Active Campaign Patrons
Click on their images to read patron testimonials.
Bethan Elfyn
Welcome Speech Annual Report WalesBethan Elfyn
The whole tapestry of my life changed due to my first experiences of live music at festivals and venues. I wouldn’t have the same friends, family, job, memories or drive – it made me who I am today. I’ve worked every aspect of the live event – promoter, bar, door, DJ, reviewer, host, and even played one special gig with a band! Yep, just the one!
Early gigs are a stamp on your brain more vivid than a gig you’ve been to more recently. It has a lasting impression because the intensity, fervour, community, and sense of belonging to a place and a people – it’s such a rare chemistry. Dark, sweaty venues, and small, intense gigs are indeed marmite to people, but to me, growing up in a rural area without a venue, hearing live and loud, cutting edge music, was a connection I’d never felt before. I felt a sense of belonging to my own unique Welsh culture and a gateway to others – an openness for accepting and embracing a melting pot of differences. Hip-hop, drum n bass, touring bands, obscure electro, you name it, I’ve seen it, danced, sung, flung myself around and bought the t-shirt!
It’s a unique culture, hard to bottle, and MVT have helped bring awareness to its place in the Music Industry ecosystem, and the cultural poverty we’d face in the UK without these venues. In Europe venues enjoy more cultural protection, support and status, allowing the venues to do more for the creative community that surrounds them, becoming a cultural hub for ideas, talent, art, music, film, photography, street art, and all the spiralling micro business that come from this hub – food, fashion, student economy, night time economy, wellbeing, DJs, taxis, poster art, performance, technical crew, touring talent, record labels, promoters, radio DJs … the list goes on!
I’m writing this after months of Covid-19 crisis, with little reprieve ahead. We’re facing an unprecedented threat to the UKs unique, organic, and unmatched music legacy – these venues are the heartbeat of our cities and our culture, and we wait with baited breath to see if they can make it through, the void in our landscape without them doesn’t bear thinking about! To all the unique spaces, tireless promoters, friendly bar staff, enthusiastic Djs, otherworldly musical talent, grumpy engineers, and everyone in the club – we salute you!
Bethan Elfyn
BBC Radio Wales
Catherine Anne Davies
Annual Report Launch – SeneddCatherine Anne Davies
Grassroots and Independent venues are the classrooms in which musicians learn and hone their craft as well as providing vital social spaces for audiences throughout the country. It is our duty as artists to preserve these spaces, not only to safeguard the heritage and future health of our culture as a nation, but also to continue to provide alternative social spaces in which people of all ages, backgrounds and cultures can explore and express themselves safely and freely.
Catherine Anne Davies
The Anchoress
Coldplay
Grassroots Ticket LevyColdplay
Coldplay Announce 2025 Wembley & Hull Dates with 10% of The Band’s Proceeds To Go To Music Venue Trust
Following the spectacular sellout success of the summer 2024 European leg of Coldplay’s record-breaking Music Of The Spheres World Tour, the band have announced six new shows at London’s Wembley Stadium and two at Hull’s Craven Park Stadium, for August 2025. These are the only UK/European cities where the band will perform next year.
On 15th September 2024, the band placed a poster in the window of the Dublin Castle in Camden, London – the scene of the first ever Coldplay show, in February 1998 – revealing that 10% of the band’s proceeds from the Wembley and Hull shows will be donated to Music Venue Trust. This will help fund the Trust’s vital work supporting UK Grassroots Music Venues and upcoming artists. Donations will also be made to Music Venue Trust by the concerts’ promoters (SJM Concerts, Metropolis Music and Live Nation), the band’s booking agent (WME), the venues (Wembley Stadium and Hull Craven Park) and the official ticket agents (Ticketmaster, See Tickets and AXS).
Click here to read the full story and book tickets.
Enter Shikari
Grassroots Ticket LevyEnter Shikari
Salient points regarding Enter Shikari and its position on “small venues”:
1) Enter Shikari cut its teeth playing small venues the length and breadth of the UK over a period of 2 years+, so knows from whence it speaks.
2) Small venues are the bootcamp that prepares a band for taking on the bigger venues and festival stages that hopefully make up its live future.
3) Enter Shikari strongly believes the UK music industry should do more to support small venues.
4) Enter Shikari is proud to add its name to the list of patrons of Music Venue Trust.
Enter Shikari
Frank Turner
Grassroots Ticket LevyFrank Turner
I’ve made my career playing live in music venues, which were also the place where I found my passion as a kid. Music venues are the locus of our corner of culture, a vital part of our world and a great contributor to our economy. It’s as important to look after the smaller end of the scale as the larger, and the Music Venue Trust plays a great role in defending them. I’m happy and proud to be a part of it.
Frank Turner
Gemma Bradley
NI Development PlanGemma Bradley
Coming from a small rural town in Ireland, I know just how important Grassroots Venues are. They are where I saw a band live for the first time, played my first gig, grew friendships and in general, I was always left in awe at the talents that graced the stage – shaping and forming my love for new and unsigned music forever. Without them I wouldn’t be in the position that I am today. Opportunities that I have been given as a performer and broadcaster wouldn’t have been there if it wasn’t for Grassroots Venues.
And this is why I think it’s important that opportunities that come from Grassroots Venues are given to the next generation. Young bands, promoters and crew need venues to learn their trade. They need venues to make those connections, network and just enjoy live music. There’s nothing like the atmosphere of a live gig. These are the memories that stay with you forever.
Only a handful of these venues remain and right now are hanging by a thread. The music industry can’t be expected to fend for itself any longer, and creatives cannot survive without grassroots venues. That’s why I’m so proud to be helping protect them as a part of Music Venue Trust.
Gemma Bradley
BBC Radio 1 / BBC Radio Ulster
Kate Nash
Annual Report Launch – WestminsterKate Nash
I love Grassroots Venues, I wouldn’t have the career I have today without them. I value music and art across all levels. Protecting the grassroots is an investment in the future of UK culture. If we lose the grassroots, we lose the birth, growth and development of future artists.
Kate Nash
Annual Report Launch – Westminster
Mr Scruff
Grassroots Ticket LevyMr Scruff
Grassroots Venues come in many guises, but the thing that they have in common is that they are of and for the community that surrounds them. The link between being a fan and a performer. Every successful artist will have a story of Grassroots Venues that were important to them in the early days, and many that still hold relevance to them now. The accessibility and affordability of these venues means that there is less of a divide between performer and audience. Indeed, many audience members will be performers themselves. It is difficult to put into words why these venues are so special, but that is why they are special!
Mr Scruff
Neal Thompson
The Royston Club Grassroots Ticket Levy showNeal Thompson
My first real job in music was at a Grassroots Music Venue. I would not have done any of the things that have led me to where I am today without being lucky enough to have that opportunity and experience.
The work that MVT are doing is invaluable, to the future of the industry as a whole and to every new generation of gig goers and young people, who are trying to find that critical first step into music as a career.
Neal Thompson
FOCUS Wales
Phil Taggart
NI Development PlanPhil Taggart
Once you are bitten by the bug of live music there is no going back. I started putting on my own gigs in a tiny room above a pub in my hometown of Omagh when I was 15 years old. The sound system buzzed like a selection of old fridges strapped together filled with plutonium, the venue smelt like yesterdays beer stomped into the carpet and the ceiling was barely tall enough for anyone over 5 foot but it was perfect. Artists need these venues to learn their trade. F1 drivers don’t start out on the Silverstone track in a perfect car, you have to earn it.
15 years later and I am still putting on shows in slightly larger venues throughout the country. The reason being that you can drum up an energy and a vibe in those smaller rooms better than you can in the bigger ones. Nothing will ever beat being flung across a moshpit, losing a shoe, getting showered with a random projectile pint of beer. I feel a strong responsibility to try and give that experience to the people that come through the door at my Slacker shows.
When I was playing bass in a band we played every small venue Ireland had to offer and they ranged from the technically proficient, to the bizarre, to the ‘this isn’t a venue it’s a small shed with a plug.’ I feel strongly about the protection of these places because if we don’t chain ourselves to their metaphorical gates then where are the next generation going to play? The Tesco’s or Gastro Pub built in its place?
Phil Taggart
BBC Radio Ulster
Sam Duckworth
Fan Voice SurveySam Duckworth
There are not enough words to describe the importance of live music venues. Simply, without them, our world would be worse off. They are where we find hope, make friends, feel encouraged and feel safe to be ourselves. We must protect them at all costs and allow them to continue to be a bedrock of our non-working lives, by supporting those whose cherished work it is keeping them healthy. Live music is an ecosystem and Music Venue Trust are vital in keeping it protected.
Sam Duckworth
Sian Berry MP
Agent of Change ChampionJohn Whittingdale MP
I have seen first hand the incredible and tireless work of the Music Venue Trust in supporting Grassroots Music Venues across the UK.
My constituency of Brighton Pavilion is home to so many amazing Grassroots Venues. The Green Door Store, Alphabet, Rossi Bar, The Prince Albert, Hope and Ruin, The Folklore Rooms and Komedia – ‘and so many more. All of these venues work extremely closely with MVT and I’ve heard from them directly about the invaluable support and advice they receive all year round.
As an MP it’s hugely reassuring to have the insights and expertise of all of the team at MVT and I’m looking forward to working together for these special community spaces.
