THE MUSIC INDUSTRY PODCAST FROM RGM MAGAZINE · RGMMagazine

#223 FRANKIE DOBSON

·59 min·4 clips

Frankie says music funding has improved, but Durham and smaller places still get overshadowed by Newcastle and Stockton.

1. THE MUSIC INDUSTRY PODCAST FROM RGM MAGAZINE episode #223 centres on Frankie Dobson and the Northeast music scene. 2. Karl Maloney hosts, Frankie Dobson guests, and Frankie matters because he is a working artist, promoter, and local scene regular. 3. The episode asks what it takes to build a music career in the Northeast when venues, funding, and attention remain uneven. 4. Frankie names Bridlington’s Feelings Live by the Sea weekend as a recent example of how the scene connects artists, fans, and promoters. 5. He describes meeting John Kennedy from Radio X and Jericho Keys, then catching up with bands like Stone, Lottery Winners, Finn Forster, and Lizzie Esau. 6. Frankie says being a punter at gigs matters because it means showing up for the music instead of posting for social media. 7. He argues that the Northeast scene has always existed, but Sam Fender, Newcastle, and broader publicity have made it more visible. 8. He contrasts that attention with places such as Durham, Hartlepool, Bishop Auckland, and County Durham, where fewer structures support bands. 9. Frankie says he once told promoters he was from Newcastle because some venues would not know where Bishop Auckland was. 10. He connects that geography to practical barriers like transport, ticket-selling, and getting enough people into early gigs. 11. Frankie says he used to go door to door on a mountain bike in Bishop with a backpack, dropping off tickets personally. 12. He also describes arranging minibuses to remove excuses about buses, trains, or late returns from Newcastle. 13. Frankie says he even printed 1,000 posters for York City Council publicity and stuck them up with spray glue. 14. He says the council emailed him warning of a £110 charge per poster, which forced him to start removing them. 15. Frankie says the glue was so strong he needed industrial-strength remover, which turned promotion into a physical job. 16. He says that sort of work ethic still drives him as he writes songs, handles social media, and prepares for a nearly sold-out Full For The Arms gig. 17. The conversation moves quickly between comedy, scene politics, and practical detail, with Karl steering back to music after long side routes. 18. Frankie sounds candid and self-aware, often joking about his own habits while criticizing ego and entitlement in the scene. 19. Listeners who follow Northeast indie and grassroots promotion will get the most from this. 20. Listeners wanting a tight, song-by-song performance chat may skip it.

As heard by us

A grounded scene chat about graft, small venues, and building momentum.

Frankie Dobson's appearance on The Music Industry Podcast is a relaxed, steady conversation about grassroots music life, small gigs, and the slow work of putting things together one step at a time.

Read the full review in PlayNext →

Why you'd press play

You want a North East scene chat rooted in grassroots music, small gigs, and no glossy spin.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

Listen to the show on

Apple Podcasts Spotify

Play clips from this episode More from THE MUSIC INDUSTRY PODCAST FROM RGM MAGAZINE