ILL’s heaviest and most furious tracks to date, ILL Song and Slithering Lizards are the first songs from the upcoming album, We are ILL, set for release this year. ILL Song is accompanied by a cheerfully sinister video created by and starring the band. Featuring gin-soaked nurses and a wild-eyed patient straight out of Dr. Caligari, it’s a twisted caper that’s perfect for Halloween festivities.

The amazing Disco Mums DJ collective (L-R) Julie, Geraldine, Jane, Janey, Emma.

Disco Mums are an all female Manchester based DJ collective of seasoned clubbers (now proud parents) who, courtesy of the babysitting skills of a team of generously paid helpers, are still out……still playing records.

Greatly influenced by the scene in Manchester over the past 20 years, our roots are in nights like Electric Chair, Aficionado, Friends & Family, Homoelectric and Bugged Out. We’ve been partying and collecting music for more than 15 years, and in the past few years we’ve been having the time of our lives flexing our vinyl record collections as Disco Mums.

Some of our highlights have included playing at Manchester International Festival in the amazing Pavilion Square, we have also played at Electric Elephant in Croatia, Back to Basics in Leeds and have been lucky enough to play the legendary Red Laser Disco parties as residents and several times as guests of That Amazing Thing secret underground parties in Manchester and beyond.

Expect to hear anything from soul ,house, techno, disco, boogie, reggae, italo, pop…..no barriers, no restrictions, just proper good times.

Photo: Emma Gibbs

Mark Hoyle and Cathy Brooks performing with Dub Sex during the People Not Borders charity gig held at the Deaf Institute in Manchester which raised money to aid Syrian Refugees. The band were on magnificent form playing the songs Instead of Flowers / The Underneath / Push! / Man On The Inside / Caved In / Time Of Life / Swerve and Tripwire!

'I moved to Manchester when I was 12. Everything I've done and achieved in music came from that point.' Roisin Murphy

The rather lovely business card of Manchester's Broadsheet Balladress, Jennifer Reid.http://jenniferreid.weebly.com/

Photographer unknown.

To celebrate the release of her riotous autobiography, ‘The Rise, The Fall and The Rise‘ ex-Fall guitarist & songwriter Brix Smith-Start was be in conversation with writer/curator Abigail Ward (Manchester Digital Music Archive) at The Ruby Lounge on Friday May 13th.

The interview was followed by a full show from Brix & The Extricated, featuring Paul and Steve Hanley (‘The greatest rhythm section in rock n roll’ – Luke Haines).

Rising from Manchester’s bubbling music scene, The Breath is the latest project of former Cinematic Orchestra guitarist Stuart McCallum and singer and lyricist Rioghnach Connolly.

Woman: Breaking The Rules is a project celebrating women in Manchester music. The project, which comprises 5 short films, a pop-up exhibition and several events, is part of the Heritage Lottery-funded Rebel Music programme and is led by MDMA co-founder Alison Surtees.

Through our online networks MDMArchive held a vote to determine which 5 inspiring women in Manchester music we approach to feature in our 5 short films. A whopping 718 people voted.

Yvonne Ellis won the 'technical' category for her decades of influential work as a music producer and sound engineer.

The aim of the films is to give encouragement and inspiration to other women to share their stories and artefacts on our website/archive so these vital histories are not lost.

Woman: Breaking The Rules is a project celebrating women in Manchester music. The project, which comprises 5 short films, a pop-up exhibition and several events, is part of our Heritage Lottery-funded Rebel Music programme and is led by MDMA co-founder Alison Surtees.

Through our online networks we held a vote to determine which 5 inspiring women in Manchester music we approach to feature in our 5 short films. A whopping 718 people voted.

Melanie Williams won the 'writing' category for her work as a songwriter. In this film she describes her journey in the music industry, including her inspirations and struggles.

Melanie started singing and writing for a band in Manchester, Adventure, invited to join by fellow musician Eric Gooden. Eric and Melanie went on to sign their first recording contract with Geffen Records just a few years later. This took them to Chicago to be there at the birth of House Music.

Melanie also collaborated and sung on a track with Manchester band Sub Sub. The single release of Ain't No Love, Ain't No Use, very swiftly rose to number 3 in the UK charts and became an undisputed club anthem.

With the release of her solo album, and a version of You Are Everything the classic Motown duet sung with partner and solo artist Joe Roberts, they reached top 20 in the UK, while her Everyday Thang, Frankie Knuckles’ remix hit number 1 in the billboard breakout charts in the US.