Sian Berry MP
Green Party
Steve Zapp
Live Projects
Summer Marshall
Live ProjectsSummer Marshall
As someone who has been working and living in the music world for over 25 years, I’ve never felt stronger that music is the universal language that connects us all. Live music is even more of a connector in today’s fragmented society. Live shows are a shared experience, not only for the audience, but also for artists as they build and solidify their careers. In order to do that, small venues need to exist to give them the space to develop their artistry and grow into their full potential. I’m honoured to be a patron of Music Venue Trust, as they continue their important work of growing and protecting local music venues that are integral to our communities.
Summer Marshall
CAA
Artist Patrons
Sir Paul McCartney
Sir Paul McCartney
Throughout my career I’ve been lucky enough to play in venues of all different shapes and sizes, from tiny clubs to massive stadiums all over the world. Without the grassroots clubs, pubs and music venues my career could have been very different.
I support Music Venue Trust because artists need places to start out, develop and work on their craft and small venues have been the cornerstone for this. If we don’t support live music at this level then the future of music in general is in danger.
Sir Paul McCartney
Adwaith
Adwaith
Grassroot Music Venues are hugely important to us as people as well as a band. Without these venues, we never would have thought that we could start a band (let alone singing in our native language). They are the fundamental building blocks for all artists and musicians all over the world. Without venues, there’s no artists. Without artists, there’s no music. Without music, there’s no culture.
Adwaith
Andy Dunlop
TravisAndy Dunlop
These classic little venues dotted around Britain are the Petri dishes in which British music was cultivated over the last half century. To see them disappear would be a crime and in an age where all our town centres are becoming increasingly indistinguishable, we would be denying future generations an independent and individual place to experience live music. They are every bit as important to our cultural heritage as any country house and fundamentally, still provide a cultural service. It’s great that the Music Venue Trust has stepped in to do something to protect them.
Andy Dunlop
Travis
Be Charlotte
Be Charlotte
©Euan Robertson
Music Venue Trust is such an important organisation for everyone in the music industry. Whether you are a songwriter, musician, agent, promoter or manager then it’s in your best interest to make sure Grassroots Music Venues are thriving. Without them a lot of people wouldn’t be able to tour in the UK. When I was 14 years old I started searching for local open mic nights near my hometown of Dundee and pretty much all of the venues I played in were small and independently owned. It’s at those venues where I found my love for performing. It created a good environment where I could really discover what music I wanted to make and those early experiences helped me to build my confidence. Being able to develop skills in small venues around Scotland inspired me to take my live show all over the world.I don’t want to imagine a music scene without Grassroots Venues at the heart of it, and that’s why I’m so excited to be a patron of Music Venues Trust. The success of these venues is crucial to aspiring musicians all over the country.
Be Charlotte
Bernard Butler
Bernard Butler
©Delphine Ghosarossian
I am honoured to be a Patron of the Music Venue Trust. Every musician’s primal instinct is to perform, and those baby steps require a nurturing environment in which to blossom. Music venues around the world from the local church hall to the stadium play an invaluable role in the creative process, allowing an artist’s confidence, technique and craft to flourish. But it does not stop there. Every artist will return to venues of size and location continually throughout their lives, renewing bonds with loyal fans as well as forging new creative avenues. Many of us return with great affection to stages we have trodden many times before, often encountering the same dedicated promoters and sound engineers, often combined into several passionate roles. We sigh at the loss of a venue not through nostalgia or sentimentality, but for the missed opportunities for ourselves as well as future generations. Protecting the network of grassroots venues is to secure livelihoods, access to the arts and to art itself.
Bernard Butler
Billy Bragg
Billy Bragg
Photo © Murdo Macleod
We are in a completely different music industry to the one I came into many years ago with just my guitar, my amp and a nice line in plaid shirts. I think it’s probably safe to say that without small venues there would’ve been no Billy Bragg. How else was an artist who was never going to get onto daytime radio or a major record label going to find an audience and build their own reality? Some things are as true now as back then and remain unchanged – the need for small venues up and down the country to support new bands/artists whilst they learn their trade and find their tribe is still top of that list.
Billy Bragg
Bob Vylan
Bob Vylan
Grassroots Venues offer a place for musicians to hone and build on their skills in a real live environment. They allow all the hard work and rehearsals that have taken place beforehand to be loudly displayed and they remain the starting ground for bands that may go on to sell out arenas and stadiums.
We’ve been incredibly blessed to be able to travel around some of the Grassroots Venues in the UK and they’ve offered us a place to create and participate in a community fueled by their love of music and desire to connect with others.
Bob Vylan
Bradley Zero
Bradley Zero
Grassroots Venues provide the spark that allows the UK’s creative economy to burn so brightly. These venues not only nurture the superstars of tomorrow, but act as a magnet to attract people from all over the world to be part of the story. Without this vital first step, we not only risk missing out on the next generation of era- defining musicians but also lower our standing on the world stage.
Bradley Zero
Bright Light Bright Light
Bright Light Bright Light
“Grassroots venues are probably the most important thing in the music industry in the UK. Every music fan you can imagine has a “I remember seeing [this huge band] back at my local venue and I can’t believe how huge they are now” story – and that’s such a big part of the magic of live music. From my experience, Grassroots Venues put so much love and care into their programming, trying to both understand their local area, and push the boundaries a bit so that people can have really exciting new music on their doorstep. Without this kind of venue, people like me would never had their first few shows. Even now, after opening for Elton John for a year, so many of the venues I play are smaller independent and Grassroots Venues, and so often they’re the most rewarding. Britain has so much talent, and there’s no way for that to shine without the initial platform that these venues provide.”
Bright Light Bright Light
Catherine Anne Davies
The AnchoressCatherine Anne Davies
Grassroots and Independent venues are the classrooms in which musicians learn and hone their craft as well as providing vital social spaces for audiences throughout the country. It is our duty as artists to preserve these spaces, not only to safeguard the heritage and future health of our culture as a nation, but also to continue to provide alternative social spaces in which people of all ages, backgrounds and cultures can explore and express themselves safely and freely.
Catherine Anne Davies
The Anchoress
Charlotte Hatherley
Charlotte Hatherley
I’ve been a touring musician for 20 years now both as a solo artist and as a session guitarist for a number of bands. I was 15 when I joined my first band and we played pretty much every small London rock venue. Many of those venues sadly no longer exist. Touring continues to be a major part of my life and I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to support the Music Venue Trust in their vital work in protecting Grassroots Music Venues.
Charlotte Hatherley
CHROMA
CHROMA
It’s an absolute honour to become patrons of Music Venue Trust. Grassroots Music Venues provide a vital network for emerging talent, artists and crew alike. Without these essential spaces, corporate greed prevails. Long live Music Venue Trust and all that they do to keep these doors open for communities to thrive.
CHROMA
Coldplay
Coldplay
Coldplay Announce 2025 Wembley & Hull Dates with 10% of The Band’s Proceeds To Go To Music Venue Trust
Following the spectacular sellout success of the summer 2024 European leg of Coldplay’s record-breaking Music Of The Spheres World Tour, the band have announced six new shows at London’s Wembley Stadium and two at Hull’s Craven Park Stadium, for August 2025. These are the only UK/European cities where the band will perform next year.
On 15th September 2024, the band placed a poster in the window of the Dublin Castle in Camden, London – the scene of the first ever Coldplay show, in February 1998 – revealing that 10% of the band’s proceeds from the Wembley and Hull shows will be donated to Music Venue Trust. This will help fund the Trust’s vital work supporting UK Grassroots Music Venues and upcoming artists. Donations will also be made to Music Venue Trust by the concerts’ promoters (SJM Concerts, Metropolis Music and Live Nation), the band’s booking agent (WME), the venues (Wembley Stadium and Hull Craven Park) and the official ticket agents (Ticketmaster, See Tickets and AXS).
Click here to read the full story and book tickets.
Colin Newman
Colin Newman
Grassroots Venues are simply the lifeblood of the UK music scene. Generation after generation of artists/performers/musicians in every conceivable style find their audience in small Grassroots Venues and audiences can be guaranteed to find an alternative to the offer of mainstream media.
Colin Newman
Daniel Avery
Daniel Avery
Grassroots Venues are the lifeblood of our entire scene, it’s not an exaggeration to say that without these spaces everything else collapses. These are the promoters who take chances on music in which they truly believe and present events that have the power to change the life of everyone in the room. It’s a passion that cannot simply be measured in monetary value – it’s an integral part of our society as a whole.
Daniel Avery
David Gedge
The Wedding PresentDavid Gedge
I’ve always maintained that The Wedding Present are, essentially, a “live” band. By that I mean that one of the main reasons I started playing music in the first place is that I was really excited and inspired by seeing other people’s concerts. So, when it came to my turn, it was incredibly fortunate that there was a network of small venues across the country where we were able to play live. In those venues we honed our craft and developed our style… and obviously enjoyed some memorable nights in the process. And the same applies to countless other artists, of course, which is why these places are so vital. There’s nothing like an intimate venue to experience the raw energy of a band.
David Gedge
The Wedding Present
Ed Harcourt
Ed Harcourt
For the last 24 years I have been lucky enough to perform yet also attend so many of my favourite shows in small venues across the UK; these Grassroots Venues are the beating hearts that pump the lifeblood through our musical communities, the springboards for your favourite new band, the spark where it all begins.
Without these pubs, clubs and venues existing, the live scene as we know it will be diminished forever. Can you even imagine a world without live music? Without the sheer joy, excitement and glorious sense of solidarity it brings to us? We MUST fight to save these venues and many of the people’s livelihoods who work there. It is our duty as artists to all club together and put on a united front, for the sake of the future of live music. Thank you to Music Venue Trust, it is an honour to be asked to be a patron and I vow to help them and Grassroots venues in whatever way I can.
