How a Sussex live music booking agent has turned her life around in the pandemic ...

Debbie, twice winner of Horsham’s Battle of the Bands, had been running Hurstpierpoint-based LittleBig International Booking Agency with a partner for over a decade - booking world tours for artists, getting them on stages at festivals and developing their live careers.

But the caronavirus crisis brought it all to a crashing halt.

However, Debbie - once a singer and writer for the band Massive Attack - was determined to turn her life around.

Having studied art and design at St Wilfrid’s Sixth Form in Crawley, and Collyers in Horsham, she has used her artistic skills to launch a new business - Charlie Mulcahy - designing and selling wrapping paper, greeting cards and giclee prints.

“March 2019 began as a normal month for me,” said Debbie: “Scores of musicians that I represent were driving hundreds of miles across borders, they were tuning up about to go on stage, they were belting out songs to adoring crowds, and then, almost overnight, everything changed.”

She had around 400 concerts booked worldwide “but very suddenly the role turned into an avalanche of cancellation admin; every single show across the entire year was cancelled, resulting in zero income for my artists and zero income for me.

“Almost a year after the pandemic, touring is still not viable for musicians.

“I absolutely love my job as a booking agent and cannot wait to get back into it, but in the meantime, I’m glad to have found something else to keep me sane, and help pay a few small bills too.”

Mum-of-one Debbie, 40, born and bred in Horsham, runs her new business from her home in Hurstpierpoint. She gets her designs printed onto recyclable paper, and then into an online shop. See https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/charliemulcahy