Her continued collaborations with artists worldwide & consistantly with now husband Joe Roberts has birthed 2 further albums with Dark Flower and their current raw neo-soul band Butterfly Jam.

The aim of the series of films is to give encouragement and inspiration to other women to share their stories and artefacts on our site, so these vital histories are not lost.

Photo: OT

A photo of the women who took part in our Louder Than Words, Black Women in Music panel at The Principal . L > R: Karen Gabay (Chair), Yvonne Shelton, Melanie Williams, Henrietta Smith Rolla and Ruby Ann Patterson. The discussion was well attended, enjoyable and revealing.

At this year's LOUDER THAN WORDS FESTIVAL, Manchester Digital Music Archive hosted a panel focusing on the voices of black female artists, and their impact on music in Greater Manchester.

The panel discused the challenges of black women in getting their voices heard, and shared stories that highlighted their influence on the sound and words of Manchester music across the decades.

The panel chair was TV producer, radio presenter and documentarian KAREN GABAY (BBC/ITV).

Panel:

HENRIETTA SMITH-ROLLA - DJ, Producer, Performer (AfroDeutsche, Sisters of Transistors)
MELANIE WILLIAMS - writer and performer (Sub Sub, Butterfly Jam)
RUBY-ANN PATTERSON - singer, writer, activist (Mancnubian)
YVONNE SHELTON - vocalist/entrpreneur (Urban Voice, Simply Red, George Michael, The Beautiful South)

This event was part of our project Rebel Music: The Sound of Politics and Protest in Manchester and was curated by ALISON SURTEES.

#RebelMusicMcr
#MCRwomeninmusic

Carol Isherwood

Carol is a singer/songwriter turned music lawyer based in Manchester. She is part of the Creative Industries team at Shoosmiths LLP, a UK nationwide, top 30 law firm. The team has a Tier 1 ranking in the Legal 500 for media and entertainment. The Legal 500 (being an annual publication which ranks lawyers), states that the team is well known for its music law services.

Carol acts for a broad range of artists, musicians, music managers, producers, indie labels, publishers and festivals. She advises on both contentious and non-contentious matters, ranging from band partnership disputes and copyright infringement claims to recording, publishing, management and producer agreements, as well as copyright assignments and licensing deals. Carol regularly provides music law lectures at specialist music colleges including BIMM and has been a panellist at Liverpool Sound City and at PRS and MMF events.

Carol started life in a council house in Radcliffe, Manchester and is the youngest of six children who were all into music and all had big dreams. Her grandmother was a musician who played in pubs, clubs and at weddings, and the majority of her siblings are performers and/or songwriters. Carol joined her first band 'the Kissing Babies' when she was 17, however the band broke up when the other lead singer moved away. Shortly afterwards Carol left for London where she formed 'Pullover' with Lee Damarell and Michael Malley. A succession of drummers came and went, until they were introduced to Joe Duddell who completed the line up. After a couple of years of song writing and gigging (mostly around Camden, where they lived) the band were spotted by Fierce Panda records and signed to the label, and became the first band to have their own single i.e. not be part of a compilation EP.

It was the Britpop era and although Pullover were repeatedly told that they didn't fit in with the other FFBs (female fronted bands, as coined by the music press), largely because Carol wore 1960's clothes and had a 1960's bouffant; after releasing 3 singles and completing a national tour which included Reading Festival, the band were lured away from Fierce Panda by a bigger label which promised the world. The band recorded an album, released a single and completed another national tour for the label; things, however, did not go to plan and when the label got into financial difficulties it took the band down with it. The band sought legal advice from a specialist lawyer but were told there was nothing they could do.

Heartbroken and depressed, Carol decided to hang up her microphone and work on the other side of the industry; after a brief stint in music PR, she worked for a small music management company for a couple of years before setting off on a mission to put the world to rights by re-training as a music lawyer, with a view to making sure what happened to Pullover didn't happen to anyone else. She moved back to Manchester, studied at MMU, secured a training contract, and the rest, as they say, is history.

was a late starter in the music industry. At the age of 25 after a career in childcare, I made the leap from children to artists. Some transferable skills came in handy! I’d always been obsessed with music but didn’t ever think a dream job working within the industry was a possibility. I didn’t even know how to go about it. I just knew I had to try.