Ed Harcourt
Elbow
Elbow
I have a page from a waitresses notebook, the numbered kind, with “Mr Soft £20 received Jimmy”. It’s the landlord of The Corner Pin in Stubbins and it was the very first time our band that eventually became ‘elbow’ got paid for performing. The rush it gave you. it’s like, “Wow!” Even just £20. People are prepared to pay to listen to what we love doing. It pushes you forward.
Without these pubs and clubs, musicians don’t develop. They don’t get a taste of what it would be like to live as a full time musician. And without musicians, you’ve got no new music and without new music it’s a very bland and shitty world.
So that’s why we support Music Venue Trust. Because everyone needs a place to start out and you also need to learn how to be in an audience and a lot of those small venues are the first ones that people visit as a music lover.
So for artists and music lovers, these Grassroots places are absolutely essential.
Let’s look after them.
Guy Garvey
Elbow
Ellie Rowsell
Wolf AliceEllie Rowsell
Without independent Grassroots Music Venues, I’m not sure my band would be where we are today. They offered me a chance to play without knowing the first thing about how the industry worked. They bring originality, equality, opportunity, character and spunk to the cities they reside in and now more than ever is the time to fight to keep them going!
Ellie Rowsell
Enter Shikari
Enter Shikari
Salient points regarding Enter Shikari and its position on “small venues”:
1) Enter Shikari cut its teeth playing small venues the length and breadth of the UK over a period of 2 years+, so knows from whence it speaks.
2) Small venues are the bootcamp that prepares a band for taking on the bigger venues and festival stages that hopefully make up its live future.
3) Enter Shikari strongly believes the UK music industry should do more to support small venues.
4) Enter Shikari is proud to add its name to the list of patrons of Music Venue Trust.
Enter Shikari
Ferris & Sylvester
Ferris & Sylvester
We met each other as solo artists, playing the underground music scene in London. Spiritual Bar is an intimate folk/blues venue in Camden founded and run by the legend, Rafael Pesce. Since it opened, it has been a stage, living room, hangout and a home to both musicians and lovers of music. We’ve met some of our dearest friends there and it’s how we met each other. The bar survives on people’s love of music and desire to be part of something special. Especially in such a big and competitive city as London, places like these are gems and need all the help they can to stay open and thrive.
Together and apart, we’ve played so many unforgettable venues across the country just like Spiritual Bar, without which some of the biggest musicians throughout history wouldn’t get a chance to dig in and develop their craft, night after night. In our case, this has been the most important part of our development. From when we first started, we’ve played over 100 shows a year, sometimes to just the bar man, sometimes to thousands, and we’ve built a following through playing at independent music venues, upon which our career can grow.
The relationships, memories and comfort that can be found in these venues are priceless. It can be a lifeline for communities to have a creative, inclusive hub and we will continue to do all we can to keep these magical places in existence.
Ferris & Sylvester
Fickle Friends
Fickle Friends
Fickle Friends owe a huge amount to independent venues. Over the past 4 years we have toured across more towns in the UK than we can remember (over 350 shows and counting) but looking back, what connects these shows is the community, loyalty and care that existed in the Grassroots Venues we played. Without them our experience of touring would be much less memorable and our chance to play to so many loyal audiences would not be there.
Independent venues are to be cherished for artists and audiences alike. We’re proud to be part of the Music Venue Trust and hopefully do our part in helping to defend them.
Fickle Friends
Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes
Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes
Anyone that says supporting Grassroots Venues isn’t important is a fucking arsehole, basically. Without those venues, you’d be nothing. It’s where you learn how to be a musician, a performer, and how to problem solve. It’s where you learn to navigate crowds. Those small venues define artists.
Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes
Frank Turner
Frank Turner
I’ve made my career playing live in music venues, which were also the place where I found my passion as a kid. Music venues are the locus of our corner of culture, a vital part of our world and a great contributor to our economy. It’s as important to look after the smaller end of the scale as the larger, and the Music Venue Trust plays a great role in defending them. I’m happy and proud to be a part of it.
Frank Turner
Glass Animals
Glass Animals
We wouldn’t be making music if our local Grassroots Venues didn’t give us a chance to cut our teeth on their stages. We gave a demo tape to a venue near my house, they put us on as an opening act a couple of times… eventually we got spotted by our manager at one of the shows, and it all spiralled out of control from there. But yep – that’s where it all began for us. I’ve seen so many of my favourite musicians start out in those venues and go on to wonderful things. It would be terribly sad to lose that platform.
Dave Bayley
Glass Animals
HAAi
HAAi
My first years in the UK were spent playing in and going to grassroots venues. These were so crucial in not only nurturing me as a musician and performer, but also served as a safe house for likeminded creatives. These venues allow freedom of expression. Now, as a touring DJ, I understand the importance of smaller venues in really developing your craft. Without them we would be stuck in a commercial loop that is less accessible to rising talent to break through. Because of this, I am proud to be an ambassador for the Music Venue Trust.
HAAi
Hamish Hawk
Hamish Hawk
My life in music has been a life spent in Grassroots Music Venues, and I can say without hesitation that it’s to those venues I owe my career. I don’t expect I will ever repay the debt I owe to those dedicated venue teams who have supported and encouraged me over the years; to this day their passion, dedication and expertise are a vital source of inspiration for me. They are the lifeblood of British music, and must be safeguarded by any means possible.
Hamish Hawk
Hannah White
Hannah White
I have spent most of my adult life in Grassroots Music Venues becoming part of the communities that develop around them. For years & years I have stood on small stages all over the UK and played my heart out. In the early days my performances were pretty awful and I played to empty rooms. But the Grassroots Venues always gave me a space and platform to keep coming back despite the fact they must have been making a loss on the door and at the bar.
It is therefore thanks to these venues that I learned how to be a performer, how to hold a stage & carry a room with me whilst I deliver the songs I have written without fear or inhibition. To be clear these aren’t skills I learned in any school or extra-curricular class, I have them because of all the quirky & stubbornly passionate people running these gorgeous, unique and utterly brilliant spaces.
So to all the Grassroots Music Venues, thank you for the friendships, memories and the education. To Music Venue Trust who are fighting hard to keep this sector surviving, consider me an advocate, campaigner & defender, poised & ready to do what I can for the sake of music.
Hannah White
Holding Absence
Holding Absence
Holding Absence would not be a band without our local music venues, we grew up surrounded by live music, spending our teen years on Womanby Street in Cardiff. We were and still are lucky to live in a city where our music venues are still working so hard and putting on numerous gigs a week. We played our first gig at Fuel Rock Club on Womanby Street, an independent and well-loved venue that can only continue to exist as a live music venue with the help of the Music Venue Trust.
Holding Absence
Honeyblood
Honeyblood
I honestly don’t know where I would be without the Grassroots Venue touring circuit in the UK. Not only as an artist but as a music lover, these places are the building blocks of the musical community. A venue is so much more than a room where gigs take place – it’s walls soak up every show that goes on within it, creating a history of live music right before our eyes and ears.
Honeyblood
James & The Cold Gun
James & The Cold Gun
James Joseph: If it wasn’t for discovering local bands in Cardiff’s Grassroots Venues, I don’t think I’d be the person I am today. I was so lost at age 14, until I found live music. I think live music is the ultimate unifier, the sense of community at a gig is unrivalled and right now community is so important.
James Biss: The most important and inspiring thing to me is seeing a band play live, especially up close in a small venue. There’s just something raw and real that you don’t get outside that experience, it’s the number one thing everyone is missing in music right now, which needs to be protected.
James & The Cold Gun
James Bay
James Bay
©JP Boardman
It’s vital that we don’t lose any music venues. They are so important to every artist’s growth, learning how to really turn a live show from a good night to a great one.
James Bay
Jeff Automatic
Jeff Automatic
Even before I worked in them, I loved seeing bands in small, independent venues. Becoming a promoter in spaces like London’s Barfly or Garage (and many others, now closed) wasn’t just a springboard for me but also the DJs, bands, bookers, cashiers, sound & lighting engineers and flyer-ers who worked on the club nights, many of whom have gone on to bigger roles in the live industry.
As a DJ, with the experience and exposure I got at these Grassroots Music Venues, I went on to – and still do – work with and play at so many other amazing independent venues of all sizes, as well as Festivals, around the UK and abroad.
GMVs are essential for supporting the next wave of artists – bands and DJs alike. And although it’s always been hard, it’s never been harder than now. The creation and growing strength of the MVT may well be the best thing to have happened for GMVs and the best chance of keeping these vital spaces alive. I’m honoured to have become a Patron.
Jeff Automatic
Jamie Webster
Jamie Webster
It’s massively important that we support Grassroots Music Venues across the country. The reason why is simple… if we lose these venues, we lose our future home-grown talent. In order for artists to be able to perform on the highest stages they need to learn their craft by playing in these smaller Grassroots Venues on their way up. I personally learned my crowd control and stage presence over a period of 10 years in such venues. To not support them means that we’re not supporting culture and let’s not forget heritage.
Successful artists bring tourism, revenue and other business to their local towns and cities further down the line once they reach a certain level of success. So, for councils to exploit this at one end with hotels and museums it seems idiotic and bizarre for them not to support at the other end of the spectrum.
