Twitch and Scruff of the Neck announces partnership
18 January 2021 - Press releasePioneering Manchester music company Scruff of the Neck announce a groundbreaking partnership with leading live streaming service Twitch.
Having built a strong national reputation over their 12 year history of live promotions in the UK and around the world, Scruff of the Neck continues to battle the COVID-19 pandemic by rapidly evolving their business model. With Twitch they now take the opportunity to lead the way in a modern era of live shows and digital streaming.
The forward-thinking partnership supports the creative production of three-hour nightly broadcasts featuring live performances, interviews and features, hosted by BBC Radio 1’s Abbie McCarthy. Launching Tuesday 19th January at 7.30pm, the first acts taking to the stage include Bad Boy Chiller Crew, Bamily, Corella, Dan D’Lion, Devon, Ellysse Mason, Ist Ist, Jack Curley, Kid Kapichi, King No-one, Larkins, Lottery Winners, Low Island, Lucy Deakin, and The Rills with many more yet to be announced.
Arriving in the middle of a national lockdown, this partnership provides an effective and sustainable outlet for 100’s of artists - with the power to tap into Twitch’s enormous global audience - as well as vital work for the industry around them, at a time when it’s needed most.
The first 10 launch shows in January are to focus on the celebratory essence of live and will hold a torch for the return of gigs around the country, before introducing a diverse format of fresh live video content ideas from February onwards.
Since its inception in a Manchester pub 12 years ago, Scruff of the Neck has grown to become a globally recognised live promoter, running shows across the UK and Europe, as well as festival stages from Y Not? Festival to SXSW in the USA. Their strong track record of breaking new live acts include the likes of The Slow Readers Club, Cassia and Giant Rooks.
Now also an award-winning record label, publisher and creative agency, the company continues to go from strength to strength by adapting to the times, whilst maintaining the core values that keep them fighting for exciting indie artists at every stage of their career.
Mark Lippmann, CEO & Founder of Scruff of the Neck, says:
“This partnership has revolutionised our business at a time when being adaptive and forward thinking is crucial. We’ve converted both floors of our Manchester office into a broadcast ready space with a stage, podcast area and recording studio. I have two clear visions for Scruff of the Neck; the business vision is for streaming to be the lifeblood of the business and the cultural vision is for people all around the world to know Manchester for two things; Manchester United (football) and Scruff of the Neck (music), this partnership is a catalyst for both.”
Chris Brearley, Head of Live at Scruff of the Neck, adds:
“It's no secret that working in live music over the past year has been tough, both for artists and their teams. Partnering with Twitch, we're excited to be able to create new opportunities for artists to reconnect with their fans by offering high-quality, free-to-access live performances and programming. We hope that we can develop a space for new music discovery, while at the same time building an online community for those looking to immerse themselves in a gig experience and become part of the conversation around some of the most exciting talent on offer.”
Scruff of the Neck TV launches Tuesday 19th January at 7.30pm exclusively on Twitch here, and is supported by additional partnerships with Blackmagic Design, Fender, Gretsch, Blackstar, Native Instruments and Noblechairs. More line up news to follow over the coming weeks.
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