Artists and figures from the music trade have spoken to NME as a authorities committe of UK MPs have joined the decision for a levy on area and stadium gigs – in addition to a minimize in VAT – to assist struggling grassroots music venues and artists.
- READ MORE: Report exhibits “catastrophe” dealing with grassroots music venues: “The large firms and arenas at the moment are going to should reply for this”
Earlier this yr, the Music Venue Belief delivered their full report into the state of the sector for 2023, displaying the “catastrophe” dealing with stay music with venues closing at a price of round two per week. Introduced at Westminster, the MVT echoed their requires a levy on tickets on gigs at area dimension and above and for main labels and such to pay again into the grassroots scene, arguing that “the massive firms at the moment are going to should reply for this”.
The Featured Artists Coalition – a commerce union physique representing the wants of musicians and artists within the UK – then wrote to NME to argue that whereas the survival of venues is “important”, any form of ‘Premier League’ mannequin to be adopted by the trade must keep in mind protecting creators in pocket and with the ability to exist, in addition to methods to open up the world of music to completely different genres, backgrounds and audiences.
“What good is it protecting venues open if artists can’t afford to carry out in them?” requested FAC CEO David Martin.
Figures from throughout the UK music trade then took the case for a £1 ticket levy on all gigs arena-sized and above to the federal government, explaining the perils of dropping 125 music venues final yr to the the Tradition Media & Sport Committee in an proof session to disclose the hazards to the UK expertise pipeline because of the price of touring disaster and a common lack of assist and funding within the grassroots.
Now, the cross-party Tradition, Media and Sport Committee, have shared a report highlighting the significance of grassroots venues, calling for instant monetary assist by means of “a levy-funded assist fund and a focused momentary VAT minimize to assist stem the tide of closures”, in addition to calling for “a complete fan-led overview of stay and digital music” to “study the long-term challenges to the broader stay music ecosystem”.
The financial affect of dropping 125 music venues signifies that artists have misplaced round 16 per cent of all alternatives to carry out throughout the UK (round 30,000 exhibits) – as effectively a lack of round 4000 jobs in complete. The Music Venue Belief additionally argued that there was a “very vital blockage” within the expertise pipeline consequently – resulting in the “concern about whether or not the UK goes to proceed to carry up the distinctive expertise that we’ve dominated the world with for the final seven many years.”
DCMS’ new report says that “given the urgency of the disaster, a voluntary levy on area and stadium live performance tickets could be essentially the most possible solution to have a direct affect, making a assist fund for venues, artists and promoters administered by a belief led by a sector umbrella physique”.
The report stated that the trade should additionally make sure that the levy price shouldn’t be handed on to music followers – with Enter Shikari proving that this may be carried out with their very own system final yr – and that “if there isn’t a settlement by September or if it fails to gather sufficient revenue to assist the sector, the Authorities ought to step in an introduce a statutory levy”.
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Past that, the DCMS committee’s report additionally known as for VAT reduction with a short lived minimize primarily based on venue capability, with the Authorities endeavor evaluation to evaluate the affect to tell future selections.
“We’re grateful to the numerous devoted native venues who gave up their time to participate in our inquiry,” stated Dame Caroline Dinenage MP, Chair of the Tradition, Media and Sport Committee. “They delivered the message loud and clear that grassroots music venues are in disaster. The continued wave of closures is not only a catastrophe for music, performers and supporters in native communities up and down the nation, but additionally places in danger your complete stay music ecosystem.
“If the grassroots, the place musicians, technicians, tour managers and promoters hone their craft, are allowed to wither and die, the UK’s place as a music powerhouse faces a bleak future.”
She continued: “To stem the overwhelming ongoing tide of closures, we urgently want a levy on area and stadium live performance tickets to fund monetary assist for the sector, alongside a VAT minimize to assist get extra exhibits into venues.
“Whereas the present focus is on the numerous grassroots music venues falling silent, these working within the stay music sector throughout the board are additionally below extraordinary pressure. It’s time that the Authorities introduced collectively everybody with a stake within the trade’s success, together with music followers, to handle the long-term challenges and guarantee stay music can thrive into the long run.”
The report recommends that the Authorities and Arts Council make it simpler for the stay music sector to use for public funding (with greater than 80 per cent reportedly presently awarded to opera and classical music) and for stakeholders throughout the trade to proceed to assist the Featured Artists’ Coalition’s marketing campaign for venues and promoters to cease taking a punitive minimize of artists’ merchandise charges.
Having made an impassioned plea at a authorities listening to into the decision for a levy earlier this yr, Lily Fontaine of rising Leeds band English Trainer – simply launched their acclaimed high 10 album ‘This May Be Texas‘ – informed NME of her pleasure on the DCMS’ name for a long-term response to assist artists survive and thrive.
