Liverpool Live: An Interview with Amorphic Music’s Joel Murray

A lot has been said about the state of live music in the U.K., largely brought about by the screaming shit storm of Brexit, COVID-19, and the lack of compassion the Tories have for the arts, treating it with the contempt of an ugly stepchild. All of which is very true, of course.

One thing that tends to be avoided in this current state are people’s habits in a post-lockdown world. The way we interact in a social sense and how it’s changed for many so much over the past three years.

From a personal point of view, going to a gig these days is a rarity. From actively pursuing gigs at least twice a week pre-COVID, I’d be lucky to go to this number in as many months (and that’s pushing it).

There are several reasons for this, mainly due to my current social life being remarkably different from what it once was, and I’m sure many others are in the same boat. Although I should be going out to more gigs (and it’s something I constantly feel bad about), coupled with a contrasting social life in a post-lockdown world is the escalating living costs, getting older, and even just running a website alongside a full-time job. All told it’s a struggle to muster the motivation for much else.

These are stark realities that the likes of Amorphic Music’s Joel Murray are up against. Alongside Moonfrog’s Michael Coates, Harvest Sun Promotions and the team at Future Yard, Murray forms the bedrock of Liverpool promotors that fly the flag for left-of-centre acts both locally and beyond. It’s a mammoth task, and the above ramblings only scratch the surface of the overall struggle for live music; not just in Liverpool, but all throughout the country.

Also plying his trade in Barberos, ATATA, and a.P.A.t.T. while also featuring on Aging + Land Trance’s wonderful 2021 LP, Embassy Nocturnes, with Amorphic Music, Murray has brought some of the most vital acts to Merseyside over the past 12 months, including Enablers, BIG|BRAVE, Oneida and, most recently, The Utopia Strong.

Now in conjunction with The Invisible Wind Factory, Murray is set to continue bringing the world’s best underground artists to Merseyside. This week sees what is the promotor’s greatest boon and one of the biggest shows on the live music calendar, with Sun Ra Arkestra set to play this Saturday at the IWF.

Recently, fresh from his tour in France with a.P.A.t.T. in support of their new LP, We, Murray answered some of our questions regarding Amorphic Music, and what the future holds for promoting experimental music in Liverpool.

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Sun 13: It seems like you’ve had a pretty good year so far, including a tour of France with a.P.A.t.T. How did that go?

Joel Murray: “Yeah, the tour was amazing – we did almost a month around France, some festivals [plus] loads of lovely countryside shows – great people – great weather etc. It was the first time we’d been away post-COVID and Brexit etc., so it was a bit of a tester… it was a success!”

S13: Can you tell us about the history Amorphic Music?

JM: “I’ve been using the Amorphic name for a few years, firstly just for my shows at the Stockroom – then since booking more at IWF too we’ve adopted the brand to cover the majority of our live, alternative in house programme.

“I think the name fairly accurately sums up what we try to do with the programme of acts we have on – all to the left-of-centre as it were but not at all restricted to genre, we all listen to so much different music, I wanted a brand that reflected the variety of the music we platform and that nothings really off the table in terms of what we could do, from sound art to metal to pop to hip-hop etc. What really interests us is the attitude and creative process of the artist – if the music is approached from a place of experimentation or anything either side of the mainstream – we’re interested!”

S13: And while essentially most of your gigs have been in the Kazimier Stockroom, how did the partnership with the Invisible Wind Factory come about?

JM: “I’ve been working very closely with IWF / Kazimier for many many years, originally at the Kazimier club itself (R.I.P.), then the ’Garden and IWF.  We’ve worked on countless shows together both in the city and at festivals around the country over the years. I started managing the programme at Stockroom not long after it opened in 2019 then starting working formally as IWF programme manager in 2022. I’m very fortunate to have the backing of such a great arts organisation, we have an amazing team of creatives that work incredibly hard to facilitate each others ideas… I feel very lucky to be here.”

S13: With fewer city centre live venues, what with noise abatement notices from local residents, coupled with the post-COVID landscape, it seems like the perfect storm for live music. How hard is it getting people to gigs these days?

JM: “It’s hard, yeah. We’re in a position of knowing fewer people are likely to come to shows – because of course people are skint at the moment (us included), so budgeting an event on a lesser turn out – therefore tickets have to be more expensive – meaning fewer people can afford to come. It’s a total catch 22 situation, and it’s not like bands / acts are up for taking a pay cut – of course why should they, but I honestly don’t think the live sector is sustainable in its current form – something needs to change, although I’m not sure what exactly. We’re trying everything at the moment to get our events under people’s noses – loads of online marketing coupled with physical posters, word of mouth and everything else. Organisationally we’re collaborating with various other grassroots promoters that we like, we figure if we try to collaborate and stick together we’ve got more chance of making our existence sustainable!” 

S13: Along with Michael at Moonfrog and Harvest Sun, it feels like you’re the last line of defence in bringing left-of-centre acts to Liverpool. Is this the drive to keep going and keep us on the map, and (for yourself) to be a part of the story in years to come for future generations?

JM: “That’s one way of looking at it, although we’re good friends and I know they both are struggling too in similar ways to us… Quarry too are bringing some great acts to city. I’ve been living here for 17 years now, and it definitely seemed like there was a lot more people doing shows and bringing interesting music to Liverpool in the late ’00s and early 2010s… there was so many more places to actually put good things on for low or no cost back then, we had MelloMello, The Kazimier, Wolstenholme Creative Space, and countless other galleries and spaces that could facilitate experimental musical happenings. 

“I also think the scene has generally shifted a bit more towards electronic music since then. For a few years I did start to wonder where the new generation of people interested in DIY music and gigs were… but the emergence of Quarry and Moonfrog plus others have renewed my passion somewhat. I’m not massively bothered about being ‘part of the story’ per se, if anything I just hope that I can help others that want to get involved to get involved or give advice – for what it’s worth – if anything.”

S13: You have Sun Ra and Deerhoof shows coming up. What else is in-store for the rest of the year?

JM: “Yeah two big ones there – very excited about both. We’ve got an amazing math / jazz / rock band called The Most in the stockroom on August 17 with Unstoppable Sweeties Show plus Chloe Mullet in support, then an incredible Japanese / French band called PoiL Ueda on the August 27, they combine traditional Japanese folk singing plus instrumentation with really intensely complex avant-jazz / prog – aPAtT are supporting that one.

“Then Mick Harvey from The Birthday Party / The Bad Seeds is coming to the Substation on the September 17 with his duo with Amanda Acevedo – they have a new album out on Mute early next month – that should be a pretty special one. Into October we’ve got Salami Rose Louis on the thirteenth, then jazz quartet Get the Blessing featuring members of Portishead plus Radiohead play on the twenty-first also in the Substation.”