My name is Jo.
I grew up , the sixth child (and second daughter) of Dr Calum and Mrs Alice Bartlett in Frimley Green, Surrey.
My Mum ran the local nursery school from our house and Dad was the village doctor.
Each summer we went on holiday to the Isle of Barra in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland, where my father had grown up.
Avidly reading ‘Smash Hits’, ‘The Face’ and then the ‘N.M.E.’, I was in my first band at 14.
I promoted my first gig at 17. I went on to promote loads of gigs at The Buzz Club in Aldershot, which I started in 1985, when still a teenager. I booked The Stone Roses, Blur, The Manic Street Preachers, Suede, The Happy Mondays, Primal Scream, The Charlatans and lots more.
I was always in bands while I promoted those gigs. I was part of the C-86 movement, releasing a couple of 12″s on Dan Treacy’s Dreamworld Records.
‘Land of Gold’ was released in 1987, the video was filmed in London’s docklands – starting to undergo a massive change. Film student Daniel Weinstein directed.
The ’90s – Ultimate Records:
I worked in London as a press officer and plugger for independent label, Ultimate Records from 1991 – 96. Organising press trips to Japan, TV appearances, radio sessions and live reviews for lots of fantastic bands. Including this live tv appearance for Senser on ‘The Word’ – i’m in the crowd somewhere!
Over these years I saw Oasis at the back of a pub in Kings Cross, Blur at The Falcon in Camden, Andrew Weatherall at Full Circle in Colnbrook. Adventures at Glastonbury, Reading and loads of other festivals. Gigs every night. Hundreds of bands. Lots of beer. Lots of dancing. Lots of laughs.
It’s Jo & Danny:
I’ve released records in many guises over the years on various labels. We signed to R.C.A. as It’s Jo and Danny in 2000. Danny and I had our music used for the goal round up on Match of the Day and had a Single of the Week on the Virgin Radio drive time show.
We shot the ‘Love Expression’ video, in the barn where we had recently moved to, just outside Brecon, in Wales. It stars our son, baby Spike and some local musicians, neighbours and friends.
My music was used by Liam Gallagher for his Pretty Green clothing line, and included on the Guitar Hero computer game with my group, The Yellow Moon Band.
Green Man:
In 2000 Danny and I moved from London to Brecon in Wales. We started the Green Man Festival there in August 2003. Three hundred and fifty people attended the first one, in a small Welsh castle.
I ending up booking Robert Plant, Michael Kiwanuka, The Flaming Lips, Bon Iver, Mumford and Sons, James Blake, Billy Bragg, The National, Laura Marling, Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy and loads more.…plus live soundtracks to 1970’s cult films in the cinema tent, DJs Andrew Weatherall, David Holmes….loads and loads of wonderful music, films, talks and more. We grew the festival from 350 year one, for one day and night, to 15,000 people for four days and nights by 2011. We moved on after that festival – the 9th. I’m writing about it here.
The Wake:
In 2024 Danny and I started The Wake in West Sussex, we sold out of tickets three months after we launched. Gruff Rhys headlined. In 2025 we increased in size slightly, still super small, and added camping. We sold out at the end of July. On Saturday 23 August The Wake took place and it was wonderful. The Wake 2026 is on Saturday 29 August, with Badly Drawn Boy headlining.
Indie Through The Looking Glass 