A YOUNG DJ from Newport has created his own music event brand in a bid to bring the live music scene back to Gwent.
Lloyd Jones created the Navigation Events brand after discovering that many people between the ages of 18-30 in Gwent were desperately looking for somewhere to hang out locally with their friends and enjoy music.
He said: “Since turning 18 me and my friends have been travelling all over the UK and other countries to attend music events, so having it on our doorstep has always been a dream.
“The younger generation turning 18 are not having anything to do in the area which creates boredom, possibly leading to anti-social behaviour or worse.
“I feel the nightlife in the Valleys has slowly been declining over the years, which I think many places haven’t been able to bounce back since COVID.”
There are a number of nightlife venues in Gwent, including the Blackwood Miners Institute, where Navigation Events’ first evening was held on Saturday, October 28, and the Newbridge Memo, where the next will be held on Saturday, January 27.
Local DJs from the surrounding areas including Newbridge, Blackwood, and Tredegar are invited to perform their sets to a crowd of more than 100 people. Much of the music played is focused on house and techno, but the team welcomes anything and everything in-between.
“My main aim is to provide a local venue for the community to come and enjoy themselves,” explained Mr Jones. “I think a lot of the venues here in Gwent haven’t ever had someone ask to put on events like these to help bring all ages together – most of the time they have events that tend to cater to a younger or older audience.
“On a personal note, it gives me massive satisfaction to help give my mates a platform for them to DJ and showcase their talents that may aid them in picking up bookings elsewhere.”
The name ‘Navigation Events’ came from the Crumlin Navigation Colliery, where Mr Jones has volunteered as vice-treasurer for many years.
As the intended site for these music events, Mr Jones used the colliery as a tester for private events for his friends in 2021 after COVID delayed his original plans.
He got in touch with the local authorities and emergency services when he began to consider the possibility of public events, however the site was deemed too expensive and unsafe for public eventing use.
As a result, he began looking for other potential venues and found places like Blackwood Miners’ Institute.
The main future aim for Navigation events is to grow the nightlife scene to bring people back to the Valleys.
In the short-term, they hope to sell out events, while long-term the goal is to get investors involved to refurbish the Crumlin Navigation Colliery into a functioning area for live music events.
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