Grassroots venues are the beating heart of the live music industry. They give opportunities for fans not only to see their favorite artists but to discover new acts. In the UK, there were 960 grassroots venues in 2022 but that number has dropped by 125 in the last year. Venues that managed to remain open after the pandemic are now battling with rising costs and funding cuts. Meaning we have seen two venues closing per week during the last twelve months, according to new figures released by Music Venue Trust (MVT).
Of those that remain open 38% reported making a financial loss in 2023, despite seeing an increased demand for tickets. This is happening amid a time when Sarel, Live Nation Entertainment—the owner of Ticketmaster—announces its best-ever quarter with $8.2 billion (£6.4 billion) in global revenue. Massive arena tours from Taylor Swift, Beyoncé, Madonna and Elton John contributed to the record-breaking year of profits in the live music industry. So, for those at the top the industry ecosystem is booming but if trends continue what can we expect to come of smaller venues and independent artists?
It’s widely known that the pandemic caused detrimental damage to the live music industry as a loss of more than $30 billion was reported in 2020. And the losses continued into 2021, onward. This Is Music 2021 annual report revealed the devastating impact of Covid-19, which wiped out 69,000 industry jobs equating to one in three of the total workforce. The impact of the pandemic was felt across the industry in a sector where three-quarters are self-employed and therefore not covered by Government support schemes - venues are a city-to-city representation of the damage. Needless to say that the industry people and venues still standing post-covid might have hoped for a more positive turn of events after the fight they put up to keep business going.
“What do those making the biggest profits owe the rest?” Big Issue Columnist, Laura Kelly poses the question that many are thinking. Huge stars love to “pay homage” to the venues that they started out at - a questionable example of this can be seen in the likes of Dua Lipa's Disney+ documentary Camden. Featuring Noel Gallagher and other big industry names as they get nostalgic about how they got to where they are - by playing at some of the iconic grassroots venues in Camden. Meanwhile, acts of similar standing to the celebrities in the series, have been charging around £80 a ticket for their most recent tours. Nearly double what it costs for your average arena gig pre-pandemic. Is this profiteering attitude from those at the top playing a huge role in the devastation we are seeing at the lower end of the industry?
As with any crisis, it is often the easier route, to turn blame to those in more privileged positions but as smaller venues across the globe are forced to shut their doors, we wonder what part we can play, on a more personal level, in providing hope for the future. Not only for grassroots artists but for the industry workers and fans. Tina Speter compiled a list of how we can try to help the industry as individuals, including: Supporting Local, Spreading the word, Buying music/ merch and a plethora of other ideas! While these suggestions may not implement instant gratification, they can definitely contribute to assisting against the global systemic issues that we are facing around de-funding and disregarding the arts.
Read also: How to Support Your Favorite Artist: A Guide for Real Fans
As these horrific stats keep re-surfacing, it can feel unhelpful and hopeless to keep tuning in but there is still hope for the industry’s evolution. As venues are forced to close, we will see new venues opening their doors, and as we see the ‘up-rise of the technological age of music’ new avenues for independent and grassroots artists will emerge. It remains that having these conversations and raising awareness will always be the first step in change.
In an age where: things that don’t generate millions or billions don’t really mean anything. We all need to advocate for protecting the few spaces that help us escape: music venues sit in high standing in that category. So support local bands, local spaces, maybe skip the arena gig and use the money to go explore new artists in smaller venues - small actions can have a large impact. The societal disregard for the arts and entertainment industries will only lead to more of the same - cold and corporate living.
