The Lawdit Music Team
Mark Reed, Ellis Sweetenham and Samuel Killoran all work and reside on the Isle of Wight, and Michael Coyle and Sena Tokel also frequently come and go from the island. The most important aspect of the concept of Lawdit Music is the music itself and our ability to offer our assistance to budding musicians of any ages and backgrounds to develop and grow their musical career with our expertise and guidance. This support has always extended to more experienced musicians as well, who from time to time have required support with existing contracts or disputes which arise.
Lawdit Music
Lawdit has a dedicated department which specialises in music and entertainment law. Unlike most law firms you will receive complete transparency with pricing from us and will never receive a surprise bill for what you thought was “just a conversation”. We will keep you updated every step of the way and try to arrange fixed fees where possible.
Lawdit is also willing to offer all Isle of Wight musicians free support throughout the year if you need a quick word or advice over the phone and we will keep our hourly rates to £50 + VAT per hour if you are able to prove you are an Island Resident.
Are you looking for music industry advice? If so, please do not hesitate to contact us via telephone, email or by booking a consultation online. All of our contact details can be found by clicking here.
About the Island
For those whose have never heard of the beautiful Isle of Wight (I.O.W), and for those who do not know much about it at all, the I.O.W is a quaint small island located off the southern coast of England and has 140,000 people residing and working on it. To get across to the Island you can reach it easily via public ferries from Southampton, Portsmouth or Lymington which take between 25 minutes to an hour depending on the crossing.
The Island is the perfect staycation getaway. It has stunning beaches on every corner, it thrives in the summer with activities, music all over the Island and a relaxed but positive atmosphere wherever you go. While being a small island, it is a thriving ecosystem with unique and growing creativity and business you won’t find anywhere else.
The island also holds a lot of historic value. Famously known for Osborne House, the home of Queen Victoria; Carisbrooke Castle, built in the 12th century that imprisoned Charles I and Blackgang Chine, opened in 1843, making it one of the oldest theme parks in the world.
Music on the Island
The Island’s music culture is best known for its music festivals, one of which is held in Newport as is famously called the Isle of Wight Festival, which dates back to 1968 when it was held in a different location on the Island called Afton Downs.
The music festival originally attracted around 10,000-15,000 people in 1968 and by 1970 the festival became so popular that there were reportedly a crowd of over 600,000 people (surpassing the attendance at Woodstock at the time) and this huge gathering of people enjoyed music across five days. Perhaps it was artists such as Jimi Hendrix, The Doors, and The Who of which attracted the masses, however this led to the fences surrounding the event being brought down, and there being news all over the world reporting on the event. There were several reasons why this event ceased to be organised thereafter, but the branding for the ‘Isle of Wight Festival’ eventually came back to life in a new location in the year 2002. Although many people were involved in this revamp, the face of the rebrand was established music promotor John Giddings and thankfully Mr Giddings and the team have worked tirelessly for many years since, and it is still thriving today. Since 2002, the Isle of Wight Festival has blessed the Island with acts such as Paul McCartney, Fleetwood Mac, Rolling Stones, Jay-Z, Rod Stewart, Queen (with Adam Lambert), Bruce Springsteen, Brian Adams, Bon Jovi, Biffy Clyro, The Police, Blur, Pharrell Williams, Foo Fighters, Snow Patrol, P!nk, Amy Winehouse, David Bowie, Coldplay, Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Tom Petty, Calvin Harris, Tom Jones, Muse, Kings of Leon, Neil Young, Blondie, Paul Weller and many, many more…..
Other large scale music festivals on the Island have included Rob da Banks’ ‘Bestival’, which has been at held at Robin Hill between 2004 and 2018 and was able to secure acts such as Jackson 5, Elton John, Ed Sheeran (in his early days), Stevie Wonder, Snoop Dog, The Pet Shop Boys, and many more.
On a smaller scale, the Island has a thriving summer season full of local events from County Shows to Garlic Festivals, smaller music festivals such as Rhythm Tree, Jack up the Summer, , and carnivals, many of which showcase the local musical talent, and all year round you will find talented local musicians performing in the Island’s many pubs and restaurants.
Additional to the thriving music festivals, the island is producing some of the freshest, up and coming talents, namely Wet Leg. They have become the biggest island success and have recently achieved a UK and Australian No. 1 album. They also finished second on BBC’s Sound of 2022 list and are set to support Harry Styles on tour, with their success predicted to grow further. Other up and coming acts include Level 42, The Bees, Lauran Hibberd, Coach Party, Beth Brookfield, Plastic Mermaids and many others…
Platform One
Musically the island also provides a creative college called Platform One which specialises in high quality education for the creative industries. John Giddings of the Isle of Wight Festival has said “Platform One do an amazing job in nurturing talent and helping their students learn about the music business. We are proud to be able to help them in any way possible.”
At the Isle of Wight Festival, Platform One has its own stage dedicated to showcasing Island musicians which allows a platform to be built for a wider audience as well as giving core experience when performing at Festivals in front of new crowds.
The music college has some of the best young and up and coming musicians on the Island, frequently showcasing them every Wednesday night at Strings Bar and Venue. The variety of talent includes singer-songwriters, producers, rappers, multi-instrumentalists and establishing artists in multiple genres.
In partnership with the Isle of Wight Festival, Platform One also run Wight Noize. A local music competition where bands and artists can compete for a spot to open the main stage on Sunday.
Platform one has achieved top grades in its BA HONS Degree, with 2021 graduates achieving the best results since the college began their program back in 2012. Additional to this, it also offers a BTEC Diploma and a Masters Course, run in partnership with the University of Chichester.
Some of Platform One’s alumni include Wet Leg, Lauran Hibberd and Coach Party.