COVID VS MUSIC
Over the past 10 months, threats of closure from the result of the coronavirus crisis, are looming over our favourite live music venues. In the UK, there are OVER 500 independent music venues facing an economic CRISIS, which has resulted in a new campaign, #SAVEOURVENUES. This campaign is encouraging grieving artists, fans and venues to help their communities, by performing ‘at home’ gigs, in order to raise money for the cause.
As a result, each venue suggested by the public, will have their own ‘CROWD FUNDING’ page with an aspirational goal, to raise the amount of money that is needed to save their venues from permanent closure.
One of the brains behind the campaign is Frank Turner, who has been helping fundraise for grassroots venues and encouraging fans and artists since the start of the coronavirus pandemic. The English singer songwriter is fighting with the music venue trust in order to save countless of venues across the country. In the follow up to his innovative plan, the punk/folk singer stated this:
“I decided to do a series of livestream shows to raise money for specific independent venues that I know and love, and that are in serious RISK OF DISAPPEARING right now.
“The success of these shows demonstrated the love that exists between music fans and their favourite grassroots music venues so the #SAVEOURVENUES campaign is a brilliant way of building on that and hopefully giving artists and music fans a chance to get involved and play a big part in helping them survive.”
In April, Frank Turner played several independent venue love gigs to publicise the movement of the campaign.
Chief executive of the Music Venue Trust, Mark Davyd, said: “Without the support of music fans and artists, literally hundreds of the UK’s grassroots music venues could go out of business, never to return, in the coming months.
“Please help to SAVE EVERY SINGLE grassroots music venue in the UK so that it can reopen after this crisis and continue to be a home to our musicians and our communities.”
To be able raise money for the cause you can find more information at
saveourvenues.co.uk
CARDIFF MUSIC SCENE
At the beginning of September, the Music venue trust worked closely with the Welsh Government, in order to produce a guidance document for the use of music venues across the country.
We've seen a new set of EVER-CHANGING rules and regulations over the past months, that have changed drastically, to keep up to date with the new spread of the coronavirus crisis.
Many venues, have suffered greatly by this unfortunate news and with past lockdowns still affecting us economically and upcoming lockdowns fast approaching, will we be able to find a new inventive plan that delivers and provides artists and fans the same experience as going to a festival or a gig. WHAT IS THE FUTURE OF OUR CARDIFF MUSIC SCENE?
The TRAMSHED, is the beating heart of the Music scene for us in Cardiff, since October 2015. It has been the centre of all things musical, from orchestras to rock concerts. Even wales’ biggest artists have performed here. The venue is most popular with many students that have come to the city and has become an important attribute to student life. On average, Tramshed brings in around 200,000 people a year which also provides JOBS FOR 300 PEOPLE, the venue even hosts events for all age groups from famous tribute acts to touring circus themed festivals. So how is this once popular venue under continuous THREAT OF CLOSURE?
The popular Grangetown spot has had many proposals from building and planning committees to place apartments and office spaces behind the welsh venue. Tramshed staff later released a statement showing their concern: “plans would impact access to the car park, which is used daily for their events, for artists' tour buses and for trucks filled with music equipment.”
Caroline Archer, Tramshed's general manager, said: "We need a planning system that works fairly, not by kicking us when we are already down due to the Covid-19 lockdown. We think music venues will also be important in bringing people back together after lockdown ends.”
Unfortunately for Cardiff, this is NOT THE ONLY popular live music venue to come UNDER THREAT in recent years, in March of 2017, the protest to save Womanby street dubbed “the city’s music quarter” was a march to protect the music scene and to protect the famously welsh venue ‘clwb Ifor Bach’ from imminent closure. The goal was to protect the venue against noise complaints and change the policies ordered by the welsh councils and government. The revolution sparked from the closure of 3 music venues, Dempseys ,The full moon and The Moon Club.
Protesters were also concerned about the sustainability of plans to build a development next door to Womanby’s streets Clwb Ifor Bach, which was the destined future for the Tramshed this year. The MARCH TO CITY HALL, in 2017 brought together musicians, music fans, venue owners and even politicians to walk the streets of Cardiff with banners and loudspeakers to change the live music scene and to stop the production of residential and office spaces next to live music venues.
Fast forwarding to 2020 and the unfortunate times of the CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC. The Tramshed is not the only music venue facing worrying and pressing times. If you walk the streets of Cardiff, dotted around are venues with the lights off and boarded up windows, with posters that promise past customers of their recovery and comeback in the years ahead. Another venue on Womanby street, FUEL ROCK CLUB, is facing a testing time with costs building up to KEEP THE VENUE ALIVE, such as rent and insurance.
CLWB IFOR BACH's chief executive, Guto Brynach has also found the costs an excruciating task to uphold since the governments ban of pubs and restaurants at the beginning of the lockdown. He said this to wales online weeks after the government's lockdown rules:
“All our revenue is derived from ticket sales, bar sales and venue hire. So, for six weeks now, we've had NO INCOME coming in. We're using up our reserves - no venue can survive for an indefinite period with no income."
The question still faces communities of live music venues today, what is the FUTURE OF LIVE ENTERTAINMENT and how will our beloved venues survive with the rise of the coronavirus pandemic upon us?
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The Immersed! Blog team