Music / In the Know
In the Know: Yasmin Egin, Cellar Door
A visual artist and music booker for the Louisiana, Yasmin Egin founded Cellar Door, a promotions company known for its immersive themed events that combine live music with multimedia art and visuals.
She considers what makes the Bristol scene special and being a woman in the industry, and shares her recommendations for gigs coming up in July.
Photo: Barnaby Chinnock
I started Cellar Door when I was studying Fine Art at university.
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At the time I was working on the bar at the Louisiana. The cellar, usually a recording studio, is a very intimate, special space for an art exhibition. I saw its potential.
To my surprise, the gig went really well – I was shocked, I didn’t think anyone would come! So a few months later I decided to carry it on.
Our shows feature five or six live bands across two stages and a multimedia art exhibition.
I work alongside my amazing teammates, Ethan Griffin-Mccleary and George Lawrence. We dress up the stages, project films and visuals behind the bands, and curate each event around a central theme and headliner — selecting the bands and visual artists to fit the theme of the night. Everything’s very carefully curated.
The Cellar Door team – photo: Tyler Tuncer
Cellar Door combines music and art to create an experience that’s more than the sum of its parts.
That’s what really sets it apart. People love the way the two elements complement each other, making the shows more social and interactive. This approach strengthens the sense of community — people who came for the music often leave as new fans of the artists, and vice versa.
The visual art element is an important one for Egin, who is an artist herself, producing ‘surreal’ paintings and sculpture; she says the combination of art and music is what make the shows stand out – photo: Ethan Griffin-McLeary
The DIY scene here in Bristol is very special.
Grassroots promoters and independent venues play an absolutely vital role — and it shows. People in this scene genuinely care about what they do, putting a huge amount of passion, time and effort into their events.
That commitment is reflected in the quality of the nights themselves — from the atmosphere to the pay for artists, everyone benefits when it’s done right.
Cellar Door have hosted bands like Mermaid Chunky (above), the Orchestra for Now and HONK in shows themed around ‘the outer layer’, occasions like Valentine’s Day and, for their last show in July, an exploration of themes found in Hypothetics’ debut album Passing Places – photo: Ethan Griffin-McLeary
Bristol has always been a very vibrant music city, and right now it feels like it’s booming more than ever.
There’s a well-deserved buzz at the moment – countless venues, and you can easily find a great gig every night of the week. I go to a lot of gigs! I have a broad taste but for Cellar Door shows I go for folky, underground indie guitar-sceney, post-punky, things that derive from those genres. So many exciting new bands and artists are emerging —like Zalizo, Nile Robinson, Eva Penney, the Cindys, the Scuttlers.
At the heart of it all is a strong DIY culture. Community Jam Collective and Below the Belt doing amazing work. I feel like Cellar Door fits right into this ecosystem. We’re friendly with other promoters and always open to collaboration. It doesn’t feel cliquey — more like a big, supportive community where people genuinely want to lift each other up. It’s one big family.
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It’s hard being a woman in the music industry.
The industry is still male‑dominated, and women get treated very differently. Some of the men already established in the scene here don’t really take you seriously.
But things are slowly starting to shift — and I’m hopeful for more change. I’ve been really fortunate to meet and work with some amazing strong women who have inspired and guided me along the way.
On International Women’s Day we always host a big event with female and non-binary artists to celebrate women: I love strong women, they inspire me every day. Alice Boeglin, Getdown Services manager, is my queen. She’s been a huge support, always answering questions, giving great advice and connecting me with opportunities. And we have a group chat for girls in the Bristol music industry which is really nice.
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As a young woman myself, I really hope I can inspire others to get involved and help create a more balanced, inclusive music industry. This conversation is gaining momentum, and that gives me hope for the future. Change is happening, and I’m excited to be part of it.
Photo: Barnaby Chinnock
If you want to put on a show, just go for it.
If you enjoy doing it, it will be a good event. Just try it! You’ll learn – I had no idea what I was doing, and now I work in the industry. I never thought this would be the route I’d go down but now I can’t see myself doing anything else.
I was an avid gig goer, I listened to music all the time, every moment of the day, but never thought I’d be involved in it. I just fell into it and I’m very happy that I did.
Cellar Door will be back in the autumn with what Egin promises will be “the biggest and best shows yet”. Find Yaz’s surrealist painting and sculpture @yasminzegin
July gigs – Yaz recommends:
Skydaddy presents ‘Works in Progress’, Cafe Kino, July 13
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“An intimate evening with Naima Bock, Myer U Clark, Jack Ogborne and more — eight of Bristol’s most exciting songwriters sharing songs they’re currently working on.”
Harbourfest, July 19-20
“40 bands over two days, with a line-up I’ve personally curated, featuring some of the best emerging talent in the area.”
Big Long Sun + Paper Crowns, the Louisiana, July 30
“Big Long Sun are an eight‑piece art‑rock band from Brighton featuring a member of Ideal Living — one of my favourite Brighton acts — and Paper Crowns are a rising Bristol band I’ve watched come up which is cool!”
Main image: Ethan Griffin-McLeary
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