Rob Wood's passion for music has taken him a long way since he bought his first record as a nine-year-old in North London. Having worked in the music industry for 17 years in roles ranging from DJ to editor of Jockey Slut magazine and music programming director for the Lovebox festival, he has set up Music Concierge, a company that offers bespoke music programming to brands, restaurants, bars, hotels and other design-led spaces.

In 1988 Wood, now 37, left London to study history at university in Sheffield in what was an exciting time for music in the North of England. He says: “The acid-house scene was just about to explode and the Stone Roses and Happy Mondays were maybe the two biggest bands in the world at that time. That whole period was a defining time for me.”

By 1990 Wood was a DJ in some of the biggest clubs in Sheffield and also made his first foray into entrepreneurship by publishing Exit 33, a listings magazine. He said: "I was young and naive in regards to business but I learnt a lot from the experience and have been sure not to make the same mistakes again this time. We lasted about 18 months before being bought out."

Wood moved back to London and continued to combine his work as a DJ with journalism culminating in the editorship of respected music magazine Jockey Slut. He then became in-house music consultant for Mr & Mrs Smith, the boutique hotel experts and music programming director for Lovebox before starting Music Concierge in September last year. He said: “Through being a DJ and my consultancy work I’ve always had to filter different music to different audiences. Music Concierge was just a natural progression from what I was doing earlier in my carreer."

The Clapham-based company has three employees and counts luxury hotels, brands and property developers as clients. It can also provide its musical expertise to individuals who want a cool music collection but haven’t got the time to build one themselves.

And the first record that Wood bought all those years ago?

“My Girl by Madness on seven-inch single. I still have it now but it is absolutely battered.”

www.musicconcierge.co.uk

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