Music / In the Know
In the Know: Matt Otridge, Music Venue Properties
The campaign to reopen the doors of the Croft is a special one for the man behind it: “It’s a full circle story,” he says.
Matt Otridge started out playing in punk bands and putting on gigs there as early as 2002: “It was the silliest thing I ever did, because before you know it I’ve spent my whole life in the music industry!”
He gradually took over the venue’s programming, going on to secure the lease in 2007 and run it for the next six years with Fat Paul – “as he’s affectionately known, he’s a Bristol legend” – and Pete of Replay Records, formerly on Haymarket Walk.
is needed now More than ever
The Croft, alive and well in Stokes Croft until last year, has seen some sights in its time… photo: the Croft
Matt has good memories of those early days at the Croft, when he started Deadpunk promotions, the banner he’s been organising gigs under for 23 years.
“It was punk-rock and chaotic – all sorts of genres and a DIY ethos of anything goes. It was as important to the early days of dubstep as it was to those sweaty punk nights,” he recalls.
“It did feel special – cutting edge and forward thinking. Among others, I put on the Arctic Monkeys and Bastille, and Ed Sheeran played there… the stadium artists of the future!”
The trio also set up and ran the Exchange, with Matt spearheading the venue’s community ownership campaign in 2018, raising £300,000 to ensure its long term security which helped it maintain comfortably through the lockdown periods – where other venues were “thrust straight into a terrible panic” due to squeezed profit margins and no reserves, he says.
The experience led to him being employed to oversee a national campaign to return music venues to community ownership as part of Music Venue Properties (MVP).
“It’s been abit of a wild ride and now here we are today, having just launched our second campaign and just by sheer coincidence and luck we are looking to to buy the Croft – which for me is a complete full circle moment!” he says.
Matt (bass, right) playing a gig at the Croft in around 2012 – photo: Matt Otridge
The fondly-remembered Stokes Croft venue is up for community ownership in a campaign launched by MVP in May, following the success of their first ‘Own Our Venues’ campaign in 2022 which raised £3m to take five venues into community ownership.
“We’re looking at seven venues this time round, and I’d argue Bristol, more than most cities, knows what it’s like to see that very quick gentrification,” says Matt.
“In a way that’s what drove us out of Stokes Croft originally, there’s always people looking to make a quick buck and they forget that buildings like the Croft are the things that make these areas interesting in the first place.
“The average venue has 18 months left on its lease. Having these spaces looked after by a Trust whose only objective is that there’s a music venue there provides long term security for the people running the venues as well as the audience using them.”
The reopening of the Croft requires people to become co-owners by investing in the venue via community shares, a mechanism established by the government as a result of the 2011 Stokes Croft riots.
“I was there that night trying to protect the Croft – though I don’t know exactly how I would have protected it against a baying mob! – so that’s another interesting full circle moment for me,” he says.
“The riots were all about the community feeling disenfranchised – now, the community can come together and safeguard an asset that’s been really important to its cultural fabric.”
Matt’s crossing his fingers and hoping people get involved.
“Community owned spaces allow venue operators to plan for the future and means they have support from people who share their aspirations and understand what they want to achieve,” he says.
“The Croft has seen over 25 years of gigs. It’s very well loved. Let’s just hope we manage to achieve what we set out to – we’ve made a good start but there’s a long way to go.”
The community share offer runs until July 31. Find out more and invest at crowdfunder.co.uk/p/own-our-venues
Matt recommends:
The Croft benefit, the Louisiana, June 7
View this post on Instagram
Arrows in Action, Exchange, June 25
“One of mine! They’re a quite fun, poppy kind of band”
Hot Water Music, the Prospect Building, October 23
“They’re one of my favourite bands so I’m really excited to be putting this one on!”
For more of Matt’s upcoming gigs follow Deadpunk promotions.
Main image: Michael Porter Photography
Read next:
- The Croft set to return
- How you can buy part of the Exchange to help secure its future
- Roni Size announced as final headliner for Lake Paradiso Festival
- Photo book to highlight Bristol’s queer nightlife
- Bristol’s month in World Music – June 2025
- Metal & Prog Picks: June 2025
- Bristol’s month in jazz – June 2025
Our newsletters emailed directly to you