With no experience or contacts whatsoever, I jacked my job in and literally knocked on doors asking for any kind of opportunity. Naively I thought it would be that easy. I didn’t consider that those doors would have intercoms and I wouldn’t get passed most of those.

After the first day I went home with my tail between my legs ready to do it all again the next day.

Whether it was luck, timing or a little divine intervention from the Universe, the stars aligned and some sort of fate intervened. I got a call the following morning and so began my journey. Temping at first for Planet 4, Kiss FM, PWL but very quickly being offered a role that didn’t previously exist.
Although not part of my duties as record label assistant, I took it upon myself to start scouting. There wasn’t a local band I didn’t know about. Within a year I was the Roadhouse music venue’s band booker and regional scout for Epic Records. 12 months later I became the national scout for Universal Records and moved to London. Bands came and went during all this time with bosses constantly passing. In 1998 fortuitous events led me to discover an unknown band called Coldplay. Even though both the band and myself were living in London, it felt incredibly brilliant for that to happen in Manchester. The venue is no longer there but we’ll never forget the Cuba Cafe in the Northern Quarter.
History repeated and again, my boss didn’t sign them but there was a domino effect and I was instrumental in the band getting a lawyer, getting a publisher which led to them signing to Parlophone.

There have been many other jobs along the way - working with Simply Red’s management, various labels and publishers - but to this day I still work alongside Coldplay as their Web Ambassador / fan liaison. I have been on their incredible journey for twenty years. I still get a buzz seeing my name as the Discoverer of Coldplay in their tour programmes. It’s my proudest moment.
Working freelance means I can pick and choose projects to be involved in. I particularly love lecturing at music colleges and running workshops. I mentor emerging talent when I can but some other highlights include touring the UK as head judge for the BPI’s The Big Music Project working with young artists trying to breakthrough, working on the MPG Awards, teaching Music Business and last year, booking artists for a gig at Wembley Arena in aid of The Transformation Trust charity.

I am also a writer of mostly screenplays and novels but fittingly my first book to be published by Carlton Books in Autumn 2018, will be a book about Coldplay.

How hilariously humbling that a Yorkshire lass should get a GM Award:
Born in Scotland, but brought up in Huddersfield, I knew I wanted to be some kind of artist, and I treat photography as an art. I attended DABTAC in the 80s, we had smelly chemical-fumed-filled dark rooms, crazy fashion and funny tutors, my important soundtrack to that time - Echo and the Bunnymen, Cocteau Twins, Human League, Soft Cell, and Barry Manilow (what? don’t laugh). I’d sit for hours in my bedroom, record player on full blast, whilst I drew/painted. After moving to London and back, then up to Newcastle, I worked for years managing photo-labs until I went self-employed, and for twelve years was primarily a wedding photographer, it brought all my joys together, I could cheerfully boss folk about, take photographs, plus make the days as fun and relaxed as possible. I still LOVE photographing weddings.
Fast forward to 2011 and thanks to Graham and the Inspiral Carpets, I started in music photography, then at The Charlatans in Mcr, I met up with John Robb soon after started photographing for Louder Than War, which, if you’re first starting out in music photography is a good way in; being able to say you work for an established magazine gets you (often) into most pits. Once you make the right connections in Manchester you can suddenly know a vast majority of the music scene. A MASSIVE thank you to my friends Jacky Carroll and Ziggy Lavelle, who helped me those early days. I’ve found myself in dressing rooms with most of the MCR legends, bumped into others in pubs and clubs and never take it for granted. Friends I met and worked with and many I still continue to do, Rikki Turner, Alison Bell, Paul Leveridge, Johnny Marr, Keith and Joe Moss, “Conversations” with Dave Haslam, my on-going Jonny Brown film, Chic, Howard Marks, Joe Duddell and Ali Hudson, James Masters with Hooky and The Hacienda Classical, Dave Beer, Church/Leeds and Back to Basics, Shaun and Joanne Ryder, Videomachine, Tokyo Industries, The GM Fringe, Viva Magazine, Laura Graham with Vital Management. Acting also spurs my creativity and Julie Hesmondhalgh, Becx and Grant inspire me as I photograph Take Back Theatre year after year.
One difficulty with music photography is getting paid, I don’t know if it’s because I’m a woman, because I’ve never tried being a man, but 2017 my work felt validated*, being paid as well as being asked to work for such fantastic events, it took me five years of hard work to get there though.*I worked with Biff Mitchell at Glastonbury, Dave Beer at Church/Leeds and the Millennium Square gig, and Ben, Andy and Meredith Peterson of From the Fields, who asked me to take behind the scenes photos the workings of their festivals, capturing the crew as well as artists; and I’m very excited to work them again in 2018.
My photo-bucket list is Liz Fraser, Human League, Terry Hall, Wayne Coyle, Billy Bragg, Soft Cell, and my favourite Spiritualized, who I’ll never photograph enough.

