Brad Holmes

BASSLINE JAZZ CLUB (Melville, Johannesburg)
September 1994 - 2004
Venue Owner/Manager

Brad Holmes is a highly experienced, versatile and accomplished producer, promoter and venue owner. With the advent of democracy in South Africa, he played an integral role in developing and sustaining the domestic and African music industry primarily though the founding of the Bassline Jazz Club in 1994. As documented in the book, Last Night At The Bassline by David B. Coplan & Oscar Gutierrez (Jacana Media, 2017), this 200-seater club provided a live performance space for legendary and emerging musicians as well as for South Africans of all backgrounds to come together as compatriots.

In 2003 the Bassline moved into the heart of Johannesburg to create the 1200-seater Bassline Concert Hall and also inaugurated a new part of the business focusing on producing and promoting standalone live music events. These have included the Bassline Africa Day concerts, the South African concerts at Midem 2010, Fete de la Musique (Johannesburg), and since 2017, the sold-out Bassline Live monthly series at Lyric Theatre. In 2012, he used his skills, experience and insights to design the three-year music degree at AFDA (South African School for Motion Picture and Performance) when he was Music Department Head at the Cape Town campus. More recently, in his role as Managing Director of Bassline Live he has formed Bassline Artist Management whose current clients include Vusi Mahlasela and Nakhane.

BASSLINE JAZZ CLUB (Melville, Johannesburg)
September 1994 - 2004
Venue Owner/Manager
Responsibilities included:

- Managing 10 full time staff
- Programming of musicians and shows
- Marketing and advertising venue and shows
- Extensive networking with musicians
- Debuting new talent
- Managing technical and equipment requirements for shows
- Food and Beverage
- Understanding of the South African Employment act and Labour law
- Ticket sales
- Licenses
- Security
-
Reason for Leaving: Moved to a new venue in Newtown.

BASSLINE CONCERT HALL
2003 – 2016
Owner and Managing Director

The Bassline moved to Johannesburg’s Newtown Cultural Precinct. The venue was a 2800 square metre building which consisted of a 1200 seater and standing venue, a 200 seater jazz venue, six rehearsal rooms, a recording studio, 16 offices and a large open office area. Concert programmes included a more diverse range of musical genres: eg. African, Afro Pop, Jazz, Hip Hop, Kwaito, Punk, Rock, Metal, Poetry, R & B with artists from South Africa, Africa and abroad.

Responsibilities included:

- Managing 40 fulltime staff and 30 part time staff
- Concert programming
- Marketing and advertising of venue and shows
- Managing technical and equipment requirements for shows
- Food and Beverage
- Ticket sales
- Licenses
- Understanding of the South African Employment act and Labour law
- Booking of rehearsal rooms
- Office rentals
- Security
-...