Watford Colosseum has a rich history of staging performances from some of the biggest names in the music industry from Elton John to One Direction and from Genesis to Jools Holland.

This month, the local live music and entertainment venue is launching Lobby Live – providing a platform for local musicians to showcase their talent by entertaining audiences in Watford Colosseum’s foyer.

While the primary audience for these Lobby Live performances will be those who have tickets to the entertainment in the main auditorium, local people will be able to visit the venue and hear the music for free without purchasing tickets. One of the acts already confirmed to participate is Martin Lee Renshaw, who will be in Watford Colosseum’s grand lobby ahead of The Searchers concert on April 11.

Martin is a 36-year-old singer/songwriter who has lived in Watford for a number of years. He has been actively writing and performing since the age of 15 and was involved in setting up the first Watford Live! festival. For the past two years, he has been working on his solo project, From the Ashes, a 14-track concept album which tells a dark yet colourful tale.

“I currently run an open mic night once a fortnight at the Flag pub in Watford and play acoustic gigs in the Hertfordshire and the London area with or without an ensemble of musical mates,” says Martin.

“Being a fan of the venue, I am really excited to have been invited to kick off the Lobby Live initiative, and grateful to be given the opportunity to reach a potential new audience. I’m very much looking forward to it.”