Propaganda Independent Venues has acquired TEG’s UK venue estate.
The deal includes Tramshed and The Globe in Cardiff, XOYO and Camden Assembly (formerly the Barfly) in London, and XOYO Birmingham.
Propaganda club night founder Dan Ickowitz-Seidler, along with Richard Buck, have launched the new UK venues operation. It sees them regain ownership of venues six years on from Australian live entertainment giant TEG’s acquisition of The MJR Group, the UK promoter and venue operator founded and headed by Buck as CEO. Ickowitz-Seidler was a partner in MJR.
The duo’s experience with venues includes co-ownership of The Warehouse in Leeds. Ickowitz-Seidler and Buck previously owned and created Tramshed in Cardiff, which celebrates its 10th anniversary this year. Buck also previously owned The Globe and The Mill, which became XOYO Birmingham.
Propaganda is the UK’s biggest indie night. Over two decades, it has expanded into Australia, the US, Brazil and Ibiza. The club night has hosted the likes of Ed Sheeran, Lily Allen, Catfish & The Bottlemen and many more. Yungblud’s debut vinyl release was via Propaganda Records.
We are owned and run by music fans and want to support the touring ecosystem as much as possible
Dan Ickowitz-Seidler
“This acquisition establishes Propaganda Independent Venues as a significant name in the independent live music sector and marks the start of an exciting new chapter for Propaganda, reinforcing the company’s deep-rooted commitment to supporting grassroots venues, artists and music fans, and ensuring that these iconic venues continue to thrive under independent ownership,” said a statement.
Dan Ickowitz-Seidler said: "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.”
Richard Buck and Dan Ickowitz-Seidler
Propaganda Independent Venues will also enter a long-term strategic partnership with Ghostwriter Consultancy & Events, who will support the operation of the venues and deliver back-of-house functionality, including finance, health and safety compliance, diary management, in-house booking, marketing and ticketing.
This partnership marks an evolution in the 20-year relationship between Propaganda and Ghostwriter's directors. Propaganda venues will join Ghostwriter's existing venue partners, including Braehead Arena (Glasgow), The Prospect Building (Bristol), The Olympia (Liverpool), Warehouse (Leeds) and Quarters (Brighton), as the model continues to expand throughout the UK.
As part of a broader move to support independent venues, Propaganda has announced that all venue ticket sales will now include an optional customer donation to the Music Venue Trust, providing another revenue stream to support the charity’s work in the independent sector.
Mark Davyd, Music Venue Trust CEO, said: “It's fantastic to see these five venues being taken on by such an experienced and professional team. We are pleased to welcome Propaganda Independent Venues into the fold of the Music Venues Alliance family and look forward to working with them so they can deliver an exceptional live music offer to their communities.”
PHOTO: XOYO (credit) Jake Davis
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