In 2022, they had the idea for the first Masters Of The Riff, held over three days at the New Cross Inn. Chris laughs that, “I just picked a load of bands that I really wanted to see,” for the bill, but the fest continues to show a lot of the values of what LDC are doing. Though the economics of it means it can’t be free like the first gig, tickets are at a user-friendly price point, while also ensuring bands get, as Ollie puts it, “the best experience possible”. That means using good gear, getting beer, getting paid properly. They also want it to be a visible way for bands to be able to get a gig in the capital, especially if they’re not from there.
“London is such a massive city and a massive scene that, if you're from Birmingham, say, and you try to get a gig here, it can be difficult,” he says. “Bands from outside can find it hard to get a support slot because they're not here all the time and they don’t know the right people. Being in a band, we speak to other bands quite a lot, and that makes it easier for them to get into London than it would be to email info@venue.com or whatever. And if it means that people from the scene are there and they watch a band and they decide to book them for Desertfest or something – amazing. That's the whole point of it.”
"We want to make sure that the bands who play are actually really looked after and made to feel really welcome," adds Chris. "Especially if they've come a long way, like Gnome last year. They didn't know anybody, so we had to make sure they felt at home and had a good time.
"We don't like turning up to venues where the promoter isn't there and things aren't ready. That makes us driven to to make it a more comfortable experience for everyone playing."
Noting that the first time Somerset stoners Sergeant Thunderhoof performed inside the M25 was at an LDC show, they are also keen to build up a community through their gigs.
“You can go to a show on your own, and you'll see loads of friends, be it in bands or within the scene, and that's what it's about,” says Ollie. “It's bringing everyone together under one roof, where everyone feel safe and comfortable, and can go to a gig on their own, and know that nine times out of 10 you're gonna bump into a bunch of mates. And bands might go, ‘Oh, let's do a gig together,’ and all that just makes the machine go more.”