INTERVIEW
THE GLOBE
Jon Doran & Janice Burns
DAVE PARKER AND ROB HERON FROM THE NEWCASTLE VENUE TALK TO JONATHAN HORNER ABOUT LIVESTREAMS, THE CO-OP COMMUNITY AND THEIR PASSION FOR SUPPORTING MUSICIANS Late Autumn on Tyneside, 1950, a shrill cry goes up around Newcastle’s famed Scotswood Road. Not one of the many singers that gave the area its fine reputation, but a bairn. A baby born immersed in music, in The Globe. Fast forward to 2020 and baby Tom McConville is a man grown, a renowned fiddle player, singer and BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards Musician Of The Year winner. He has come full circle, back on Scotswood Road, back in The Globe. His cries are less shrill now and make a bit more sense. Whether with the help of providence or serendipity, the call back to his birthplace was made by one of the finest jewels in Tyneside’s musical crown, The Globe – the first music venue in the UK to be owned and run by a co-op. The Globe is owned by its 230 members with a voting system of one member–one vote, regardless of the size of their contribution (from the £200 minimum all the way up to £20,000). Their aim is not to make profit but to support music. They hark back to their inspiration, The Jazz Cafe and its legendary owner Keith Crombie, who sadly passed away in 2012, in this goal. As Dave Parker, co-chair explains: “Many, many people had learned their trade at The Jazz Cafe, myself included. We couldn’t bring Keith back but we
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could try and carry on the work that he was doing.” Events Manager Rob Heron (yes, that Rob Heron) echoed that this sentiment runs right through everything they are doing: “The board and the members of the Jazz Co-op and the Globe are doing it for the music, which is all that matters!” The idea came about, as many do, after a few drinks, but these few drinks were at the wake of the Geordie Jazz Man himself and the idea was not just idle fantasy. One thing that is clear from Dave, Rob and the whole Co-op is their determination and commitment to this project. They are keen to stress that this is not an exclusive club either. They are always actively looking to grow their community, whether as fully paid up members or even just audience members, all are welcome. The Globe provides a fine selection of jazz in its Sunday night sessions, with the likes of Wandering Monster (Sunday 7th), Peter Morgan Trio’s reimaginings (Sunday 14th) and The John Pope Quintet’s improvisations (Sunday 28th February), but it doesn’t stop there. The Globe is also committed to providing a variety of fantastic music. Rob explains: “If you have an eclectic schedule and people get to know a venue from what they might like, they eventually
