The Music Venue Trust has announced a new, nationwide campaign to save the hundreds of grassroots venues from permanent closure.
Since the coronavirus outbreak has sent the UK into lockdown, the country's most loved venues have had to close their doors while still paying rent, bills etc without any income. And while some spaces will be able to weather still storm, the smaller, independent, grassroots venues are struggling.
According to a statement from the Music Venue Trust, 556 venues are currently at risk from closure. Venues where bands of all genres cut their teeth on the live circuit, honing their craft and cultivating a fanbase. Without them, the UK live scene will never recover.
“We're extremely proud to be a grassroots music venue. These spaces are pipelines for talent and absolute lifelines for the communities they serve and the talents therein," says Danni Brownsill, chief booker and promoter for The Sugarmill venue in Stoke-On-Trent. "We cannot allow them to be consigned to the past. UK music culture as we know it will simply not exist without these spaces, so it is vital to protect them.