One of the main reasons I wanted to be a patron was because I through my years of being a musician I have formed great relationships with owners of venues and I see first-hand the struggles they face, personally working for 9 years as an electrician in a small family run business I also had my shares of dealing with similar pressures that all grassroots businesses face in the modern world.
Secondly, I was lucky to have loads of great venues to play at in Liverpool when I was coming up, and I want the next generation of musicians to have the same advantages and opportunities. Lastly, the socialism that I believe in teaches that you can do as well as you want as long as you give back to the others who need help. And I’d really like to practice what I preach as much as possible.
Jamie Webster
The Jellyman’s Daughter
The Jellyman's Daughter
When we first formed The Jellyman’s Daughter we cut our teeth gigging in a wide array of Edinburgh’s amazing venues. Getting these first few gigs under our belt was essential in the development of our sound and learning how to perform live. Sadly so many of those venues have had to shut their doors. In the last few years alone we’ve lost The Electric Circus, Studio 24 and The Picture House (which turned into a Spoons) to name just a few that were once the heart and soul of our wee music scene. Also, when touring internationally, approachable independent venues are vital in providing a platform for us to reach new audiences.
If we don’t save these venues, where are up-and-coming bands going to get their start, and how can we nourish and promote fresh new talent? It is really important to us that we do all we can to help Grassroots Venues thrive in what is now a really tough climate.
The Jellyman’s Daughter
Jeremy Pritchard
Everything EverythingJeremy Pritchard
Were it not for presence of the Tunbridge Wells Forum while I was growing up, I very much doubt that I would be a professional musician now. The same would be said of countless other individuals who have been inspired and nurtured by similar community live music venues – Southampton Joiners, Bristol Thekla, Oxford Jericho, Manchester Night and Day, Hull Welly, Newcastle Cluny, etc. The UK music industry needs to do more to support its live grassroots, and government needs to recognise that the health and future prosperity of this important British Industry relies on us nurturing these seeds. Very often the commercial value of the property outweighs its commercial value as a music venue, but never its social or cultural value, which is what the Music Venue Trust aims to protect.
Jeremy Pritchard
Everything Everything
Joe Talbot
IdlesJoe Talbot
I am one of the privileged few who has been blessed with the opportunity to travel the world and have a platform on which my voice is heard and minds are met with a plethora of diverse people; after 8 years of playing venues across the UK, some tiny, some ornate, some dank and so on; there is one residing factor that runs through all the stages we have played and that is Community. The communities that have supported us as a band and weary travellers are built from hard-working and passionate individuals that collectively want for a brighter existence. Without those hard-working communities there would be no place for the audience, and without the audience there would be no meetings of minds for the artists to flourish and learn. The commune of music is where love is born and where revolutions ignite, so for that we will always be grateful to the earnest people that house it and defend their vital walls. All is love.
Joe Talbot, Idles
Idles
John Robb
The Membranes, Louder Than WarJohn Robb
The Grassroots Venues are the lifeblood of the internationally respected and loved UK music scene. All the great bands have come through them and they provide vital social spaces in increasingly corporate town and city centres. We must preserve not only our heritage but our future.
John Robb
The Membranes, Louder Than War
Kapil Seshasayee
Kapil Seshasayee
I owe everything to Grassroots Venues. I met my wife for the first time in one and working as a DIY promoter between 2014 and 2019 I made 1000s of lifelong friendships – be it those who attended these shows I’d promote, the bands who would play or other bands I’d meet touring up and down the country. For me it would be unthinkable to deprive anyone else of similar experiences.
Kapil Seshasayee
Kate Nash
Kate Nash
I love Grassroots Venues, I wouldn’t have the career I have today without them. I value music and art across all levels. Protecting the grassroots is an investment in the future of UK culture. If we lose the grassroots, we lose the birth, growth and development of future artists.
Kate Nash
KAWALA
KAWALA
It’s a complete honour for us to be made patrons of this incredibly important charity to help campaign for the protection and funding of Grassroots Music Venues. The thought of losing venues across the country due to our politicians failing to prioritise the value in arts and culture is a real concern for us as a touring band, and we need to make sure the venues and the people that work in the sector are protected so that there is an industry to come back to. We will do everything in our power to support the amazing work that Music Venue Trust do behind the scenes.
Daniel McCarthy & Jim Higson
KAWALA
Kelly Lee Owens
Kelly Lee Owens
I’ve been following Music Venue Trust for a while, and now feels like the right time to step up as an ambassador. Coming from a working-class background with no financial safety net, I know the struggles of breaking through in this industry. I bring both firsthand experience as an artist and a solid understanding of the business side, which fuels my passion for amplifying the voices of underrepresented artists.
Music venues are more than just stages—they’re vital community hubs, especially for people. They’re spaces of expression, connection, and empowerment, where youth can discover themselves and shape the future. We must protect and support these spaces, holding the government and industry accountable to ensure they remain accessible, sustainable, and open to all.
Kelly Lee Owens
Kerri Watt
Kerri Watt
To many, our grassroots venues are home. A safe space to let loose, feel free, find your tribe and discover the magic of new music being developed before your eyes and ears. They are the beating heart of many communities and growing up in the eclectic Glasgow music scene, I’ve been so lucky to feel a part of that.
As artists, venue staff, promoters and gig goers, supporting the MVT is a collaborative effort to protect these sacred spaces – a world without them is one we can’t imagine.
Kerri Watt
Kathryn Williams
Kathryn Williams
Grassroots Music Venues are the places where you get to discover new artists supporting the person you went to see. It’s the place where you go again as a punter because you get to know the owners and the staff. On the other side, as an artist touring, they are ports in the seas of motorways and hours on the road. I go back to some venues that I’ve played at for years and feel the warmth from promoters and audiences. It’s like shopping local or supporting small business. You see the heart and the love that goes into them.
Gigs are beautiful events that are a one time thing. It’s a kind of magic really that you can get to play and sing and connect in these places. They are so important to me as a player and listener. Music Venue Trust plays a huge part in supporting and promoting and I’m overjoyed to put my name to the good work they do.
Kathryn Williams
KT Tunstall
KT Tunstall
Photo credit: Piper Ferguson
Small, Grassroots Music Venues are essential to the health of the contemporary music scene in the U.K. Without this network, new artists have no opportunity to cut their teeth and essentially train for the bigger stages which provide the U.K. with a phenomenal global musical reputation as well as providing a significant financial boost to the overall economy.
KT Tunstall
Lady Nade
Lady Nade
My enduring passion and love affair with music began at the tender age of 14, I sought out venues in my hometown of Bristol that allowed me to witness music and art as an audience member. Grassroots Music Venues across the country have been fundamental to my development at every stage of my career.
The work that Music Venue Trust does to keep venues alive is invaluable and as an artist I’m honoured to be part of this community.
Lady Nade
The Libertines
The Libertines
The UK grassroots music circuit is more than just small local venues. It is absolutely crucial to emerging talent. It is the vanguard of independent expression and free speech outside the corporate and commerce-based music industry. It is a labour of love for those who run the venues and it is a rite of passage for new acts cutting their teeth.
Without this community we would never have gotten our music into the wider world at large. We have played hundreds of these gigs over the last 2 decades, each one unique and intimate in a way that only these smaller venues can provide. We also run a couple of our own. Long live the MVT, long live grassroots venues and long live new music!
The Libertines
Luke La Volpe
Luke La Volpe
©Simon M Scott
It’s an absolute surprise and honour to be invited to be a Patron for the Music Venue Trust. When I looked at who else they have as patrons I was in shock. The past few weeks have been difficult for absolutely everyone on the planet and I was thinking of ways I could do something positive and all I really have to do that with is music.
When I came across the MVT and found out what they do for Grassroots Venues it was a no brainer to put something together to help them and spread awareness. Sofathon Singalong started out as a little idea to play an online gig and get some of the people I know in other bands involved and it obviously struck a chord. It’s unreal that enough artists stepped up to turn it into a 24 hour online festival in just two weeks. Some of Scotland’s best talents all pulled together to create an amazing live music event from our own homes with hundreds of thousands of people joining in from theirs.
Every artist starts off in these Grassroots Venues, including all the other MVT patrons, however big they’ve got, and without them you have no music business. I’m glad to be part of such a great initiative and will do my bit to ensure that the venues survive and can have us all back playing in front of people before too long.
Luke La Volpe
Madness
Madness
We fully support the great work of Music Venue Trust and City Hall to save the heartbeat of London’s vibrant music scene. When we woz young we had lots of venues we could play in and be seen and heard, our fear is that London is losing that. That would be a damn shame for new bands trying to make it.
Madness
The Meffs
The Meffs
We wouldn’t be where we are today without Grassroots Venues, and anyone who says otherwise is probably lying! I remember the first time we were asked back to a venue, I thought we’d taken over the world. We hadn’t… but it gave us the platform and the confidence to do it all over again. It’s not just down to the punters; as musicians we’re also responsible for keeping the grassroots scene alive so now’s the time to shout about it.
The Meffs
Michele Stodart
Michele Stodart
I’ve been very fortunate to experience all sizes of venues, both with The Magic Numbers and also with my solo projects. We live in a different age now to when we/the band started, and in many ways those intimate venues are more important than ever. It was where it all started for us, the foundations of our music.
There’s nothing quite like standing on a stage playing and singing your songs, and hearing others sing them back to you… But there’s nothing quite like doing this in an intimate venue, filled with music lovers who want to be there, to hear every word, experience something special together and surrender to those pin-drop moments. Grassroots Music Venues have and will always be an integral part of our musical culture, they are fundamental to the process of becoming an artist. As a music lover they are also my favourite places to go and see live music.
