Interview: Adam Gallagher (Famous Last Words/MUNRO)

Not long now until Teesside promoter Adam Gallagher (Famous Last Words) brings an action-packed day of live music to Stockton-On-Tees in the form of independent music festival MUNRO (taking place Saturday, 7th June).

This all-day, all-ages event is a showcase of international, national, and regional talent, takes place at two of the town’s finest music venues, The Georgian Theatre and The Green Room. With no artist clashes, festivalgoers can immerse themselves in every performance without the stress of scheduling.

This year’s lineup is packed with the best and brightest artists, with THE CLAUSE headlining alongside incredible acts including Michael Gallagher, The Karios, Ellur, Megan Wyn, M60, Cardiac, Cavello, Diago, Hannah Robinson, Hannah Weedall, Isabel Maria, Issy Sutcliffe, Long Island, and Provenance.

We caught up with Adam to find out more…

How did you get into promoting music events?
I got into promoting by luck really, I was writing a music blog back in the days when you could poke people on Facebook and Farmville was the only game anyone was playing and I saw a job opportunity at a company called Ten Feet Tall and it just really grew from there. I have worked with Stockton Calling, Gathering Sounds, Twisterella you name it I’ve probably been involved in one aspect or another I went onto work as the Live Events manager at the Empire in Middlesbrough, along with putting my own shows & festivals on. 

Which events did you love going to in the region, growing up?
The region is filled with something for everyone, whether that be original artists, festivals, or tribute line-ups, there’s something for everyone. 

I love Stockton Calling, from being a ticket buyer to a stage booker being involved, it’s one of my favourite music festivals in the country, never mind just in the region. The one that is no longer with us, but I loved going to was Middlesbrough Music Live, I mean, looking back at some of the artists that played and have gone on to be huge names, Kasabian, Florence and the Machine, Enter Shikari and most of the time it was a free ticket! I could sit here and list loads off but I don’t want to bore your readers more than I probably already am!

Munro has grown into a key event for emerging artists in Stockton-on-Tees. What was the initial vision behind the festival, and how has it evolved over the years?
The initial vision was always to create a festival where it was aimed towards creating a platform to help grow the local artists’ experience and opportunities to engage with national artists and showcase their talents to an audience.

I mean MUNRO started out in the Green Room and it was one stage in the main room and one in the bar, looking back why I thought that was a good idea is beyond me but to look back at that line up alone is a bit crazy, The K’s headlined the first year, mixed with the likes of Komparrison & Be Quiet, Shout Loud! I’d like to think the evolution of the festival has always been positive, you know I’ve took a risk at times and some haven’t paid off but every year has been an experience and I think I’ve found a balance of understanding how to grow and make MUNRO as successful as possible.

As an independent promoter, what are the biggest challenges in organizing a multi-venue festival, and how do you navigate them?
There are a range of challenges, availability, costings (I always try and make the festival as accessible as possible for everyone) are probably the biggest two that cause a bit of stress and panic when organising anything really, never mind a festival. As stubborn as I can be, I have learnt to understand and accept certain things are not always possible, as much as I’d like them to be.

Munro prides itself on hosting a lineup that blends national, regional, and international artists. How do you curate a lineup that stays fresh while supporting local talent?
The lineup probably starts getting curated the second the previous year has stopped. Come the day after this year’s festival, I’ll already be writing up options and taking a look at what is possible for next year. I think one thing for me is I listen to a lot of music, whether that be live or on streaming services and for me it isn’t about how many monthly listeners you have etc it’s about whether or not I like your sound and if I can see it fitting into the plans for the festival.

What do you think makes Munro stand out from other independent festivals, especially in terms of audience experience and artist development?
I love the fact that my festival is an all-aged festival. I’ve seen children with their parents, possibly enjoying their first experience of live music, creating that first memory with their parents or family members or just a friend. It’s the one thing I love hearing about. 

In terms of artist development, there is a range of different avenues to go down, some will be playing their first festival, some will be playing higher up on a bill to a big audience and giving them that opportunity is something that MUNRO was and is still built around.

What are some of your favourite past MUNRO memories?
There are a lot of memories when it comes to MUNRO. I mean it’s been going since 2018 so there are a lot to pick from. I’d probably pick two moments that will stick with me forever. My best friends singing 21 along with Lottery Winners, it was possibly the song of our summer that year and even though my friends were all tone deaf, it was a core memory that I will never forget. And possibly the biggest one is 2022, when Red Rum Club headlined, I remember my dad being the last person into the main room as everyone was waiting for them to come on stage and he turned to me and said he was proud of what I have achieved and hugged me, now for anyone who knows my dad, he is a small man with a big personality but to hear them words from him made me get teary eyed I can’t lie!

What do you hope audiences take away from this year’s MUNRO?
I hope everyone enjoys the day, whether they watch one band or all 15 and hopefully they come away with a new favourite artist or an experience they won’t forget in a while and above all else, wanting to come back next year.

What advice would you give to emerging promoters looking to put on their own independent events or grow a festival like MUNRO?
The one piece of advice I would give is something that someone said to me when I first started promoting, don’t do it for the money, do it for the love of live music. That was said to me 10 years ago and it still sticks in my brain to this day. 

Looking ahead, where do you see MUNRO in the next five years? Are there any new ambitions or changes in store for the festival?
I try and take everything year by year, I mean there are already pencilled plans for a significant change in the festival, I can’t really say too much yet because I don’t want to say it and for it not to come together, but it will hopefully create more opportunities for artists and it also will create more artists being involved in next years line up.