The Shovel was born out of a growing frustration at the current state of the music industry. With a growing number of parasitic venues and promoters ripping artists off and not putting any care into the lineups they curate, along with an ongoing cost of living crisis that means it's never been harder to survive as a musician. We decided to try and take it into our own hands and put on gigs fully organised by ourselves. We only put on bands we love and think work well together, so there is always some cohesive theme tying the lineups together.
The Shovel Manifesto
All shows will be all ages and free to attend
All gigs will happen in fully DIY spaces - no formal venues
All set times will be available in advance and shows will finish early, in time for public transport
We will be fully transparent with all monetary transactions
All money will go directly to the bands playing or reinvested into equipment for future shows
Every set will be fully documented with both photos and videos
We will always collect donations for local food banks at every show
There will be be a first aid kit present at all events
We will leave as little a trace as possible after shows