Many Grassroots Music Venues work tirelessly to promote and support artists they believe in, it’s not done from a money-making belief, which is the same spirit with which we create music… We all do it because we love it. It is an unspoken way of life. I am very proud to be a patron of Music Venue Trust and support their efforts entirely.
Michele Stodart
Moxie
Moxie
Grassroots Music Venues are imperative to any music scene as it gives the opportunity for emerging artists to experiment with their performances. It takes away the constraints and pressures of having to fill a larger venue. Some of my most memorable nights as a punter and a DJ have been spent in smaller venues. They create a certain atmosphere, a certain magic that makes you feel as though you could be at a friend’s house party, memories that are only forged when you’re packed that tightly and all experiencing the same thing, at the same time.
Moxie
Mr Scruff
Mr Scruff
Grassroots Venues come in many guises, but the thing that they have in common is that they are of and for the community that surrounds them. The link between being a fan and a performer. Every successful artist will have a story of Grassroots Venues that were important to them in the early days, and many that still hold relevance to them now. The accessibility and affordability of these venues means that there is less of a divide between performer and audience. Indeed, many audience members will be performers themselves. It is difficult to put into words why these venues are so special, but that is why they are special!
Mr Scruff
Neil Hannon
The Divine ComedyNeil Hannon
It is my honour, indeed duty, to be a patron of the Music Venue Trust. Right now bands and artists are more reliant on live music to build and support their musical careers than ever before. Small venues are where most musicians start their careers, develop their songs, and first connect to their audiences. They are our superstar nurseries and as such are absolutely vital to the future success of live music in the UK and Ireland. We all know the problems small music venues are facing, every month seems to bring the news that we’ve lost another icon of the music scene to developers, planning issues or due to declining audiences. But perhaps with proper support and investment we can protect the venues that we have left, and ensure they can start many more bands and artists on a path to success.
Neil Hannon
The Divine Comedy
NIMMO
NIMMO
It is crucial to support Grassroots Venues to encourage the development and growth of artists. These venues are invaluable to the evolution of artists’ creativity and to building a community and creative network, which is where the magic is birthed. Without them, the music scene would sound so different.
We are proud to be patrons of the Music Venue Trust, particularly at a time when support at a grassroots level is so vital in sustaining the industry.
NIMMO
Nova Twins
Nova Twins
Photo © René Walwin
We owe so much to Grassroots Venues. They are the only way new bands can gain experience and start their careers! They support new artists and bring together an incredible community of local music lovers and musicians. They are essential for smaller bands touring around the UK. Without them, we don’t know where we’d be today!
Nova Twins
Oh Wonder
Oh Wonder
We both started playing live music at local venues from the age of 15, and the UK’s Grassroots Venues have been essential to our journey. We toured relentlessly around the UK in the back of cars and vans for ten years before Oh Wonder, and these small venues helped give us a voice and an invaluable opportunity to experiment, learn and develop into the artists that we are today. There is nothing more powerful than being on stage and looking out into the eyes of the crowd, and these intimate rooms are the perfect place to connect with an audience. Without them there would be no playground for young musicians and developing artists who need a stage to get their foot in the door of the music world. Our favourite shows still tend to be in smaller rooms, where the atmosphere is electric. These venues need to live on and keep their doors open to up and coming talent across the UK.
Oh Wonder
The Pearl Harts
The Pearl Harts
Throughout the U.K. we have played many great shows in rooms and venues both as The Pearl Harts and for other musical projects. These venues have a deep musical history engrained into them and hold the raw spirit of what made us fall in love with live music. We hope that this raw spirit lives on today in our own music at our own shows thanks to these stages.
Many of these venues are supported by local music fans who work tirelessly and often as volunteers to keep the live music scene alive. They are the life blood of this industry and are crucial to bands like ourselves to continue to develop and grow our craft. We’re proud to be patrons of the Music Venues Trust.
The Pearl Harts
Public Service Broadcasting
Public Service Broadcasting
Like so many bands, Public Service Broadcasting relied on Grassroots Music Venues in our formative, early years to hone and practice our stage show. In the process we moved from a very static, one-man show with no video element at all to the multi-screen, multi-member outfit we are today. Without those venues at which we could practice, experiment and – crucially – get in front of people, I’m certain we wouldn’t have a career in music. I am very proud to have to have been asked to become a MVT patron and as a band we will do our best to pay back our debt to Grassroots Venues, and give artists and bands the chance to find their feet (and voices) the way we found ours.
Public Service Broadcasting
Ren Harvieu
Ren Harvieu
Grassroots Music Venues are the lifeblood of the UK music scene and I’m absolutely delighted to join Music Venue Trust as a patron, but also deeply, deeply worried about what is currently unfolding around the country. Venues have been shut for months now and the bills are mounting up – MVT have been shouting about this loudly. It was heart-breaking to see the troubles at beloved Manchester venues the Deaf Institute and Gorilla – I was so pleased that someone stepped in so quickly to preserve their future, but I know that many venues around the country will not be so lucky.
I will be doing all I can to amplify their voice, the work of MVT has never been as important as it is now as the whole of the live sector is staring down the barrel of a virus shaped gun.
Ren Harvieu
Reverend and The Makers
Reverend and The Makers
Small venues are the backbone of the music industry. They are where you’re delivered from practice room to public; where you find out who you are as a musician and a performer and who your fans will be. There’s nothing like a sweaty gig and some of the best stories we have from our career so far come from small venues. They are the soul of live music. That’s why we are honoured to be patrons of the music venue trust and give other artists the support we have had.
Jon & Laura McClure
Reverend and The Makers
Rews
Rews
Grassroot venues are imperative in supporting up and coming artists and providing the necessary foundations needed to get music to the masses. Without grassroot venues, many artists careers would take a very different shape and it would be much harder to bring communities together.
Rews
Rhoda Dakar
Rhoda Dakar
Popular music is an art form. Until it starts to take itself seriously as such, on a par with theatre, opera and classical music, it is unlikely to be deemed so by others. I have been performing in public since the 1960s. I may have picked up a thing or two along the way. I try to put on a very good show. However, venue facilities are often woefully short of what is on offer in Europe. The industry has made money, but this has almost never been reinvested into the grassroots. And there’s absolutely nothing from the Arts Council. We trade on the cultural capital of popular music, but seem to feel musicians do better if mistreated. I’m still offered sub standard dressing rooms, as if it were some sort of rite of passage. Give us the opportunity to do good work and we will.
Rhoda Dakar
Roachford
Roachford
I can’t wait to get back out to play live again. It means everything to me. It’s also why I’m thrilled to become a patron of Music Venue Trust. I have always loved playing at the smaller venues around the UK and I often prefer seeing bands and artists play in the more intimate venues. This is where most artists start so without these venues music in the UK will not continue to thrive.
Roachford
Sam Duckworth
Sam Duckworth
There are not enough words to describe the importance of live music venues. Simply, without them, our world would be worse off. They are where we find hope, make friends, feel encouraged and feel safe to be ourselves. We must protect them at all costs and allow them to continue to be a bedrock of our non-working lives, by supporting those whose cherished work it is keeping them healthy. Live music is an ecosystem and Music Venue Trust are vital in keeping it protected.
Sam Duckworth
Savages
Savages
There are many great small rooms in this country who do great work with limited resources, and they should be applauded and supported. There are also great bands, great musicians and great audiences who love music and deserve the best. It definitely seems a shame that when you ask musicians around the world about the touring conditions in the UK, backstage, PA system quality… you don’t get a more positive response. I come from years of touring the UK and experiencing the worse and the best, it isn’t a secret for anybody: there is still progress to be made.
The music industry can definitely affect a change. Labels, managers, big promoters, booking agents, artists and bigger live venues can group together and start to repair the UK’s reputation in live music by supporting initiatives like the Music Venue Trust.
Savages
ShaoDow
ShaoDow
As a music artist, you want the best for your career. You want to perform at the massive venues, the arenas to thousands of people. But that sort of thing doesn’t just happen overnight. It is and should be a journey, a journey that small music venues are an integral part of. In fact, some of my most memorable performances have been in the more intimate venues, with a couple hundred people enjoying the show.
Having just completed a self-managed and self-funded tour I am painfully aware of the scarcity of small music venues across the country. That’s why the work of the Music Venue Trust is so important, not just for protecting our existing venues but also for fostering the right environments in order to bring new venues into existence. I want to make sure there’s always somewhere dope to perform and that’s why I am honoured to be a patron for the MVT.
ShaoDow
Skindred
Skindred
Supporting the Live Music scene, and in particular supporting your local music venue is something that both myself and all my Skindred band mates are all extremely passionate about. If you come to a Skindred show you will usually hear Benj tell everyone in the room to support their local venues and to support live music on a local level. There are 4 individuals in Skindred all with different local venues that mean the world to them. Mine is Exeter Cavern.
It was playing these great rooms that initially gave us, along with many other acts, our start. For that we are eternally grateful. We would work there, play shows there and hang out there. The support these venues give young creative people is astonishing. With so many great local venues having to close down in recent years I cannot emphasize enough how important it is that people keep supporting live music on a local level. Plus there are so many great new bands out there to check out.
We have just finished a 32 date UK tour and played at some amazing venues. These venues are the lifeblood of the UK music scene so keep buying tickets to see music of all genres at your local venues and help keep them in business and music alive!
Arya Goggin
Skindred
Soft Play
Soft Play
Without Grassroots Music Venues we would never be where we are. They are crucial for new bands in so many ways. Support your local venues!
