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ABOUT US
Beggars Group is a British independent record label and distribution company founded in 1973 by Martin Mills. Its roots stem from the Beggars Banquet record shops chain, which began with a shop in Earls Court, London. Inspired by the DIY aesthetics of the British punk rock movement, the shop founders decided to join the fray as an independent record label and release records as Beggars Banquet Records in 1977. The first band signed to the label was English punk group The Lurkers, whose punk classic single "Shadow"/"Love Story" was the first ever release on Beggars Banquet. The success of this single and subsequent releases by Tubeway Army and Gary Numan secured the label's future. Over the years, Beggars Banquet has gone on to release music by a variety of artists, including Bauhaus, Biffy Clyro, Buffalo Tom, The Charlatans, The Cult, The Go-Betweens, The National, St. Vincent, and Tindersticks. In 2002, Beggars Group purchased a 50% stake in Matador Records, and in 2007 it was reported that the label had purchased Rough Trade Records. This has allowed Beggars Group to increase its presence in the industry and to become one of the leading independent labels in the world. Today, Beggars Group consists of four labels—Beggars Banquet, Matador Records, Rough Trade Records and XL Recordings—which collectively represent over 400 artists. The company focuses on releasing music from independent artists, as well as continuing to develop the careers of established acts across a variety of genres. Beggars Group's commitment to innovation and creativity has seen it become one of the most successful independent labels in the world, and its legacy is a testament to the DIY spirit that the label was founded upon.
MARTIN MILLS
THE FOUNDER OF BEGGARS GROUP
Martin Mills started out in the music industry in 1978, when he opened an independent record store in South London. His intention was to resell records that he and his friend, Nick Austin, had collected for a mobile disco that they had started. Martin and Nick named the disco and then the record store after the Rolling Stones' album Beggars Banquet. The record store quickly grew into a six-store chain in London, and Martin and Nick were among the first to spot the emerging punk rock movement. They started promoting punk shows and concerts, and Beggars Banquet became a symbol of a musical revolution. Martin's knowledge and instincts for emerging music trends has been celebrated by BBC Radio 4 Zeitgeisters series, and has included New Romantic, Gary Numan electronic, Goth rock and being ahead of the trend for digital downloads. In the decades since, Martin's Beggars Group has become one of the world's most successful independent groups of record labels. He has been an advocate for the independent music industry, working to promote its collective interests and unite like-minded labels and companies. He has served on the BPI (British Phonographic Industry) Council, and went on to become the progenitor of the Association of Independent Music in the UK, and similar bodies in Europe and the US. In 2008, he led the establishment of Merlin, the independents’ rights licensing body, which has distributed over $2 billion to members since launch. Martin has been an active participant in many other music industry organisations, such as the government’s Music Industry Forum, the Music Business Forum, UK Music, PPL and VPL, the industry’s rights licensing bodies, and the US Senate. He has been the recipient of numerous awards, including an MBE in the 2008 New Year Honours list and outstanding contribution awards from Music Week, Billboard, the Radio Academy, the Featured Artists Coalition, IMPALA, Canadian Music Week, The Music Producers’ Guild, A2IM, Billboard, and the 'Pioneer Award' at the AIM Awards. Today, the Beggars Group includes 4AD, Matador Records, Rough Trade Records, XL Recordings and Young, and continues to be a leader in the independent music industry. Martin's passion for music and his commitment to the independent industry have been an inspiration. He has helped shape the industry to what it is today, and will continue to be a leader in the years to come.