Interview and story by Meliza Sestito and Rosalind Hallows
Cover photo courtesy of Hayley Fearnley
Additional photography courtesy of Pedalo Photography, Philippa Revitt, and MELVILLE
Under the unseasonably warm sunshine and soundtracked by thunderous guitars, something exciting happened in Sheffield last month. Shreddler, the north’s newest alternative music festival held at Peddler Warehouse, was a unique showcase of up-and-coming musical talent boasting a line-up curated by two industry greats, Christian Carlisle, the DJ and BBC Introducing presenter, and Loz Taylor of Sheffield’s own While She Sleeps.
With Oversize blasting the main stage, the quiet of While She Sleeps’ rehearsal space, which doubled as the festival’s green room, felt otherworldly. Here, Sante Vincent met with Christian and settled into a quiet corner to discuss why this brand new festival matters. It was a friendly, warm welcome that felt quintessentially — and befittingly — northern.
Christian’s care for the music scene shines through and not just for musicians at the heart of it but also the silent cogs that keep the industry turning; the boots-on-the-ground organisers and journalists who are bolstering it up, working their way up to their own metaphorical main stages. He’s been there himself. He used to do DJ sets “for four free beers and ten quid.” But today, he settles into a spray painted leather sofa, embracing being on the other side of an interview for a change, to discuss gatekeeping and graft, vulnerability and why new artists should be sending him their music.
Amongst the excitement and celebration of the first Shreddler Festival, one voice cut through with unshakable passion, a champion of new music who believes in giving the next generation a shot. “I almost feel it’s our duty,” says Christian. Alongside Loz Taylor, the duo pride themselves on staying tapped into what’s emerging in the music scene: “For some of these bands, it’s their very first steps into the festival world.” Both Christian and Loz have been on the music circuits for quite some time now, with Loz touring with While She Sleeps and Christian hosting BBC Introducing. “We know our way around a fair bit, but for most of these artists on the line-up today, it’s their first time doing a major festival and we wanted to give them a safe, comfortable space to dip their toes in.”
“I started my DJ career for four free beers and ten quid in exchange for a three hour set every Tuesday.”
Placing rising talent at centre stage, Shreddler feels refreshingly distant from the norm of providing seasoned headliners. From the intimate, no-barrier Factory Floor stage to the vast, 800 capacity warehouse for the main stage, both are a platform for originality across the alternative music scene. “I don’t do favourites. I’m so proud of how this lineup reflects not just one genre but all corners of alternative music. We’ve got beatdown, classic, you name it. It’s all here,” he adds with a grin.
Patience playing Factory Floor, image courtesy of Hayley Fearnley
Shreddler found its first home in Sheffield for many reasons but the most prominent one being sentimentality. It’s not just the stomping grounds for Loz Taylor’s band but it’s Christian’s adopted second home that he says has given him so much. Shreddler is his way of giving back that same love. “I’m not from here,” he laughs, gesturing to his kilt. Originally hailing from Scotland, “I think that played to my advantage because I don’t really have any nepotism towards it. My love for Sheffield comes from being here and immersing myself in the culture. The community welcomed me with wide open arms and that acceptance meant the world. Yorkshire has given me so much.”
Christian’s role at BBC Introducing requires filtering through hundreds of submitted tracks each week, looking for the best of the best, regardless of genre. Unsurprisingly, his musical taste is broad. “One of my favourites right now is Lo Vu. They’re the perfect chill-out music. But then I’ve also been loving heavier bands like Patience, who played Shreddler earlier today and absolutely smashed it. They did not disappoint.”
Meliza and Christian, image courtesy of Hayley Fearnley
Christian was brought up in a house where one parent was a punk and one parent was a “dance head and a new romantic” as he puts it. The stereo in the house would flit between Faithless and old-school Prodigy to Sex Pistols. From this introduction, Christian began his own journey into understanding genres. “BBC Introducing has definitely pushed that as far as it can go. We have everything submitted from R&B to classical and it’s my job to figure out the best of the best. It’s a difficult skill to tune and took me many many years to develop.” “Morning View” by Incubus, is no-skip album, one that made him feel something. “It really sparked something inside for me and I knew I’d connected to the music. It took me 20 years to finally see them live. I cried from the first note to the last and it was beautiful.”
“That’s the beauty of BBC Introducing. It’s breaking down those socio-economic barriers. There’s no fee, there’s no gatekeeping. If your music is good, I’m going to play it.”
That emotional connection to music runs deep through Christian’s being. A standout track for him is “Routine Pain” by Spanish Love Songs. “Tom from Bury Tomorrow gifted me the album Brave Faces Everyone and told me it would change my life. I sat with my jaw open. It’s one of the greatest modern emo albums ever created.” However, if he could go back in time and listen to one song again for the first-time ever, it would be “Burnout” by Green Day. “The sheer jubilation I felt when I first listened to that? I don’t think I’ll ever forget it. There are sometimes moments in my life where I’m not sure what direction to take or I feel a bit off track or down in general; I can put on this track and sit and air drum the crap out of it and feel so much better after. It gives me so much clarity.”
Despite his love for all things alternative, he doesn’t shy away from those feel-good, scream-in-the-shower songs. “Footloose” by Kenny Loggins? Come on! You can’t sit still when that’s on. It’s on my gym playlist right between disgustingly heavy stuff and Earth, Wind & Fire. That’s how I think playlists should be.”
“I was pouring my heart and soul into it every single time, regardless, I didn’t care if anyone was listening.”
At the heart of all that Christian does is commitment to making space for working-class artists, especially in places up north. There used to be a time where the only advice for creatives was to move to London. He makes sure he’s covering those working class artists who perhaps haven’t had the same opportunities as those with friends or family already in the industry, or who don’t have to work a full time job to to pay rent as well as pursuing their creative projects. “That’s the beauty of BBC Introducing. It’s breaking down those socio-economic barriers. There’s no fee, there’s no gatekeeping. If your music is good, I’m going to play it.”
“There are still going to be times where you have to work your nine to five and then do the festival circuit on the weekend. It’s going to suck but you have to keep going. I started my DJ career for four free beers and ten quid in exchange for a three hour set every Tuesday.” Christian once volunteered as a radio presenter for three years at a community radio station. “I never used to know if anyone was listening to me, I was doing it purely because I loved it. I was doing it out of passion. I was pouring my heart and soul into it every single time, regardless, I didn’t care if anyone was listening.”
For those willing to stick it out in the music industry, Christian warns that it will feel vulnerable but that that vulnerability is the key to reaping the rewards on the other side. “It’s absolutely glorious. It all seems fine with us sitting with our triple A (access all areas) passes in a green room right now but it wasn’t that long ago that I was out in a festival crowd thinking to myself, ‘how can I get into this? How can I be a part of it?’ so I made the opportunities for myself. Hell, it took a long time but if you are persistent and consistent, good will come.”
Shreddler Festival may be a physical manifestation of Christian’s passion, but it’s clear his main mission goes way beyond Peddler Warehouse. For him, it’s a mindset, a calling. And as long as musicians are experimenting with riffs, bearing gut-wrenching lyrics or screaming into a microphone for the first time, he’ll be there, championing and reminding us all that, sometimes, the most powerful thing you can do is simply show up for yourself.
Sante Vincent Magazine 