Cartaxo Sessions founder Nick Allport spent most of the 80's and 90's watching Jesus & Mary Chain, My Bloody Valentine, The Bad Seeds and a million more obscure indie bands, writing fanzines, managing bands and putting out records. Early 2000's, fed up with being the butt of tedious major label posturing and restructures Nick realised that music is better when it's not your whole life. So he got a
proper job and joined his brother Robin in founding Club AC30 (http://www.clubac30.com). Initially a monthly London club night focused around shoegaze and electronic music Club AC30 promoted the likes of Ulrich Schnauss, Air Formation, Amusement Parks on Fire, Rachel Goswell, Swervedriver, Chapterhouse, Crystal Stilts, Asobi Seksu, God Is An Astronaut and many many more. Club AC30 became a label in 2004 and has released records by a multitude of bands including Ringo Deathstarr, Exit Calm, Hearts of Black Science and Sambassadeur, as well as veritable pile of split singles and one-offs. Nick moved to Cartaxo in 2009 with wife Vanessa and their two cats, looking for a quieter life and to start a family. However December 2011 saw Club AC30 band Ringo Deathstarr touring Europe supporting Smashing Pumpkins, bringing them to Lisbon and a by way of a night off, a show at Centro Cultural do Cartaxo. A realisation of a healthy appetite for alternative music in the area sparked a desire to bring more bands here. This required a cultural collective and eight similarly minded people were sought. Like moths to a flame they came and Cartaxo Sessions was born.