Soft Play
Sound Of The Sirens
Sound of The Sirens
We support the Music Venue Trust – an organisation that fights to keep the foundations of the Music scene alive in the UK. These smaller venues are the first steps of the ladder that all Musicians must climb. There is no journey without them. They represent an opportunity for everyone to access Music, to watch Musicians grow, to meet band members. We have had the opportunity to watch Coldplay and Mumford and Sons supporting bigger bands in a small venue on our doorstep. This was incredibly inspiring. These smaller venues are where the magic begins and if we lose these wonderfully creative and accessible hubs …..it will change Music for everyone.
Sound of The Sirens
Steven Wilson
Steven Wilson
Grassroots UK venues are the very bedrock of why British music has always been so respected and influential on the international stage, they allowed artists such as myself to gain experience, learn our craft, and to start to build our fanbases. I find it heartbreaking that so many are now under threat.
Steven Wilson
Tim Burgess
Tim Burgess
Grassroots Music Venues are the lifeblood of the entire music industry – it’s a huge honour to be asked to be a patron for Music Venue Trust. As both a fan and a performer, I love spending time at independent venues and it’s our responsibility to help make sure they have a future so everyone can enjoy them for years to come.
Tim Burgess
Tom Grennan
Tom Grennan
Grassroots venues are so important because if we didn’t have them, we wouldn’t have music.
Music is still alive and this is why venues like this are so important, because if we didn’t have venues I wouldn’t be about, and I know a lot of others wouldn’t be about.
There are so many artists, so many genres of music, so many different people that are wanting or needing to be found. You don’t need to be glued to your phone to try and find the next big thing because, trust me, the next big things are in venues like this. So, get off your phone, go out and watch and listen to live music, and enjoy it.
Tom Grennan
The Wombats
The Wombats
Without Grassroots Music Venues we, The Wombats, would never have had a hope at becoming the band we are today. We spent 3 years playing tiny venues all over the country, sleeping on promoters’ floors and having adventure after adventure. These local, small venues are nearly always run by music lovers who want to be a part of the local music scene in their town/city and to give bands of all sizes, whether it’s their 1st or 50th show, an opportunity to perform. Without these venues, new local bands wouldn’t have a chance to learn important lessons in live performance skills and all the fun that goes along with it! We recently did a week of shows in conjunction with Music Venue Trust and had such a good time. The atmosphere at every show was electric. All the promoters we met were so happy to see so many beaming smiles and mosh pits and were telling us how much MVT help them and how difficult it can be as a small venue these days. I think these places are one of the most important crucibles of music throughout the world and need to be treated as such by people and governments alike. Without them, the British music scene and the musicians of tomorrow will not have the opportunities they need to hone their talent. We are very proud to be involved and look forward to doing more shows with MVT in the future!
The Wombats
Broadcasters
Gemma Bradley
BBC Radio 1 / BBC Radio UlsterGemma Bradley
Coming from a small rural town in Ireland, I know just how important Grassroots Venues are. They are where I saw a band live for the first time, played my first gig, grew friendships and in general, I was always left in awe at the talents that graced the stage – shaping and forming my love for new and unsigned music forever. Without them I wouldn’t be in the position that I am today. Opportunities that I have been given as a performer and broadcaster wouldn’t have been there if it wasn’t for Grassroots Venues.
And this is why I think it’s important that opportunities that come from Grassroots Venues are given to the next generation. Young bands, promoters and crew need venues to learn their trade. They need venues to make those connections, network and just enjoy live music. There’s nothing like the atmosphere of a live gig. These are the memories that stay with you forever.
Only a handful of these venues remain and right now are hanging by a thread. The music industry can’t be expected to fend for itself any longer, and creatives cannot survive without grassroots venues. That’s why I’m so proud to be helping protect them as a part of Music Venue Trust.
Gemma Bradley
BBC Radio 1 / BBC Radio Ulster
Bethan Elfyn
BBC Radio WalesBethan Elfyn
The whole tapestry of my life changed due to my first experiences of live music at festivals and venues. I wouldn’t have the same friends, family, job, memories or drive – it made me who I am today. I’ve worked every aspect of the live event – promoter, bar, door, DJ, reviewer, host, and even played one special gig with a band! Yep, just the one!
Early gigs are a stamp on your brain more vivid than a gig you’ve been to more recently. It has a lasting impression because the intensity, fervour, community, and sense of belonging to a place and a people – it’s such a rare chemistry. Dark, sweaty venues, and small, intense gigs are indeed marmite to people, but to me, growing up in a rural area without a venue, hearing live and loud, cutting edge music, was a connection I’d never felt before. I felt a sense of belonging to my own unique Welsh culture and a gateway to others – an openness for accepting and embracing a melting pot of differences. Hip-hop, drum n bass, touring bands, obscure electro, you name it, I’ve seen it, danced, sung, flung myself around and bought the t-shirt!
It’s a unique culture, hard to bottle, and MVT have helped bring awareness to its place in the Music Industry ecosystem, and the cultural poverty we’d face in the UK without these venues. In Europe venues enjoy more cultural protection, support and status, allowing the venues to do more for the creative community that surrounds them, becoming a cultural hub for ideas, talent, art, music, film, photography, street art, and all the spiralling micro business that come from this hub – food, fashion, student economy, night time economy, wellbeing, DJs, taxis, poster art, performance, technical crew, touring talent, record labels, promoters, radio DJs … the list goes on!
I’m writing this after months of Covid-19 crisis, with little reprieve ahead. We’re facing an unprecedented threat to the UKs unique, organic, and unmatched music legacy – these venues are the heartbeat of our cities and our culture, and we wait with baited breath to see if they can make it through, the void in our landscape without them doesn’t bear thinking about! To all the unique spaces, tireless promoters, friendly bar staff, enthusiastic Djs, otherworldly musical talent, grumpy engineers, and everyone in the club – we salute you!
Bethan Elfyn
BBC Radio Wales
Vic Galloway
BBC Radio Scotland & 6MusicVic Galloway
Seeing my first LIVE gig in a small venue as a teenager was a total revelation. As much as large concert halls or sports arenas can be fun; it was seeing the blood, sweat and tears of someone rockin’ out up close and personal, that really struck me. The intimacy, the energy, the electricity… the sheer visceral thrill. Since then I’ve played hundreds of small venues as a musician, touring across the UK and into Europe; and attended many more as a fanboy, journalist and a BBC Radio presenter. Grassroots venues are like petri-dishes, breeding the next generation of LIVE musician and allowing them to make mistakes and cut their teeth. Without these places, performers cannot properly master their craft and move on to mid-sized and larger rooms. To their credit, shows that small touring venues book and promote are always the most exciting, experimental and cutting-edge on the circuit. It’s cross-genre too – indie, punk, metal, acoustic, electronic, reggae, hip-hop and more all find their feet in these hallowed spaces; and for that we should give thanks. Even today, I’d far rather see an act play a wee, sweaty room than watch them on a screen at the side of a festival stage. Music is in the blood of people in all 4 corners of the UK, and our culture draws fans and followers from all corners of the globe to experience it. For the sake of local musicians who perform on a weekly basis, and the millions of punters who experience those performances; it’s a travesty that many are dwindling away and indeed closing. MVT is doing a fantastic job of raising awareness for these types of clubs, pubs and venues and I am delighted to be a patron. Let’s celebrate and champion these essential music hubs across the UK!
Vic Galloway
BBC Radio Scotland & 6Music
Sarah Gosling
Radio X / BBC Music Introducing, Devon & CornwallSarah Gosling
© Em Marcovecchio
Grassroots Venues are where I’ve solidified friendships, developed my passion for discovering soul-shakingly great new music, and had some of the most memorable and defining experiences of my life. The first piece of music journalism I ever wrote focused on the importance of small town venues supporting new music, and it’s been the central core of every piece of broadcasting I’ve done since then.
Without them I wouldn’t have the incredible job I do today, the unsigned musicians I work with would be left without audiences to hone their craft with, communities would lose their beating, jumping, dancing heart, and the world would lose its technicolour. Yet despite this the most pivotal venues of my youth – and the early stages for all my favourite mid-size bands – are now closed. Only a handful remain in the South West, and they can’t keep up with the demands for stage time made of them from musicians across the entire artistic spectrum. Like plants without room to grow, they become stunted, left with nowhere to develop and unfurl the leaves they didn’t even know they had. We need a broad spread of music venues catering to all tastes, just as is commonplace with theatres and galleries. The music industry can’t be expected to fend for itself any longer, and creative lives can’t survive without these venues. That’s why I’m incredibly proud to be a small cog working to protect them as part of the Music Venue Trust.
Sarah Gosling
BBC Music Introducing, Devon & Cornwall
Steve Lamacq MBE
BBC Radio 6 MusicSteve Lamacq MBE
These are all bands I saw before they were signed:
Seymour at The Oval Cricketers (before they had the decency to change their name to Blur). Manic Street Preachers at the Bull & Gate in Kentish Town.
Elastica at The Camden Falcon.
Radiohead at the Islington Powerhouse.
Again, at The Falcon, a small band called Coldplay.
You know what connects all those gigs?
All those venues are now shut.
All those opportunities are gone.
Every town should have a variety of places where people can go. Every town should have somewhere independent of thought and spirit to provide an alternative place where people can meet and make new friends, and come away feeling engaged and inspired. Every community wants a place that it can be proud of. Somewhere which represents them.
