Poppy King proposed an idea to the head of a famous Liverpool institution
Poppy King, a 17 year-old music promoter from The Jacaranda(Image: The Jacaranda)
A teenager is helping to “reshape Liverpool’s live music culture” after noticing something was missing. Poppy King, 17, from Allerton, has been credited by The Jacaranda, the legendary Liverpool music venue, with bringing fresh ideas to the scene.
The Jacaranda, located on Slater Street, has been a staple of Liverpool’s music scene since the 1950s, with many local bands playing their first gig there. In 1960 John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, Stuart Sutcliffe and Pete Best played their first show together at the venue, under the name that was to make musical history, The Beatles.
In 2024, The Jacaranda opened a new venue in the Baltic Triangle. Since Poppy approached managing director Graham Stanley with a proposal last year, she has organised several events, including her own weekend festival recently which attracted around 300 people.
Poppy was motivated by her own experiences as an up-and-coming musician. Speaking to the ECHO, she said: “I started out doing my own music and I still do that now. I started going to gigs more and have been at LIPA Sixth Form College since September.
“It just broadened my horizons a bit on what I wanted to do. I’ve been really interested in putting events on and seeing them all unfold.
“I know a lot of other young people who are in the scene in Liverpool and they’ve had a lot of similar experiences to me. It is a constant issue of trying to get gigs and get paid for them. I wanted to give people a bit more sense of security.”
In October, Poppy braved herself to have a chat with Graham. She wanted to organise gigs herself for upcoming prospects. She said: “I did one one gig at The Jacaranda and I met Graham. I already knew him from doing other gigs.
“My idea was I wanted to set up a kind of mini-business, a live events business, that was targeted towards young artists who are just starting out. It would offer them a bit more support with getting gigs.
“I know myself that it’s really hard to get gigs and I thought that people going through me would be better. It’s better to have a direct connection with someone your own age rather than them talking to a random older person, which can feel a bit threatening or unnerving.
Poppy spoke to Graham Stanley about the idea(Image: Colin Lane/Liverpool Echo)
“I was super nervous beforehand. I went in and I was shaking. But Graham and the rest of The Jacaranda were so lovely with me. I didn’t have any experience and they were just really sound and let me have a go.”
Poppy’s first event was a sell-out and she has continued to gain experience. She launched her own “Underground” series and has become a recognisable name for grassroots gigs in the city.
The first Underground festival took place at The Jacaranda Baltic on May 31 and June 1, which attracted around 300 people. On the eve of the event, The Jacaranda praised Poppy for helping “reshape Liverpool’s live music culture”.
Poppy said: “The initial gig selling out definitely did surprise me because it was my first one. I didn’t expect it at all. I was very happy with it.
“The festival was a huge step for me but went really well. It was a good turnout and good vibe. I was really happy with that.”
Poppy hopes it will be the first of many festivals she helps organise. She said: “I’d say that what sets me apart is that I do look out for bands that really are just starting out. If they’ve only done one or two gigs before I feel like that can put off other promoters.
“I’m also not really in it for the money at the minute. I might have set it up, but the bands are the ones coming in and doing a gig. They deserve to get recognition for that.”
“I’ve still got so much to learn. I’m just excited to see what happens next.”