Unsung Heroes: Lisa Lout

UNSUNG HEROES: PEOPLE WHO MAKE BRIGHTON WHAT IT IS
NO.9 LISA LOUT
THE GREAT ESCAPE’S BRIGHTON CORNERSTONE IS ALSO ONE OF THE CITY’S MOST SUCCESSFUL PROMOTERS

I started working in Rounder when I was 18, that lead to me DJing in indie clubs, which in turn lead to me promoting indie club nights and then live shows. The name Lout was given to me by my fellow workers in Rounder, and it's kinda stuck.

Is there a ‘Lout band’?
We don't set out to book a band by a particular sound or genre, although we do veer towards indie and pop bands, we promote all kinds of music.

What's your role at the Great Escape and how did you get involved?
I'm the Festival Manager for The Great Escape, I've worked on the event since day one and my role grew each year. I work on the event pretty much all year round and with my team we oversee the live side of the festival, which includes looking after the venues, street gigs, artist advancing and overall production and delivery of the event.

You were one of the founder's of Brighton Live but aren't so involved. Why is that?
I've had to take a back seat with the event the last couple of years due to my workload. What with running Lout, working on Great Escape and being a mum something had to give. I'm proud that the event is still going strong and grateful to the people who give up their time to make it happen each year.

Promoting can be quite a competitive business, especially in Brighton, how do you keep ahead?
We never rest on our laurels; we are always looking at the best ways of marketing and we only book shows we believe in, um, apart from a few dodgy ones maybe.

How do you find new bands?
Patrick is our secret weapon; he has his ear to the ground. We joke in the office that he is in charge of booking hot new bands and I'm in charge of booking the old codgers, but it kinda works.

What's the craziest thing that's happened at a Lout gig?
For legal reasons we can't say!

WORDS BY LYDIA STOCKBRIDGE