Georgina Robinson nee Trulio: Actress, Promoter, Crowdfunder, Philanthropist, Entrepreneur, Animal Rights Activist.

Artists, musicians, scientists – if you have any kind of visionary aptitude, it’s often something that you don’t have a choice in. You have to do it”.
― Patti Smith

Born and bred in Manchester I feel so proud to have been around such an exciting time in the 80’s and 90’s. Growing up, meeting some amazing people and being part of such an incredible journey.

Rewind, late 1970's, New Mills Youth Club at the tender age of 14. I had already run away from home and my thirst for live music had begun. The Blitz and Punk Rock entered my life, suddenly I was hanging out with the hip, the hunted and the haunted!

One of the first was Roger Eagle, at International 2, chatting with Mick Hucknall of Simply Red. Fact….it was he who discovered Mick very early on. Roger was a great mentor, my guru and friend. He introduced me to so many great people including writer, Saki H H Munroe who encouraged me to always want to learn and broaden my mind. I later went on to help Roger and Zane Branson run The Ritz. I met Mark E Smith there. He and Roger shared a mutual respect and were fun to be around. I helped Roger with a few events at The Band on the Wall, meeting the great John Lee Hooker who dedicated a song to me! Roger was content with very little, his music and his friends. I miss him so very much.

And then there was Tony Michaelides aka ‘Tony the Greek’. Tony had his own radio show on Piccadilly/Key 103 at that time but his ‘real job’ job was running his own PR company, TMP. We first met at an Inspiral’s show. Quite rightly I asked him for a job….and the rest is history. I met so many great people at TMP who passed through that office, many of whom are great friends to this day. Tony brought people together, he was the Pied Piper of the music business. We followed him everywhere, hard work and a lot of fun. I got invited in on some of his radio shows and got to meet the people he was interviewing. Those were THE best times in Manchester.

My first encounter with the legendary Tony Wilson was when he got me my first placement at drama school as a kid and where my real passion for acting kicked in. I entered a competition on Granada Reports and won a scholarship to Braeside School of Music and Drama! Years later I ended up working for him at Factory Records! He was truly amazing and such an influential figure in Manchester’s music and cultural scene. It was here I met New Order and Happy Mondays. I ran the Revenge office, Peter Hook’s band in the late 80’s when Tony Michaelides was managing them. So many great people always so keen to help both myself and others. I am a strong advocate of networking and wholeheartedly encourage the building of industry connections at gigs, conferences, festivals and on social media. I also fervently support independent film and am currently involved in various projects in both the music and film industry, including helping to organise festivals, events, crowdfunding and publicity. Forever Manchester !

Jo Hilditch

Jo Hilditch has worked in the music industry for over 20 years in many areas of PR and promotion with brands such as Ubisoft, Tannoy, Gibson, Visible Noise, accessories4technology and for record labels including Factory, Sony, Decca Classics and PWL. Jo's company YeehaPR specialises in anything music or entertainment based and the very out of the ordinary the better! Jo was approached to work on a tour of a big red British bus touring from LA to New York to promote British music, BBC America and Yorkshire tea! Jo was awarded Manchester Woman of the Year 2006 by Manchester City Council for her contribution to Women and Culture. Women in Music, Creative Women created a network and monthly events to support women into the industry and which included a touring panel of successful women in the industry and promotion at music conferences internationally from Inverness to Berlin to Austin, Texas.
Jo is also the course leader for the BSc (Hons) Music Business and Creative Industries course at SSR Manchester where she is pleased to report that after 4 years she has her first class of 50/50 male to female students. She is also a singer songwriter who writes under her alter ego, Hilda.
Continuing the theme of year of the woman Jo has just taken on the promotion of Kim Hawes and her biography due to be released in 2019. Kim has spent 30 years as a tour manager for bands such as Motorhead, Chumbawumba, Hawkwind, Blue Oyster Cult, Concrete Blonde, Girlschool and many more. Kim was a fun-loving, rebellious, slightly directionless teenager from a farming hamlet in Lancashire when Elvis Costello and the Attractions rolled into Preston on tour in January 1979. Kim then 19 years old joined the tour and never came back...

