Mike Lowe celebrates 35 years with Brit Row
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Lowe joined Brit Row in 1987, originally handling accounts for household names such as Culture Club; Kool & the Gang; Jethro Tull; Soft Cell; Joni Mitchell; Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young; Frank Sinatra; and Iron Maiden to name but a few.
“I’d known of Brit Row since it was formed in 1975 and had come together with Bryan Grant on a number of projects since the early 70s,” says Lowe. “When he found out I was handing in my notice at my previous company, he invited me to discuss joining Brit Row with his then business partner, Robbie Williams. It seemed an easy decision for us all to make, and I came on board.”
Lowe has been involved in some of Brit Row’s biggest and most prestigious events over the last three and a half decades, such as The Wall – Live in Berlin in 1990 and the Barcelona Olympics in 1992. He also worked on the massive Knebworth gigs for Oasis and Robbie Williams, having seen both acts grow from their early days on the UK’s club circuit.
“For me, it is all about the people – our people, the people we work for and the audiences who ultimately pay us all. It’s about the music. It’s about great live audio. I have been blessed throughout my career by being surrounded by some of the very best people. I have worked with a lot of great artists and musicians.
“I have had hundreds, if not thousands, of spine tingling audio experiences. Miles Davis, on-the-fly, starting a concert at the Royal Festival Hall from his dressing room by playing Cindy Lauper’s Time After Time with the venue acoustics, the Hall acoustics and finally the stage acoustics before bringing the band in; moments in every Pink Floyd or David Gilmour show; Frank Sinatra with his phrasing, timing, and orchestrations to name just a few.”
Lowe has been a director at the company – which supplies audio crew and equipment to major world tours, live, corporate, and sporting events – for the last 35 years. He has seen a number of changes during his impressive career, both at company level and in the wider industry. One of the most recent – and most positive – was Brit Row’s decision to become part of the Clair Global Group, ultimately offering the former’s international clients the opportunity to tour the world with an ever decreasing need to freight equipment and transport personnel, thus lessening the environmental impact of touring rock ‘n’ roll.
“Britannia Row Productions is now a brand within a group of strong brands, and we have a united front when it comes to how we want to move forward,” Lowe explains. “As well as pushing people into both new careers and early retirement, the pandemic has broken the trainee pipeline, in terms of young people being able to get experience on live shows. However, we’re very focussed on accelerated recruitment at Brit Row, just as we are on the training of young people.
“Both this and lowering our carbon footprint – together with all of the usual drivers of new tech, new artists, new types of productions, and finding better ways of doing things – all keep me looking forward with enthusiasm.”
He concludes: “Although never taken for granted, most artists, bands, management companies and production managers thankfully stay with us, and more come on board every year. We have artists who have had Britannia Row as their sound supplier for longer than I have been with the company - we seem to be getting something right!”
