage openers, I’m keen to see how each of them do and come the end of the evening I’m sure I’ll be face down in Dillinger Escape Plan! But the bit in the middle, I’ll be the blurry figure running around making sure everyone in my area is well attended to. I’m looking forward to meeting loads of the press that I’ve not yet met!

Has the downsizing of the festival effected your role at all, I guess there are fewer press places available?

It’s only natural that if there’s less capacity then I also have to take a knock on how many press I can fit in to cover the event. Primarily the event is all about the fans and that will never change so it’s a fine line to get the coverage and promotion you want and need whilst still making sure that as many of the public who want to attend, can attend.

It's still an incredible lineup, which bands are you looking forward to checking out?

Dillinger was one of our first bookings and that for me was the best present ever. And then I heard the rumours about the earthtone9 reunion and we booked them early on and I genuinely thought all my Christmases had come early. The Rock Sound stage for me always looks the most exciting and innovative so I’ll be running back and forward to see all the bands on there. The Ocean have been high up on my “want to see” list for ages, as has the pure mank of both Anaal Nathrakh and Fukpig. The Antichrist Imperium are a new one for me but I’ve loved everything I’ve heard so I’m keen to see them live and also Colonel Blast and Diascorium are both bands I was due to see in Dundee in September but missed so I’m happy to have the chance to catch them both in the one place at Damnation.

Is there anyone you heard mentioned in the planning stages that you're disappointed aren't playing?

Loads, as a new team member this year I was keen to get some of the bands I love onto our stages. I would have died and gone to heaven if we’d have been able to get Between the Buried and Me. My Dying Bride are also one of my favourite bands and I would have loved to see them booked but they’ve previously played (the year I was in hospital!). Tesseract for me would have been a great addition to the Rock Sound stage too. The bookers have done a great job this year though in an especially tough market. I think the line up this year has something for everyone to get their teeth into.

Putting on your 'Invisible Hippo' PR hat for a moment, how are things going on that front, You seem to be amassing an, erm, eclectic array of clients?

Eclectic is an understatement. I’ve found that my client list is leaning towards the progressive and avant-garde genres and further and further away from the balls to the wall metal that I used to look after. I’ve tried to maintain a strong client list of only bands I would listen to and personally recommend and the only way I can do this is by turning away bands. I tend to turn away more bands than I take on and that can be a hard thing to do when you are running a business but it’s more important to me to wear my heart on my sleeve and say Invisible Hippo will only represent bands who we believe are outstanding and a little bit different rather than just be one of those PR companies who take on everything that comes their way regardless of how good the band actually are.

I started the Hippo family with Secondskin – a band from Glasgow who don’t sit comfortably in any one genre, they have some metal, some prog, some alternative rock and from there I’ve realised that the bands I take on are bands you can’t pigeonhole comfortably. At the other end of the spectrum are Pin-up Went Down, an amazing band from France who are so eclectic and out there that a lot of people don’t get them, but they are amazing artists who paint pictures with their music.

With a company name like Invisible Hippo though, you should know not to expect anything normal and mainstream! Where else could you find bands called Dr Slaggleberry or Colonel Blast.

Back to the Damnation Festival Preview

free hit counters