Biog

CEO, Singer songwriter, model, performing Artist, Actress, Radio Host, Producer, Director, and Artist Liaison Consultant, Julie E Gordon has taken her creative independence to a new level. She has ensued a path that covers a span from performance, to producing, consulting to directing projects that are taking the UK by storm. She is known to many but her work is kept protected behind the scenes of key established Artists. Julie has an outstanding abundance of talent, which she has nurtured over the years. Continually lending her skills to bands and producers, she is a strong writer, who has contributed songs for celebrities alike and has releases under Sony, EMI Universal, and Warner. Julie keeps a tidy portfolio that she exhibits to a small number of professionals, who currently work with her alongside their projects. As an entrepreneur she has used her experience in session work to create a company that specialises in Vocal styles which emerging and established artists are able showcase.


Julie has recently hosted a pilot radio show under the name The Julie James Show” A Music/magazine/lifestyle show that was produced by Stuart Turner – a North West Photographer and poet. This brought in an audience of over 700 listeners over a 6-week span. The show will continue in the fall of 2016. Julie encourages building relationships with individuals from a wide range of creative disciplines, she believes that there’s a purpose to each individuals art, and that she encourages being part of her story.

Touring the world alongside international acts Happy Mondays as a Co-Vocalist, made way for her own work to be featured on Jazz Fm/BBC Manchester/All FM/XFM/UNITY RADIO she was voted the most promising vocalist, by Giles Peterson. Julie has since recorded tracks with labels, Warner Records, Universal, Grand Central, Giant Step Records, and Sanctuary Records. She has worked with producers Simon Bassline Smith, Dev Tantrum 1xtra DJ SMokesta, LAB2 Backdraft, Emotive Records, Tonn Piper, on Drum and Bass releases "You Aint Ready" "Back To Love" "Be Again" and "Dreaming" Sunny Levine, on the Album 'Uncle Dysfunctional (Happy Mondays) - an album that has allowed to show off her skills as a passionate and powerful vocalist.

Julie is currently working with the notably outstanding CAULBEARERS where she has contributed to writing and performing on their EP MORE LIE DEEP, and single HOLLOW BONES with label Jack to Phono. She has written and in the process of releasing her new Album with Pascal Destjil " Julie Gordon & The Digital Orchestra."

Julie has been featured in Manchester's Viva Magazine, Manchester Gossip Afro Boogie she has been accredited with great reviews in the music scene from BBC 6 Music (Versus Cancer, The Guardian, Billboard, Manchester Evening News, Express & Star- Performing for several charity projects including Versus Cancer, Sickle Cell Anaemia, British Heart Foundation, Salford Music Festival, and Future Perfect Festivals. She has never failed to deliver outstanding live performances.

Photo: Gladstone Minzie

Karen Gabay was born in London but grew up in Longsight & Stretford. Her father was part of a sound crew & her uncle was a musician so much of her early years was spent in rehearsal studios and in rooms filled with vinyl.

Karen started her early broadcasting career presenting on BBC Radio Manchester & Kiss FM. She went onto work on Radio 2 with the singer Deniece Williams on her gospel series and then Motown artist Jimmy Ruffin. Karen’s production credits also include landmark television series including the ‘I Love..’ series, and The Kings and Queens of…. and The Nation’s Favourite.

Karen has interviewed an incredible range of entertainers and visionaries, many at the start of their careers. These include Mary J Blige, Hollie Cook, Sean Paul, Amy Winehouse, Chris Rock, Erykah Badu, Lauryn Hill, Nile Rodgers, Nichelle Nichols (Uhura), D’Angelo, & Robin Gibb.

Karen has showcased and championed music & arts talent ranging from Manchester based performers and producers through to world-wide artists for over two decades, gaining a reputation for showcasing and developing talent in a wide range of outputs.

