Go Backstage as MassiveMusic and B&O PLAY Kick Off 'Presents' Series

MassiveMusic kicked off their soon to be legendary “Presents” series last night by teaming up with Danish super-brand, B&O PLAY, to take over East End boozer and live music venue, The Old Blue Last.

Given free rein to run wild in the pub’s upstairs area, the two companies teamed up to put on a gig and product showcase in front of an intimate crowd. 

The night’s music – and booze – was supplied by MassiveTalent, MassiveMusic’s talent-scout division. Enthralling live sets from MassiveTalent artists AKA George, Tusks and The Curious Incident, were punctuated by DJ sets from Cesare, the Brazilian legend signed to uber-chic Parisian label Kitsuné.

Charles Gadsdon, Head of Creative Development at MassiveMusic, comments: “This is an entirely new thing for us. We’ve never done anything like this before in London. In Amsterdam we have MassiveTalent drinks, which started off as a relatively small event but has gone on to be this absolutely, mentally huge behemoth that attracts about 2,000 people. Replicating Amsterdam’s event wasn’t our plan, we wanted to keep MassiveMusic Presents really low key and chilled by showcasing cool bands with a cool brand.” 

Tim Preston, A&R at MassiveTalent, adds: “It’s a gig in a pub, we’re having beers and watching a band. It’s not about MassiveMusic, we want to keep it casual and cool, like you would if you were going to the pub with your mates for a beer. Who knows, though? One day it might end up being as big as the Dutch thing!” 

B&O PLAY took over The Old Blue Last’s upstairs ‘apartment’, inviting guests to try out the brand’s new products and to enter a competition to win a pair of headphones and speakers. The audio brand extended their generosity by also giving all attendees on the night a 25% off voucher. 

Firmly grounded in decades of design excellence, craftsmanship and product innovation from Bang & Olufsen, B&O PLAY interprets the same values for a new type of contemporary product aimed at design-conscious urbanites with an active lifestyle. The B&O PLAY portfolio is made up of products that are intuitive to use and easy to integrate into daily life – at home or on the move.

On Bang & Olufsen’s involvement in the event, Charles says: “We wanted to partner with a cool brand that works in music, has authenticity and truth by being in that space, but wasn’t doing an event just for commercial reasons. Since day one, B&O PLAY have been really close to the project and it was a great opportunity for them to showcase their new products, getting people to try them out in a beautiful setting.” 

B&O PLAY’s Sofie Østergaad Neble adds: “We’re excited to team up with MassiveMusic to host an authentic evening of live music at one of London's most notorious venues! We hope everyone enjoyed a great event where music and sound came together at its strongest!”