BEN TURNER
You have long been involved in both the electronic music and festival sectors. The latter came on the back of managing Bestival and Camp Bestival co-founder Rob Goreham, aka Rob Da Bank. What led you to manage him?
I was a co-founder of Muzik magazine, and Robbie came in as a tea boy doing work experience; the same way I got into journalism at Melody Maker. He was just a star, and so we hired him. When I left Muzik to launch Worldpop. com, with Peter Powell, I hired Robbie to come over there with me, and it was then that I started to manage him. He would just sit behind me and play the most unbelievable records and had the most amazing taste.
BEN TURNER
ON THE CHALLENGES OF PROMOTING ELECTRONIC MUSIC CULTURE
A former music journalist, Ben Turner discusses his journey in the electronic music industry, involving countless landmark moments such as co-founding the Association of Independent Festivals, the International Music Summit, getting Bestival off the ground and helping to extend the Ibiza clubbing season.
Ben Turner has been integral to the launch organisations that have made a significant impact on the industry he is so passionate about. In 2008 he co-founded AIF and IMS, and in 2013 he was behind the launch of the Association for Electronic Music( AFEM) – an international industry body focused on protecting and promoting electronic music culture.
The owner of Graphite Music, a music management and brands services company specialising in electronic music, Turner’ s role as the manager of Rob Da Bank( aka Rob Goreham) saw him play an instrumental role in the launch of major events including Bestival and Camp Bestival. Speaking during IMS in Ibiza, it is clear Turner’ s passion for electronic music, promoting its culture, and staging events, remains undimmed.
How important were Rob Da Bank’ s early Sunday Best nights at the Tea Rooms in Battersea?
I was going out a lot at that time. Sunday was always the end of a heavy weekend. We would go there, and find Robbie had people like Andrew Weatherall and Groove Armada DJing for free. It was incredible. It was an amazing networking opportunity; a melting pot of the community that Rob and Josie da Bank had around them. That blossomed into stages at Glastonbury, and then events including Bestival and Camp Bestival.
Prior to launching Bestival you approached Jim King, now AEG Presents CEO UK & European Festivals, to produce it. Were you confident such a creative festival concept on the Isle of Wight would be successful?
I was Rob ' s manager, so it was my job to make his ideas and dreams happen. I had a close relationship with Jim and James [ Barton ] from Creamfields. Jim had just come out of Cream, and set up Loud Sound [ now LS Events ]. Rob had got a £ 150,000 investment, from a guy called Chris Melton, as seed capital for a festival on the Isle of Wight. I thought if we are going to do a festival it has to be done properly. I immediately
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