Arch Pioneers: Keystone Interviewed

Feature by Jamie Faulkner | 03 Apr 2015

It's early March and I'm sitting in the new-look POD in Levenshulme talking to two very happy, if ever so slightly apprehensive, men. Jason Bailey and Jon Hartley have just had a Kickstarter campaign backed for their Keystone project, which will see - if all goes to plan - a permanent events space in a Green Quarter railway arch, that will combine the best of food, drink, music, and other cultural phenomena from the Northwest and beyond.

The Skinny: So you're part way there, having just had your Kickstarter funded. How does it feel?
Jon Hartley: It's a bit like asking, "what's it like being a newlywed?" Strange is the answer!

Are you and Bailey bonded for life now, until death do you part?
Jason Bailey: Legally, we will be very soon I think!
JH: When he takes me on that honeymoon he promised!
JB: In all seriousness, it's the dual feeling of relief – you know, the 'that's amazing!' part – coupled with the creeping realisation that you've got to do lots and lots of work! And deliver all the things we said we would do. Kickstarter was always less about the money and more 'proof of concept' so we're really happy people have given us a stamp of approval.
JH: The idea of doing something like Keystone has been thought of before but it seemed like a mad idea. So this makes me feel normal!
JB: We aren’t going down the normal route that restaurants and events organisers go, so for people to say they like the sound of that is very encouraging!

Jon, you mentioned that the idea's been thought of before; what is it that attracted you guys to the Green Quarter?
JH: It was really because I was working in a cold, damp brewery [Blackjack] in an area that was overlooked and though this could be better. That's when I started looking into those archways and seeing the potential. And then I met Bailey and we had some more ideas and decided to put them together under one archway and the result is Keystone.

I guess this happened in other areas around the city – it takes a few intrepid people to bring a new part of the city to life?
JB: Yeah, I don't know what to compare it to. I suppose the Northern Quarter had gone through that process of regeneration and Ancoats is doing its own thing right now.
JH: I think those fringe areas are quite appealing, especially if you already live or work there. You'll see the streams of people going up and down those roads every day (many where Keystone is set to be) and there isn't a lot there at the moment.

Is that a concern at all?
JH: If anything I see that as a benefit: there's not already an attraction there so people who live there will be open to it and people will make the trip across town because it's a novelty. We want to start something right on their doorstep and that's going to be really positive not only for Keystone but also for the community.
JB: I also think fringe areas are popular because there are too many barriers in other areas. As soon as you have a big financial barrier you've got to have something that will guarantee a return, so you have the kind of safe bets you see in the Northern Quarter, the same bar time and again. There's very little variety. You've got to look at spaces outside of the established areas to do something different.

You get quite a few objections from residents in the NQ to new bars; what have the residents in the Green Quarter said?
JH: It's the contrary to that actually. They're keen to see positive change, welcoming someone who will invest time in transforming the area.
JB: We've been working closely with the residents committee there. They know we're not just some nightclub moving in because we reached out to them and told them we're food and drink focussed and we're inclusive as possible.

So it seems like plain-ish sailing so far, what's the biggest priority on Keystone's agenda now?
JH: The first priority is definitely Shebeen festival, which we want to capture a snapshot of how incredible Keystone could be. It's almost like the second proof of concept for us. The biggest obstacle as such for Keystone is dealing with the owners of the archway: Network Rail. They've got a big redevelopment plan for the area but that will take a long time.
JB: It's not necessarily an obstacle, it's just dealing with a massive company had its problems. They've been extremely positive about our plans.
JH: Also we've not come from a large business background – we're a small independent so we've got to prove ourselves. They're not used to working with us and we're not used to working with them!
JB: To use business speak, we're much more agile than they are because we're a really small team. We've gone from an idea about six months ago to bringing that almost to fruition. A huge company doesn't move that quickly.
JH: Also the previous Shebeen festival and the Winter Beer Festival were about highlighting to them and others the public's desire for something to happen in that area.

