Speakers: Lynne Maltman [Music Support], Suzi Green [Tour Manager - Healthy Touring], Seye Adelekan [Musician, Composer - Gorillaz]
A 2019 study by Swedish digital platform, Record Union, found that 73% of independent musicians struggle with mental illness. Alcohol and drugs are often used to help balance the highs and lows of working in the industry but, because substance use is normalised and even celebrated, often people may not realise the negative impacts it can have on their lives.
Music Support, the charity that helps those who work in the music industry affected by mental ill-health and/or addiction, invites you to join us for a special discussion surrounding addiction and recovery. The charity’s Senior Marketing & Events Specialist, Lynne Maltman, will be joined by award-winning Tour Manager, Suzi Green, and acclaimed Gorillaz bassist, Seye Adelekan, for an open and honest conversation on this crucial topic.
Key areas of discussion will include:
· Seye’s journey to recovery as a touring artist (being more than four years sober) and how he uses his platform to raise awareness, break down barriers and inspire others
· Suzi’s experience as a Tour Manager, supporting artists and crew struggling with addiction, that saw her become a key player in the establishment of Music Support’s Addiction and Recovery Awareness workshop, FREE to anyone who works in the industry
· To what extent there is an issue with addiction in the industry, how we (as individuals and an industry) can support those who are living with it and what we can do to challenge stigmas attached to it
· What Music Support does to support our peers living with addiction, from our dedicated Helpline and Support Services to the aforementioned Addiction and Recovery Awareness workshop and the formation of a brand-new Family and Friends service
Seye Adelekan
Born in Nigeria, raised in London, Holland and Ecuador, Seye is a London based Multi-instrumentalist, composer and producer, best known for being the live bass player in animated, multi-media band Gorillaz. He has also played with/recorded with such acts as Paloma Faith, KT Tunstall, The Noisettes, Ellie Goulding, Mumford and Sons, Baaba Maal, La Roux, The Very Best and Africa Express. Now releasing his own music, Seye has a new E.P of songs that were composed in Iceland ready to go. Seye is 4.5 years clean and sober having spent 10 months in residential rehab with Teen Challenge. He is proud to use his platform to raise awareness, break down barriers and inspire others. https://www.instagram.com/seyemusic/
Suzi Green
Suzi Green has a career in the music industry spanning 25 years, and has tour managed artists including PJ Harvey, Clean Bandit, The Chemical Brothers and Grace Jones. After experiencing burn out, she left the industry and retrained as a Naturopathic Nutritionist and having returned to the business, uses her skills on tour, to the benefit of artists and crew. Passionate about wellbeing, Suzi’s aim is to help bring awareness to our beloved music industry around both physical and mental health. During COVID shutdown, she founded a peer support group ’The BACK LOUNGE’ as a way for live music professionals to connect and one that continues to grow in numbers and provide community. She’s won a number of awards including TPI
‘Unsung Hero Award’, Pollstar’s ‘Inaugural Impact International List’ for UK/Europe and Women in Live Music ‘Tour Manager of the Year’. She’s currently part way through an MA at Regents University, London studying Psychotherapy alongside continuing to tour. https://healthy-touring.com/
Lynne Maltman
Lynne spent 20 years working in Marketing and Events within the music industry from travelling the world as part of the Comms team at MTV to working with festivals across the UK to create award-winning brand experiences and even organising her own music festival in Belfast in 2010.
In 2018, she moved into the charity sector, working for Children with Cancer UK, to raise funds and awareness through unique events and celebrity partnerships with the likes of Boy George, Snow Patrol and Liam Payne. She has been working with Music Support since December 2020. Lynne has been alcohol free since July 2018 and is passionate about raising awareness of the benefits of taking a break from alcohol, acting as a mentor to many peers along the way through their own alcohol-free challenges.
Music Support
Music Support is a registered UK charity that helps peers who work in music and live events affected by mental ill-health and/or addiction. Founded in 2016 by people from within the music industry, our team have all been impacted personally by these issues and seen friends, colleagues and heroes lose their careers, families and even their lives. Our core services include training in Mental Health First Aid and Addiction and Recovery Awareness to empower individuals to look after the wellbeing of their colleagues (and themselves), Support Services to include a confidential Helpline and provision of assessments and treatment, ‘Safe Hubs’ backstage at festivals, providing a space for artists and crew to take time out and speak to Mental Health First Aid trained staff and our new Family and Friends Service, designed to help family and friends (including colleagues) of those supporting loved ones with problematic drinking, drug use or other addictions.
For further information visit www.musicsupport.org