“It’s a reduction that the enquiry has resulted in recognition at a governmental stage that not solely is the music trade ecosystem is in disaster, however that saving it and bettering it is crucial,” she stated.
“Struggling to make ends meet as an artist isn’t a brand new idea – however that doesn’t imply it’s proper. I’m wanting ahead to seeing how, when carried out, the ticket levy might be delivered to the grassroots venues and scenes. There’s little to be pleased with coming from this island typically, so it’s a reduction we’re a minimum of attempting to save lots of probably our greatest and coolest cultural export.”
Music Venue Belief CEO Mark Davyd, in the meantime, additionally welcomed the findings.
“We need to thank the Committee MPs and the CMS workforce for his or her wonderful work in understanding and contemplating these challenges, and the clear suggestions they’ve created to handle them,” he informed NME.
“These suggestions present a transparent pathway ahead to a constructive future for the UK’s Grassroots Music Venues, a set of actions which might be deliverable, inexpensive, and can genuinely have a constructive affect on stay music in communities proper throughout the nation. We stay up for working with the music trade and with the federal government to ship on these suggestions as swiftly as attainable.
Davyd continued: “We want to thank all of the hundreds of music followers which have supported our work throughout the final 10 years. It has taken for much longer than any of us would have favored to get the constructive change all of us wished to see, however we couldn’t have achieved this unbelievable end result with out your continued assist in your native stay music venue.”
David Martin, CEO, Featured Artists Coalition and Annabella Coldrick, Chief Govt, Music Managers Discussion board, issued a joint assertion by which they “wholeheartedly endorsed all of the Committee’s suggestions”.
“Most essential is their recognition of the ‘price of touring disaster’, and that the advantages of a ticket levy should movement right down to artists, managers, and unbiased promoters – in addition to to grassroots music venues,” they informed NME. “Your complete ecosystem wants assist. Whereas we nonetheless imagine this mechanism ought to be obligatory, the clock is now ticking to get a course of in place earlier than September 2024.
“We’re additionally delighted to see the Committee endorse the 100% Venues marketing campaign, and hope it will set off motion from the UK’s largest stay music venues to overtake outdated practices on merchandise commissions. The sale of T-shirts, vinyl and different bodily merchandise symbolize an important revenue stream for artists. It’s only honest that they need to retain the majority of that income.”
Michael Kill, CEO of the Night time Time Industries Affiliation, additionally supported the report to save lots of venues, including that “with out ample assist, we danger not solely the lack of these invaluable areas but additionally the erosion of your complete music ecosystem” and urging the federal government to “act swiftly on these proposals to make sure the survival and prosperity of stay music within the UK.”
“We stand able to collaborate with policymakers, trade companions, and stakeholders to implement the required measures and safe a sustainable future for the night-time economic system and the cultural heritage it represents,” he added.
The decision for a levy made headlines not too long ago when it was dismissed by the then-boss of the beleaguered Manchester Co-Op Reside Area. Gary Roden got here below hearth for saying that some smaller venues within the UK had been solely closing as a result of they had been “poorly run”. In response, the Music Venue Belief, informed NME that they believed Roden’s feedback had been “disrespectful and disingenuous”, whereas additionally highlighting the irony of constructing such “ill-judged, pointless and deceptive” remarks on the week that their very own venue was pressured to postpone their very own launch quite a few occasions, because of a spate of logistical issues.
Nonetheless, the venue has now stated it is going to meet with the Music Venue Belief to debate the levy after it initially stated it wouldn’t implement it.
This week additionally noticed the announcement that The Ferret in Preston is the most recent grassroots music venue to have been saved by the Music Venue Belief’s ‘Personal Our Venues‘ scheme. The initiative, set out as “the Nationwide Belief of music venues” was first introduced in April final yr, and it goals to safe the long-term futures of grassroots venues by bringing them into shared public possession. This follows the scheme buying The Comfortable in Manchester final yr.
This additionally comes after the current announcement that Tunbridge Wells Discussion board has turn out to be the primary venue within the nation to introduce a grassroots ticket levy. US acts Alien Ant Farm and CKY have additionally opted so as to add a £1 ticket levy to their UK excursions, following a transfer by Enter Shikari. Final yr; the band shared particulars of a 2024 run of UK tour dates, the place £1 from every ticket bought was donated to the Music Venue Belief – at no further price to followers.
Different firms have launched related initiatives. Unbiased ticketing firm Skiddle introduced in October it could donate 50p of each ticket bought in the direction of saving grassroots music venues, whereas taxi agency FREENOW pledged to donate £1 from each experience to the trigger.
Ticketmaster have launched a Music Venue Belief charity upsell choice, enabling followers to make direct contributions to MVT when buying tickets. Halifax venue Piece Corridor has additionally carried out an identical scheme.