Lunya and Reserve Wines were big backers of your Kickstarter campaign; what are they bringing to this, apart from money?
JB: It's not been finalised yet but they will have a presence at the festival, we’re hoping were going to see a collaboration between the two, matched flights of wines with a selection of tapas.
JH: It's exciting to have Reserve Wines because at a lot of food and drink events, wine seems to fall by the wayside. We want it to be a feature, an attraction.
JB: I think that ties into our whole principle, which it seems people have bought into: leave no man behind. There's not one element where we want to go, 'that'll do'. If we do wine, we want it to be amazing. And that's why we're not doing cocktails yet. We don't want to just put some fizzy soft drink and some rum in a cup!
JH: We've not yet been approached by anyone who is as passionate about their spirits as Reserve are about their wine offerings although we have roped 22 Red Bank in to the festival and they know their spirits.

What is going to be happening at Shebeen festival that you can talk about at this stage?
JH: Well, there's going to be some food and there's going to be lots of beer...
JB: A world music stage is in the works...
JH: We've got some amazing guys called So Flute who brought a real world music focus to the Roadhouse. We’ll also have an exhibition from Draw Northwest, which will be focused on 12 different artists' impressions of a shebeen.

Wait, what exactly is a shebeen?
JH: An illicit bar that you would find in South Africa, a place of real social importance during periods of South Africa's history. A place where food, music, art, and drink – albeit illegal drink – came together.
JB: It boils down to 'if you're not welcome somewhere else you go and create your own space'.

Sounds a lot like Keystone?
JH: Absolutely, and it's all to do with making something out of nothing and bringing all these different elements and partners together.

What else is going on?
JB: Shebeen will be programming two of the stages. The one at Blackjack will be playing blues, psych, weird stuff and more chilled R'n'B and soul. You'll see a lot of the guys you've seen at Blackjack's previous event.
JH: At Blackjack's distribution hub, there will be more of a live setup, with an eclectic lineup.
JB: We want to bring Paddy Steer back after his performance at the Winter Beer festival. Hopefully more than just playing this time, curating and collaborating as well. And [promoters] Hey Manchester will be bringing some great acts. They're kind of shoulder-to-shoulder with Now Wave and have a kind of folk and Americana leaning.

It seems that given your backgrounds in gig promotion and running food and drink events, Keystone is the natural culmination of all that experience?
JB: I like to think that we both bring the same ethos to our events: the promoter promotes and is responsible for their event. We've also both got pretty DIY backgrounds and that means bringing in the right partners, working with the right people. We're treating the food and drink lineup like a gig lineup, like artists: they are there to get people to come down, not just to rinse a pitch fee out of.
JH: Exactly, you need to invest in the food and drink as much as the other elements.

It seems to me there aren't that many even that manage to combine all those elements well?
JB: There's no full time space but there are some pop-up spaces that do some of those elements. Camp and Furnace in Liverpool is probably the closest to what we want to achieve but even they aren't that event-led – we're taking it further. It's going to take a lot of effort, a lot of man hours. And that's why we partnered up. Between Shebeen, GRUB, and Blackjack we've got most of our bases covered. And for the rest we'll work with promoters we trust and who have the same ideas. It's about not trying to do it all and shouting out other people.

So when is Shebeen festival?
JH: It's going to be the Saturday of the first May Bank Holiday. The obvious choice was the Sunday but we didn't want to clash with Sounds From The Other City. We're hoping in time that we can grow and the two festivals will give the public two very different options on that weeked. I'd like to go to both but I don't think we'll have time!
JB: We avoided subtitling our events "sounds from the other other city".

Anything else? What about the food traders?
JB: Sham Bodie will be curating and bringing their own comedians. Now Then will also be providing some musical delight. The GRUB food fair has a 'never before seen in Manchester' theme: we've got Siam Like It Hot doing their first street food event and a debut from the Manchester Dough Company. We'll have Honest Crust and Fil Fil Falafel both doing something special for the event. Lunya will be doing their thing and Colonel Tom coming up from London.
JH: There'll also be more than a beer festival's worth of taps – about 40 we reckon – a wine bar, a rum bar and maybe a gin bar. Not a single mild in sight unless someone does a bretted, chipotle mild. And we're hoping to have specially-brewed beer for the festival: She-Beer Mark II.
JB: We hope Keystone will be like a permanent extension of all this; a space for us, local food and drink traders, artists and musicians and promoters in Manchester. We can support the little guys and take a gamble on smaller promoters because we'll be experimenting with events and we've got a great modular space.

Shebeen Festival, Green Quarter, Manchester, 2 May http://keystonemcr.com