There’s all this amazing music and art which needs a place to go. It might be new music, it might be niché music but it deserves to be seen and heard. I think it’s critical that we encourage people who go against the grain or experiment and give them a space.
I applaud the Music Venue Trust for taking taking on this job. Socially, culturally, creatively, we need venues. There are thousands of bands out there and thousands of music fans who’ve had their lives changed by going to Grassroots Music Venues. Let’s never stop remembering how important they are.
Steve Lamacq MBE
BBC Radio 6 Music
Abbie McCarthy
BBC Music Introducing, KentAbbie McCarthy
One of my favourite things to do is go to a gig – that amazing, excitable atmosphere, getting to hear the songs you’re obsessed with performed live, feeling a connection in that moment with your favourite artists, sometimes discovering exciting new acts and meeting fellow music fans. It’s such a buzz and that’s why since I went to my first gig aged 12, there’s not a week that goes by where I’m not at a live show.
Many of the best shows I’ve been to have been in tiny independent venues around the country. It’s the most special feeling when you’re watching an act with only a handful of other people & you can tell they’re going to go on to huge things, you know the magic memory of that intimate gig will stay with you forever. I started my Good Karma Club night to give new artists a platform to develop & learn their craft and we’ve had some incredible performances over the last few years. Without one of my favourite local venues, the Tunbridge Wells Forum, the likes of Slaves, Everything Everything & Frank Turner would not have grown to be some of the best live performers on the planet. Socially, culturally, creatively, venues are crucial, we must protect them at all costs!
Abbie McCarthy
BBC Music Introducing, Kent
Phil Taggart
BBC Radio UlsterPhil Taggart
Once you are bitten by the bug of live music there is no going back. I started putting on my own gigs in a tiny room above a pub in my hometown of Omagh when I was 15 years old. The sound system buzzed like a selection of old fridges strapped together filled with plutonium, the venue smelt like yesterdays beer stomped into the carpet and the ceiling was barely tall enough for anyone over 5 foot but it was perfect. Artists need these venues to learn their trade. F1 drivers don’t start out on the Silverstone track in a perfect car, you have to earn it.
15 years later and I am still putting on shows in slightly larger venues throughout the country. The reason being that you can drum up an energy and a vibe in those smaller rooms better than you can in the bigger ones. Nothing will ever beat being flung across a moshpit, losing a shoe, getting showered with a random projectile pint of beer. I feel a strong responsibility to try and give that experience to the people that come through the door at my Slacker shows.
When I was playing bass in a band we played every small venue Ireland had to offer and they ranged from the technically proficient, to the bizarre, to the ‘this isn’t a venue it’s a small shed with a plug.’ I feel strongly about the protection of these places because if we don’t chain ourselves to their metaphorical gates then where are the next generation going to play? The Tesco’s or Gastro Pub built in its place?
Phil Taggart
BBC Radio Ulster
Eddy Temple-Morris
Virgin RadioEddy Temple-Morris
We are, pound for pound, per-capita, the greatest nation in the world for music. One in every seven albums sold in the world is by a British artist. Small venues are the lifeblood of music, without them we have no grassroots… nowhere for the next Ed Sheeran, the next Adele, to connect with their audience for the first time.
Eddy Temple-Morris
Virgin Radio
Industry Patrons
George Akins
DHP FamilyGeorge Akins, DHP Family
George has been MD of DHP Family since 1994 and has overseen its growth from the operator of a single flagship venue Rock City into a live music promotion company with a portfolio of award winning live music venues in Nottingham, Bristol and London. With a concerts business staging more than 1,500 shows a year across small indie venues up to stadiums, with acts like Ed Sheeran, Garbage, Nick Cave, Flaming Lips, Rufus Wainwright, George is a strong believer in the important role Grassroots Venues play in the live music eco-system.
“We welcome the fact that the government is looking more urgently at business rates for music venues. This is certainly an issue for many venues across the country, but it is far from being the only issue. Rent increases, unhelpful bureaucracy and redevelopments are all hitting small venues, especially in the capital. Fundamentally, small venues showcasing grassroots, contemporary music should be seen as cultural venues – in the same way as concert halls and arts theatres – which are eligible for subsidies. We are in great danger of losing the bedrock that has enabled the UK to be one of the world’s great sources of forward thinking music.”
George Akins
DHP Family
Angus Baskerville
Pure RepresentsAngus Baskerville
Angus Baskerville is an agent at Pure Represents, an independent booking agency operating globally, based in London. For the last 20 years Angus has worked as an agent and represents artists such as a-ha, The Alabama Shakes, Benjamin Clementine, Brittany Howard, George Ezra, Jamiroquai, Joss Stone, Michael Kiwanuka and Paolo Nutini.
“The important network of independent venues in the UK is crucial for the development of new talent, not to mention the outstanding contribution to community and wider support of culture at all levels that these venues facilitate.
Pure is very proud to support the Music Venue Trust and the excellent work that they undertake.”
Angus Baskerville
Pure Represents
Jane Beese
Head of Contemporary Music, Southbank CentreJane Beese
I’ve been a massive admirer of Music Venue Trust since their inception in 2014 and the first Venues Day which we hosted at the Southbank Centre.
I am delighted to be asked to be a Patron of this amazing charity. I look forward to working with Bev, Mark and the incredible MVT team to see where we can take this extraordinary journey next in what is the most difficult time we could ever imagine for the live music industry. Together we are stronger and we will get through this. I look forward to seeing you all down the front.
Jane Beese
Head of Contemporary Music, Southbank Centre
Alex Bruford
ATC Live AgencyAlex Bruford
After 10 years of touring internationally as an artist, Alex Bruford started work as an agent at Reprise Agency in London. Alex founded ATC Live Agency in partnership with ATC in 2011, and ATC Live now represent 300 artists including Mac DeMarco, Big Thief, The Lumineers, Shame and Sleaford Mods and books tours worldwide.
“Music Venue Trust is doing a fantastic job of supporting and championing Grassroots Music Venues. My own touring taught me first-hand how important these venues are in developing an artist’s career – they are they crucial first step in building a fan base. A well-run Grassroots Venue that warmly welcomes the artist, provides good facilities and a great audience experience is something we should all cherish. Now as an agent it’s become clear to me that many of these venues are often single-handedly responsible for keeping local music scenes alive and are so important to the community. We must do all we can to support them.”
Alex Bruford
ATC Live Agency
Paul Buck
WassermanPaul Buck
Paul Buck has been at Coda Agency for just over 4 years and has been an agent for over 25. He currently represents the Vaccines, Everything Everything, Noah and the Whale, Palma Violets and Savages and has consistently supported small music venues throughout his career. “I warmly welcome this new initiative; small local venues are important to musicians and audiences alike. The Music Venue Trust has an important role to play in the future of live music in the UK.”
Paul Buck
Wasserman
Emma Davis
Business Support Manager at One Fiinix LiveEmma Davis, One Fiinix Live
Grassroots Music Venues are the foundation of the whole live music business, it is essential that we all play our part in respecting their value and help Music Venue Trust in their work to protect them. They are vital in creating and supporting music communities, they are safe spaces for artists to really hone their craft and are incredibly important for career development, not only for artists but for professionals within our industry too. Everyone will have a story about the place where it all started for them, my local venue The Forum in Tunbridge Wells absolutely changed my life.
Emma Davis
Business Support Manager at One Fiinix Live
Barry Dickins
International Talent BookingBarry Dickins
Barry Dickins is co-managing director of International Talent Booking Agency and started his career more than 40 years ago arranging gigs for the the likes of The Who, Jimi Hendrix Experience and Otis Redding. Today, ITB’s roster of more than 200 acts includes: Adele, Mumford & Sons, Aerosmith, Kasabian and Biffy Clyro while Barry himself represents such artists as Bob Dylan, Paul Simon, Neil Young, and ZZ Top.
“New bands get me excited. I still love the Clash, one of my favorite bands of all time. There are still going to be other bands that come along, like when I saw Mumford & Sons in a little club in London with 150 people. Artists have to learn their trade and touring is how you learn it. The small venue circuit we have here in the UK is one of the best in the world. It’s vital we do all we can to protect these venues.”
Barry Dickins
International Talent Booking
Natasha Gregory
Mother Artists LiveNatasha Gregory
Our industry is (and our communities are) nothing without Grassroots Music Venues. It’s the start of every band’s dreams. It’s where they learn their craft, meet their fans face to face, share a drink, and form a loyal following for years to come, memories to last a lifetime and the only way to build long term solid foundations. It’s where venue owners, bar staff, door staff, promoters, managers, agents, merch sellers, tour managers, road crew etc go to build themselves, to support their artists, enjoy good music and provide for their own families and communities. It’s where fans get to experience their ‘first’ time with what will be their favourite artists in years to come. A place where they will buy merch to support bands, where they will bring their friends to have a great night out and keep their friendships close and minds healthy and strong. We must all stand by Music Venue Trust and all they do, shout as loud as we can for them, pay them back for all they have done for us, that they continue to do. They need us and I will support them in any way I can.
Natasha Gregory
Mother Artists Live
Jason Iley
CEO & Chairman, Sony Music UKJason Iley, CEO & Chairman, Sony Music UK
Jason Iley is CEO & Chairman of Sony Music UK and chair of The Brit Awards.
“Sony is committed to supporting and developing artists from the grassroots to festival headliners. We recognise the vital role that Grassroots Music Venues play in that journey, providing an essential platform for artists to be able to take their first steps and develop their audiences. These venues are the heart of our music communities and we support the work of Music Venue Trust to protect, secure and improve them.”