Karen continues to present and produce for BBC Radio Manchester as well as for various broadcast & social media platforms. For the last decade Karen has been passionate about capturing Manchester’s social histories through oral and film histories and has been the recipient of awards and commendations for this archival work. Karen has also curated for exhibitions including for the Manchester Histories Festival, for the Black Panther exhibition detailing the work of the illustrator Emory Douglas, Emory Douglas – The Art of Revolution, and also the Alton Ellis indoor & outdoor installation at the Black Cultural Archives in London. Awards include Screen Nation for Factual Entertainment, British Universities Film & Video Council for independent film work, City Life Award for Best Exhibition for Belle Vue: Showground of the World

Melanie Williams
Biog 25/08/17

Born Melanie Joy Williams In South London a Scorpion, I believe. And a Dragon too, a wood Dragon to be precise. And Melanie Williams likes to be precise. It’s intense to be on the receiving end of her passion & fire but she listens if you hold your ground...

This is her short story so far in the world of music and muse a blink in the eye of creation...

Melanie started singing and writing for a band in Manchester, Adventure, invited to join by fellow musician Eric Gooden. Eric and Melanie went on to sign their first recording contract with Geffen Records just a few years later. This took them to Chicago to be there at the birth of House Music.

The Duo went on to make their first album with Virgin Records, signed by A&R man Mick Clark, aka “The Soul Guru” & the Infamous Jeremy Lascelles under the name Temper Temper, causing a soulful stir amongst the critics and gaining critical acclaim.

Their journey continued with Mick Clark to Sony for their next album, recorded inLA,this time under Melanie’s name. During the recording of the album Human
Cradle, Melanie had also collaborated and sung on a track with Manchester band Sub Sub. The single release of Aint No Love, Aint No Use, very swiftly rose to number 3 in the UK charts and became an undisputed club anthem.

With the release of her solo album, and a version of You Are Everything the classic Motown duet. sung with partner and solo artist Joe Roberts, they reached top 20 in the UK, while her Everyday Thang, Frankie Knuckles’ remix hit number 1 in the billboard breakout charts in the US. Melanie’s reputation as a unique and genuine voice in soul music, as well as a writer and performer grew again. She started the tour of the album at Ronnie Scotts in London, her live band all fellow Manchester musicians.

Her continued collaborations with artists worldwide & consistently with now husband Joe Roberts has birthed 2 further albums with Dark Flower and their current raw neo-soul band Butterfly Jam.

Melanie is currently championing charity work with causes she feels aligned with such as Hatchfest ,Barnabus,Escape,acting,writing, singing and performing, travelling from England, Ibiza to Australia working with her old friends at Bush Records again and collaborating with various producers and Artists. Melanie recently won the Manchester Digital Music Archive #Rebel Women In Music writers award.

Through lucrative times & lean. through motherhood ,marriage,bankruptcy & changes in the Music Industry mechanism she has stayed true to her creative nature primarily thriving on writing about the nitty gritty aspects of life. The light & the dark of sticking it out in relationships.

”Relationships are like looking at my reflection in a lake ,when I see something I don’t like I wanna smash the reflection but it keeps reforming as my face”

Joanna Jones

Miz DeShannon

Native Mancunian Miz graduated from the University of Salford with a Design Management degree, and went on to work as a project manager and event producer with brands like Orange, Unipart, Ringspun and Reebok. Starting work in project management and marketing with European clients at a multi-service agency on branding and event projects, winning Roses Gold and Design Week Awards, Miz then side-stepped to become a spread-sheet obsessive and tenacious production manager, producing and marketing music and arts events.

After working for years with In The City as a stage manager she moved her full time work focus to music and arts events production. She ran The Country Club live music sessions with Jay Taylor, set up the multi-venue creative arts festival MAPS in Manchester’s Northern Quarter which ran independently for three years, and projects have been with Manchester International Festival, FutureEverything, Liverpool Sound City and Mr Scruff. She was industry PR for Leeds College of Music building artistic development programmes and business relationships also setting up their Women In Music season. Miz was also key to the reputational development at Manchester’s Band On The Wall.

Miz has been integral to the creation of project partnerships with; BBC Learning, BBC Music, Manchester Jazz Festival, Sound City, Leeds Digital Festival, Live At Leeds, Allied London. She focused on the development of key local and national partnerships with organisations for commercial benefit and initiated and developed major partnerships for educational benefit. Miz is fiercely commercially minded and community oriented at the same time.

Miz is currently director at independent label Come Play With Me a vinyl only label supporting emerging artists in Leeds, and an active Women In Music campaigner regularly running Gender & Equality seminars and panels.