‘It’s better than ever’: Abbie McCarthy on 10 years of new music gig series Good Karma Club | Live

Abbie McCarthy is celebrating a decade of Good Karma Club, the London-based gig series that showcases emerging artists.

The presenter for BBC Introducing, podcaster and Good Karma Club host, has spoken to Music Week ahead of its latest gig, Amify’s headline show at the Camden Assembly tonight (April 23), and has reflected on the trials and triumphs of sustaining a gig series.

In addition to the Good Karma Club shows, McCarthy also runs Future Karma, an offshoot series of shows featuring artists she believes are destined for success that year. 

Here, the former Women In Music Roll Of Honour winner talks about the SJM-promoted club series, the realities of “tight margins”, the acts she’s most excited about, and her dreams for a Good Karma Club festival…

Congratulations on 10 years of Good Karma Club! How are you feeling about it?

“I’m so happy because nights don’t always last that long, do they? You know, some of the venues we’ve held the shows in over the years aren’t still standing, so the fact that the gig night is still going strong and it’s better than ever is amazing. To mark 10 years is making me feel quite emotional and nostalgic, to be honest. And it’s the community we’ve built up while doing it as well; there’s some people I spot in the crowds who’ve come to nearly every Good Karma club over the last 10 years, which is just mind-blowing. As always, we’re focused on the future and are working out the next run of nights and who the next generation of artists are coming through.”

Are you doing anything special to mark a decade?

“There are more shows in the works than ever this year. We’ve got Amify headlining the Camden Assembly [tonight, April 23]. We’ve got stages at Truck festival and Kendal Calling. And we’re also working on something a bit special for later on in the year but it’s very much in the plotting phase so I don’t want to reveal too much.”

What has running a gig series taught you over the years?

“It’s about trusting your gut. If you hear a song or you see something in an artist you think is really special, follow it. It’s brought so many special moments. We’ve had artists on before they break, like Sam Fender. That gig [in 2018] was a Good Karma Club collaboration with Sofar Sounds. It was in someone’s house – a warehouse in east London. Everyone was sat down, being like, ‘Oh, who’s on the lineup?’ because it was a total surprise. And then, yeah, Sam Fender played to, like, 40 people there. To think about where he’s at now – that’s wild.”

Some of the venues we’ve held the shows in aren’t still standing, so the fact that the gig night is still going strong is amazing

Abbie McCarthy

Looking back, what has changed with Good Karma Club since it first launched?

“When we first started, it was a free entry night. My whole thing with this night is about making it accessible to everybody. But we moved away from free entry after a few years because so many people were turning up and I didn’t want them to be disappointed [by not getting in], so we moved to a ticketed model. What I’ve been really passionate about is keeping these tickets super affordable. They’re normally only £10 or £15, which – to see three artists who are really gaining momentum, often on the cusp of tipping over to a more mainstream audience – is really good.”

Is it difficult to persuade acts to play when they’re early in their careers?

“When I started the night, it was me pulling in a few favours from bands I was close with and was championing. But because it’s really grown in a decade, so many artists are hungry to play it. It’s more a case of trying to please everyone and fit everyone on. Obviously, there’s so much to think about because there’s some artists I’m chatting to at the moment who I really want to get on, but they need to click musically with the rest of the line-up. I want them to do it at the right time, too. Sometimes, the artists are so [up for playing] and I’m a bit like, ‘Why don’t we wait until you’ve got a bit more music out or you’ve done some more of those little festivals?’ Some industry people come to the night, too, like Steve Lamacq [and other DJs at the BBC], so you don’t want to put these artists in front of potentially very important people in the music industry unless you feel they’re 100% ready.”

Who are some of your favourite arts to have played the series?

“We had Sekou on a couple of years ago. It took him a minute to fully figure out his complete sound as an artist but he’s done that now – and he’s been working with Justin Bieber and Kevin Abstract, getting all these cosigns! He just supported Sam Smith on their tour, too. This year could be really huge for him. Also, in our Future Karma series in 2025, we had Florence Road, who I absolutely love. There’s so much Irish talent at the moment. We had a band called Brooki play the Future Karma series earlier this year. Sarah, the singer, is such a powerhouse, with an amazing voice who totally commands the stage. They’re gonna be huge.”

There’s such tiny margins to keep us afloat, but the more the night has grown, I do feel more confident

Abbie McCarthy

How are you feeling about the UK’s emerging music scene at the moment?

“I’m naturally quite an optimistic person. There’s definitely some amazing things that the Music Venue Trust have got across the line. The fact that huge artists now, as part of their ticket money, are putting money back into grassroots music venues is amazing. I’m a patron of the Music Venue Trust and I know how much Mark [Davyd] and the rest of the team have been putting into that and trying to get more people over the line. And, you know, Wolf Alice recently at the BRITs being really vocal about how important these venues are. So I feel like everyone’s really digging in and trying to get that message out.”

What are the biggest challenges in sustaining a gig series? 

“There’s such tiny margins to keep us afloat, but the more the night has grown, I do feel more confident. Anyone that’s ever put on an event will tell you that even if it’s a sold-out show, which we’re so lucky to have had so many times over the years, even on the day I’m like, ‘What if no one turns up?’ But now I’m like, ‘No, you’ve done this enough. You know it’s going to be great.’ The shows are so in demand. We normally have quite a long waiting list… so I think it’s all manageable. I just want to make sure it’s sustainable because I love doing this so much.”

Finally, what are your ambitions with Good Karma Club over the next decade?

“Definitely more of the same; the night has to stay about championing the very best in new artists and giving them that platform to shine. But my long-term ambition – my absolute dream – is to do a Good Karma Club festival. [It would be] an outdoor festival with a main stage, maybe even another stage. It would be a lot of the artists we’ve championed over the years coming back as headliners but then making sure we pack the rest of the line-up with lots of exciting new stuff. In the meantime, it’s about doing as many shows as possible and growing this great community.”