This article appears in A Beginner’s Guide To Grassroots Music in Calderdale. Keep an eye out for a copy in venues, pubs and community spaces throughout the borough. You can also read the magazine online or download it. The publication is part of CultureDale’s Youth Music Takeover initiative.
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Grunge bands, folk troubadours, jazz collectives, poetry, open mic, creative writing classes, northern soul club-matinees, film nights and even yoga. The Grayston Unity, in the middle of Halifax, is a vibrant hub of diverse live entertainment.
The venue has two rooms, one a classic, low-level basement that holds 110. The other is the 16-capacity Tiny Grayston, a tightly-packed top-floor snug reclaiming the official title ‘UK’s smallest independent live music venue’.
Venue owner, Michael Ainsworth, has put on literally hundreds of gigs. His impressive roster includes Pulp, The Bug Club, The Lovely Eggs, John Grant, Midlake, Low, Nadine Shah and many more.
He is also well-known for giving young adults opportunities in the live music industry. We spoke to Michael about exactly that – creating pathways for the next generation.
Nurturing New Beginnings
Michael: “I remember being back at that age vaguely, a long time ago, and how difficult it was for young artists, even then, to get into playing and get gigs. It’s never that easy and there were certainly no opportunities for anyone really to have a go, or to get involved in things like sound engineering. There weren’t really the venues anywhere to do that. I suppose that’s stuck with me. And now I have the chance to try and do something about it.
I’ve also been quite conscious that, if I stopped doing it, would anyone carry on? I know what it takes to do what I do in terms of the relentlessness of it all. It takes a lot of stamina, a lot of hard work. So that was a bit of a motivation.
I’ve fallen lucky that I came across Tom, our sound engineer and now full-time venue manager. I can’t praise him highly enough. He’s only 21 and he’s just brilliant. He’s developed so quickly. And he just gets it, you know. He’s taken it on himself to encourage and nurture young people working with him too. I mean, that’s quite something.
My previous sound engineer, Oscar, started with us when he was about 15. He’s now 23 and working abroad on some huge shows. Oscar moved on, Tom took it on and it all flowed from there. When I moved to the new place, I needed to have somebody to run the venue and to develop that side and to start taking on some of the booking stuff. Tom’s done it all.
We also have Niamh who’s doing a full-time level 3 apprenticeship. Iris has been doing sound. Then we have Harry, a graduate from Leeds Conservatoire and Joe, 17, both learning the music business side of things.
Just Rewards
They get paid. I think that’s important. Money is kind of tight but I just don’t believe anyone should be doing anything for nothing. It follows through to playing gigs. No bands should ever play for nothing.
I’d like to think we can try and develop it into a more structured way of doing things. If somebody’s enthusiastic and wants to learn, then we’ll try and accommodate them. So Niamh is a good example of that because she’s been so willing from the off. Niamh is going to be a real success.
At The Grayston, we are supportive, encouraging and friendly. I think everyone is approachable here. It’s just that kind of place. I think it’s got a bit of substance. I use that word quite a bit at times, ‘substance’. I think it’s based on – I don’t mean this in a big-headed way at all – but it’s based on what I’ve put into it. So it’s got the benefit of five decades of work, of putting gigs on.
You really can make a career out of it. Oscar is a brilliant example of that. He’s been earning a lot more money than I am and he’s only 23. But not everyone does. It is ultimately about enjoying it. You’ve got to know what you’re getting in to, be enthusiastic and be able to communicate – that is probably the key thing.”
Sounds Good?
Michael is always open to taking on passionate, diligent young people. If you’re itching to get involved in the live music scene and The Grayston sounds like the perfect fit for you, get in touch with Michael on Instagram @graystonunity. Visit thegraystonunity.co.uk for more info about the venue.
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