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. 20 The Rainbow Venues & Global Gathering have partnered to bring you a series of forward thinking shows starting with MADE 2nd - 5th May 2014 with performances from Annie Mac, Chase & Status, Sub focus, MK, Redlight + more. We caught up with Pete Jordan who is the driving force behind Spectrum and Lee McDonald the brains behind The Rainbow Venues to find out more about the partnership... Tickets for MADE available at: www.m-a-d-e.com Spectrum has now been running for 13 years and this April The Rainbow Venues will be celebrating 10 years, what are your secrets to longevity? Pete: Constant reinvention and continued passion for the music. The initial ethos of Spectrum was about bringing together new music from across every genre and throwing amazing parties. In 13 years this ethos hasn’t changed. If I still booked the same acts I was booking in 2001, it just wouldn’t work. Every year new artists come to the forefront who are making brilliant music, it’s great to be able to bring them together and create really unique line-ups and events that will probably never be seen anywhere again. Lee: Never be complacent, customers are always looking for a new buzz a fixed space isn’t going to excite them. Constantly evolving spaces will keep their interest there. Not conforming to what’s expected from a venue to keep it original and different to what else is in the City. The Rainbow Venues will ever evolve and we always have one eye on the next space. We will not wait for competition to come we will create our own. I guess it’s like being in a relationship you have to keep surprising your partner; little gifts, a weekend away, same principle with the venues you have to work at it and provide the unexpected. a partnership is MADE the minds behind made in birmingham festival Pete, what were your first experiences of Birmingham? Pete: I’m originally from the West Midlands, so if you skip past the early trips with my parents to the Indoor Market, the old Bull Ring and the NEC to see The Happy Mondays and U2, then there is a lot to talk about club wise! I used to come up to the Custard Factory a lot in the late nineties to seminal nights like Trigger and Leftfoot, both of which had an influence on Spectrum’s early years. We started hosting Spectrum club nights at the Custard Factory in 2006 and had an amazing few years of unforgettable shows in the city. I’ve always believed the Birmingham crowd was one of the best suited to the Spectrum ethos being so open minded to so many different styles of music and having a real passion for fun and friendly events. Needless to say, I’m really looking forward to the brand coming back to the city! Lee, what were your first experiences with GodsKitchen? Lee: Well I was going to be a professional footballer at one point, I was on the books for Newcastle. I went to the Zone one night at Junction 10 in Walsall, I was injured at the time but danced all night on my damaged patella - had it right out and got the bug for a rave. I was out of action for months, in fact I never went back to it, instead I hit the island of Ibiza. The opportunity came around after meeting Jamie Smith in the queue for GodsKitchen at the Sanctuary, after only a few hours he suggested I would be suited to Ibiza. We went down Digbeth High Street to be interviewed and got the job and accommodation. Damn time of my life and my first ever job in the industry - the flyer boy. How did the collaboration between GlobalGathering and The Rainbow Venues come about? Pete: GlobalGathering’s roots are in Birmingham. The UK festival was founded following the launch of the Godskitchen nightclub in Digbeth in 2001 after 20,000 clubbers turned up to the opening. Birmingham is still considered very much as a second home to us and we’ve been hosting events in the city for over 15 years. Over the past decade the team at The Rainbow have been fundamental in shaping the dance music scene in the city and have been THE game changers in venue development, creating completely new and unique spaces in the heart of Digbeth with a really independent and defiant spirit. GlobalGathering has always had a similar approach, despite comparisons with other festivals; the reality is that Global does its own thing. So it became obvious that there’s a natural synergy between both companies. Lee and I have known each other for many years, I dropped him a line and the rest is history. Pete, Is this an exciting move for GlobalGathering to be back where it all started? Pete: Absolutely! We’ve only just started this relationship and it’s clear there’s a long and exciting future ahead for both companies and also for Birmingham. We’re re-launching Godskitchen in the UK together at The Rainbow Warehouse on April 26th and the night has sold faster than any other previous Godskitchen event in the UK! FACE and 02:31 will be hosting their first arena at GlobalGathering in the summer and MADE will make it’s debut under the arches in May and we’ve only just scratched the surface. Lee, What does it mean for The Rainbow Venues to be working with such a respected brand like GlobalGathering? Lee: Global have experience in delivering big shows with big productions we have the connections with the brands and people that make Birmingham tick so its a great partnership. It’s almost as if two rivals are coming together for MADE, how do you feel about this? Lee: It makes sense to combine forces rather than dilute each other’s shows. To see GodsKitchen in The Rainbow Warehouse is for me a personal achievement and we have a really exciting few months ahead as we programme Autumn. Pete:This partnership is a coming together of two teams who know how to put on great events and throw amazing parties. What are you looking forward to most about MADE? Pete: Bringing the multiple venue spaces, concepts and brands together in a new way across one event, as a whole is genuinely exciting. The vibe across the whole industry is incredible considering this event is only in its first year! I’m also really excited to be working with so many of Birmingham’s best independent brands that really reflect the wealth of talent within the city. It feels a little bit like coming home and I’m convinced that our partnership will create something great for the second city. Lee: It’s more than just a rave, Birmingham has a lot going for it at the minute it’s getting a hell of a lot of press with the High Speed Rail link which is imminent, some cool independents and small businesses around. The festival is over four days the Friday is a celebration of Spotlight / Digbeth Dining Club close friends of The Rainbow, they will be taking over the Arena for a free event with over 20 street food traders. There will be live art, spoken word and brass bands; a complete contrast to the mayhem on the Saturday and Sunday. Then Monday live music. It’s a melting pot of everything that works in the second city. It excites me to cement this as an annual show that will grow and grow. This isn’t a one night stand this is a full on affair. interview by: Chloe Dowding Over the past decade the team at The Rainbow have been fundamental in shaping the dance music scene - Pete Jordan