(Credits: Far Out)
It’s time to discuss everyone’s favourite topic: Brexit. Before you all immediately click away from this article before it has even properly begun, I am not here to try and dissect the litany of attempts from successive British governments at the ins and outs of a deal – the details of fishing exports, youth visas, and e-gates at airports are very much beyond my capabilities. But I can, at least, look at the issue from a music realm, because as with every other section of society, there is an impact on the outcomes of the latest EU agreement.
It’s fair to say that we’ve probably all noticed that the live gigging economy has taken a particular hit in recent years. This is, admittedly, not solely down to the EU deal, with other factors, including the cost of living crisis, which is far too pertinent to ignore. Nevertheless, it is one significant cog in the rising costs of touring. Have you wondered exactly why you’re forking out for a concert that would have cost you half as much 15 years ago, or why your favourite artists are seemingly touring Europe less and less frequently? Unfortunately, it’s Brexit you largely have to thank.
The issue is not some new-fangled entity that has suddenly presented itself; indeed, the damaging effects of restricted European touring have been impacting artists ever since the first Brexit deal went through back in 2019. In short, the visa and travel stipulations were to blame, with the massively inflated costs of this having seismic repercussions on artists, who claimed that it could “threaten the future success of British music”.
Back in 2021, a group of musicians including the likes of Blur and Primal Scream banded together to form the #LetTheMusicMove campaign, signed by over 200 other artists, which implored the government to act and implement support packages to cover the additional costs being incurred from European touring – as well as certain restrictions, such as on road trucks, which were only allowed to make three stops in Europe in the space of a week before being forced to return to the UK.
In the interim years, it seemed that very little progress was being made until Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced a fresh trade deal with the EU on May 19th. It finally cast a glimmer of light on what had long been a murky shadow on the future of the British music industry, and we can now possibly dare to dream that there could be a way forward. But what exactly does the deal mean for artists?
How will the new EU agreement help British artists?
In short, there’s been some level of movement on the issue, but there’s still no concrete answer. When Starmer’s Labour government took office last summer, one of their manifesto pledges was that they would help touring artists when they came to negotiate terms with the EU. In the latest deal, the government claimed to go some way toward delivering on that promise, but there’s a lot more to be delved into for what it means in reality.
To break the jargon of the deal down, Starmer said he recognised the “value” of British artists touring Europe and would continue to “support travel and cultural exchange”. OK, it’s something, but what is he actually saying in material terms? In all honesty, not a lot.
To be fair, the statement may be a bit loose on details, but it is better than nothing. It was followed up by the promise that the country will explore “how best to improve arrangements for touring across the European continent,” which is, at least, written evidence that the government can be held to account. It was for this reason that the comments, although relatively scant, were welcomed by the chief executive of UK Music, Tom Kiehl, who acknowledged that it was “an important first step” but that ultimately, more needs to be done.
Noting that, “Musicians and crew effectively suffered a ‘no deal Brexit’ once the UK left the EU and it is high time this is tackled,” Kiehl demanded that the industry should seek “more concrete commitments” within the deal before a return to a healthier and more sustainable model for European touring is achieved.
So, the government and the industry bosses have both had their say, but where exactly does this leave us, the audience? In effect, not a lot further forward than we were before, but there is at least now evidence that Westminster could soon be stepping in to save the British music industry from European ruin. No matter your political opinion, there’s no denying that the effects of Brexit have been tough. Until we see restrictions lifted on UK musicians, however, unfortunately, it’s the punters – and not the government – who will continue to pay the inflated price.
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