Jason Iley
CEO & Chairman, Sony Music UK
Robert Kilpatrick
Scottish Music Industry AssociationRobert Kilpatrick
Grassroots Music Venues are the lifeblood of Scotland’s music scene. Serving as incubators for talent and communities alike, they provide vital spaces for artists to create, perform and connect with audiences.
MVT’s work in protecting and sustaining these spaces is essential, and the SMIA shares their commitment to ensuring that they remain a cornerstone of our cultural and economic landscape.
Robert Kilpatrick
Scottish Music Industry Association
Summer Marshall
CAASummer Marshall
As someone who has been working and living in the music world for over 25 years, I’ve never felt stronger that music is the universal language that connects us all. Live music is even more of a connector in today’s fragmented society. Live shows are a shared experience, not only for the audience, but also for artists as they build and solidify their careers. In order to do that, small venues need to exist to give them the space to develop their artistry and grow into their full potential. I’m honoured to be a patron of Music Venue Trust, as they continue their important work of growing and protecting local music venues that are integral to our communities.
Summer Marshall
CAA
Geoff Meall
WassermanGeoff Meall
Geoff recently joined Coda Agency after 25 years as The Agency Group/ United Talent Agency where he was managing director and head of Music UK. Geoff is a huge supporter and believer in the small venue scene in the UK and holds true the belief that the longest lasting careers come from those artists who pay their dues working up through from small venues. Through the years he’s booked many of his clients he’s represented through this system including Muse, My Chemical Romance, Paramore, The Zutons, Super Furry Animals
In April 2013 he booked a 30 days in 30 dates tour for King Charles across the country. “The small venues of the UK play such an important role in the development of so many bands’ careers and it’s imperative that we as an industry do all we can to support those rooms and promoters who strive to provide such a valuable entertainment option for their communities.” Outside of the Music Industry Geoff is a keen cyclist and a rabid supporter of Liverpool FC.
Geoff Meall
Wasserman
Tre Stead
Tour ManagerTre Stead, Tour Manager
Theresa ‘Tre’ Stead is a Tour Manager from Manchester, who has worked in the live music industry for well over 15 years. She has toured worldwide with numerous rock and pop acts, including Django Django, Mystery Jets, Jessie Ware, Take That, and is currently working with Frank Turner and The Sleeping Souls. She has twice won the Live UK Tour Manager of the Year award in 2014 and 2018, and since then has visited a variety of universities, industry events and conferences as a live music industry guest speaker.
“I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for Grassroots Venues. They were the first place I discovered and nurtured my passion for music as a teenager growing up in Kent, and they were the venues that moulded and shaped me as a Tour Manager – the settings in which I made my mistakes and learnt my craft.
Now more than ever, the live music industry is struggling and needs people who will stand up and fight for it. The MVT team have shown their passion and dedication to saving so many Grassroots Venues, ensuring that music will stay a vital part of our future and culture.”
Tre Stead
Tour Manager
Scott Thomas
Xray TouringScott Thomas
Scott Thomas is one of the founding partners and managing directors of X-ray Touring, one of the world’s leading agencies. He became an agent in 1990 and through his career has consistently worked in the UK’s3smaller venues to develop acts from Manic Street Preachers & Stereophonics to Bombay Bicycle Club and even putting pop superstars such as The Black Eyed Peas through the clubs early in their career before taking them to festival and stadia headliners.
“I think as wide a possible selection of small venues throughout the country is essential for the growth of new artists in whatever genre. There is no replacement for the development an act will undergo in their first 50-100 gigs and what is learned there bears fruit on the stages of arenas, festivals and stadia. These venues are also essential to get people into the habit of seeing regular live music on their doorstep.” Beyond the music business, Scott is an avid fan of live sport and Welsh rugby in particular.
Scott Thomas
Xray Touring
Neal Thompson
FOCUS WalesNeal Thompson
My first real job in music was at a Grassroots Music Venue. I would not have done any of the things that have led me to where I am today without being lucky enough to have that opportunity and experience.
The work that MVT are doing is invaluable, to the future of the industry as a whole and to every new generation of gig goers and young people, who are trying to find that critical first step into music as a career.
Neal Thompson
FOCUS Wales
Ace Trump
Siren Artist Management Inc.Ace Trump, Siren Artist Management Inc.
Small venues are the womb where great artists are born. In this day and age, a working musician makes his living from playing live shows. Smaller venues are one of the foundation stones that allow the superstars of tomorrow to learn their craft. There is nothing like attending a small, intimate show with an artist that is blossoming into something special. Having spent so many nights in these small venues, I know they are something special and need protecting.
Ace Trump
Siren Artist Management Inc.
Bengi Unsal
Director, Institute of Contemporary ArtBengi Unsal
Photo Credit: Cesare de Giglio for Southbank Centre
Having run a music venue myself, I am very aware of the crucial role the Grassroots Venues play in nurturing young talent in today’s competitive music industry. These intimate spaces offer fans an unparalleled gig experience and provide bands an essential platform to be discovered and to grow their audiences at the early stages of their career. Some of my most cherished memories in music are from concerts and gigs at such venues! I am very honoured to be part of this incredible network which is entirely dedicated to keeping the live music industry going and ensuring that the UK remains an amazing hub for emerging music venues with a huge impact on the global music.
Bengi Unsal
Director, Institute of Contemporary Art
Ross Warnock
United Talent AgencyRoss Warnock
Ross Warnock is a live agent at United Talent Agency where he has worked for the past 17 years. Ross currently represents a wide range of talent across multiple genres including; City and Colour, Monster Truck, Richard Thompson, BABYMETAL and Slaves (MVT patrons).
“At United Talent Agency we are focussed on artist development at every stage of an act’s career and we believe those first steps at Grassroots Venues are vital. As well as playing a key part in the early career development of so many acts, smaller venues are often vital community hubs with an underrated cultural significance. In the UK, we are fortunate to have cultivated an extensive network of independent venues and these important institutions need to be protected and supported.”
Ross Warnock
United Talent Agency
Steve Zapp
ITB
Political Patrons
Lord Tim Clement-Jones
Liberal DemocratsLord Tim Clement-Jones
I am delighted to have been asked to be a patron of the Music Venue Trust. Small venues are the bedrock of live music industry and the incubators of new talent. My Live Music Act was designed to clear away some of the red tape tape which surrounds them but if they are allowed to disappear it will all have been in vain. The Music Venue Trust is the start of the preservation.
#FIGHTBACK
Lord Tim Clement-Jones
Liberal Democrats
Kerry McCarthy MP
LabourKerry McCarthy MP
“The establishment of the Music Venue Trust comes at a critical time. There has been a worrying decline in small music venues and the irreplaceable loss of classic venues, such as the Bull & Gate in Kentish Town. Just recently in Bristol, there are signs that Government changes to permitted development rights to change use of buildings from commercial to residential are causing problems for some of the city’s best-loved venues. Small venues have always played a fundamental role in breaking and nurturing new music – their survival is important for ensuring that successful bands continue to emerge from the grassroots (from “a bunch of guys” getting together with “some shitty old instruments”, as Dave Grohl puts it), and not just from the X-Factor or the BRIT school. They also help maintain Britain’s thriving and diverse alternative music scenes, for those bands that may never play to larger audiences. But critically, they also help sustain the cultural scenes and creative economies of many towns and cities, creating employment and attracting people into city centres. I am very pleased to help support the work of Music Venue Trust in its innovative plan to help small music venues to carry on, as part of a protected network.”
Kerry McCarthy MP
Labour
John Whittingdale MP
Conservative PartyJohn Whittingdale MP
I have always loved live music ever since my teenage years when I was a frequent patron of venues like the Marquee Club and Hammersmith Odeon. Today, I still enjoy gigs at my local Grassroots Music Venues like the Hot Box in Chelmsford and Colchester Arts Centre. I am only too aware that so many of our biggest artists and performers started their careers playing in pubs and clubs, building a fan base and working their way up. Maintaining a wide cross-section of vibrant Grassroots Music Venues across the country is essential if the music industry in Britain is to continue to thrive and I am honoured to become a Patron of Music Venue Trust and to support their work in ensuring that it continues.
John Whittingdale MP
Conservative Party
Sian Berry MP
Green PartyJohn Whittingdale MP
I have seen first hand the incredible and tireless work of the Music Venue Trust in supporting Grassroots Music Venues across the UK.
My constituency of Brighton Pavilion is home to so many amazing Grassroots Venues. The Green Door Store, Alphabet, Rossi Bar, The Prince Albert, Hope and Ruin, The Folklore Rooms and Komedia – ‘and so many more. All of these venues work extremely closely with MVT and I’ve heard from them directly about the invaluable support and advice they receive all year round.
As an MP it’s hugely reassuring to have the insights and expertise of all of the team at MVT and I’m looking forward to working together for these special community spaces.
Sian Berry MP
Green Party
Amelia Womack
Green PartyAmelia Womack
Grassroots Music Venues are vital assets to our cities, towns and villages and are hubs of musical communities. They don’t just benefit the local economy but are a place to experience new ideas and avenues for meaning that would be lost otherwise.
I feel like I grew up in Le Pub in Newport. Here I experienced live local music and felt part of a community of music lovers. Sadly, the importance of culture and independent business has often be devalued by Government policy. We must protect small music venues in the name of our cultural heritage, as well as to support future generations of musicians and music lovers.
Amelia Womack
Green Party