A new campaign has been launched by Music Venue Trust (MVT) calling on artists to support grassroots music when they reach arena-selling level.
Announced yesterday (May 21), ‘The Artist Pledge’ asks artists to commit to helping grassroots venues, artists, and promoters by pledging to a ticket levy on arena-sized gigs.
The levy would then pay back to grassroots music, which currently faces “disaster” per Music Venue Trust’s latest report on the state of the music industry. As it stands, the UK has lost five clubs every week through 2024.
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45 artists have already signed the initiative set up by Music Venue Trust, including the likes of Frank Turner, The Luka State, The K’s, and Enter Shikari, who have already donated £1 from every ticket sold during their recent arena tour.
Campaign & Communications lead at Music Venue Trust, Toni Coe-Brooker, explained: “We are asking artists today to stand with all of us in the grassroots sector as a show of solidarity.”
“We are asking for a commitment that when you reach a point in your career when you can insist on change, you will demand that change.”
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The campaign follows a proposal by music industry experts to add a £1 ticket levy for music events at arenas and stadiums, which would generate a fund to support grassroots music.
Music Venue Trust was involved in the proposal, as well as a panel of representatives from Live Music Exchange (LIVE) and the National Arenas Association, who gathered to discuss grassroots music venues in March.
The meeting addressed the pressure that grassroots are under amid rising costs and highlighted that last year the UK lost 125 music venues, prompting a discussion on the impact this loss would have on the UK’s music industry.
Find out more about ‘The Artist Pledge’ here.
Gemma Ross is Mixmag’s Assistant Editor, follow her on Twitter
