Hull City Council’s Post

The UK's nightlife is on its knees: We're losing 10 venues every single month, with over a third of clubs already gone since 2020. At this rate, our club culture could vanish by 2029. But there's hope - here's why supporting independent music matters more than ever... Small independent labels play a crucial role in cultivating the music industry from the ground up. They often serve as the first platform for emerging artists, providing them the initial exposure they need before moving on to bigger opportunities. At Primitive UK, we take pride in offering this platform to deserving emerging artists, giving them recognition that enables them to achieve greater success. While on the surface, the UK music scene appears healthy with 35% growth pre-pandemic, these figures mask a more complex reality. The sector's recent growth was primarily driven by concert revenues, which rose 19% year on year. However, these numbers are dominated by major stadium tours from artists like Beyoncé and Coldplay, which accounted for almost three-quarters of the total £6.1bn made last year by corporate entities like Live Nation. This concentration of money among a select few doesn’t represent the grassroots scene and marginalises the challenges faced by the broader music ecosystem. A thriving music scene needs to grow organically, yet the attention seems to focus on the top 1% of artists. This overlooks the closure of 10 nightclubs a month across the UK and the decline of nightlife culture. The success of mega-tours shouldn't distract from the vital role that underground venues and independent labels play in nurturing new talent. The best way to sustain a vibrant music scene is through support of small labels and events. This can be as simple as sharing posts of artists you like, discussing new music with friends or just going out and seeing a new band. By fostering a culture of sharing music and supporting independent artists, we create an environment where the entire scene can flourish. SUPPORT SMALL LABELS.

Although the initial title of this article might suggest that the entertainment and music sector in the UK is thriving, the truth is quite the opposite. For instance, figures like "the South West has seen an 86% increase in music tourism, rising from one million in 2022 to two million in 2023" indicate positive news. It is fantastic that the boost to local economies and jobs over the festival summer period continues to support growth. However, as I have written about previously and in line with the Association of Independent Festivals (AIF), over 50 UK festivals have been completely closed, postponed, or cancelled for 2024. This highlights the much deeper financial strain and pressures behind the scenes. With the recent change in government, let's hope that proactive measures are put in place to support the heart of this sector in the UK. 🙏 #concessions #management #festivals #musicsector #entertainment https://lnkd.in/dj2R7pan

It is a shame to see another live music venue go, but let’s be clear about the real problem. Our culture has changed and the industry is not keeping pace. If a healthy underlying business model existed, a new Mikey's or Blues Can would spring up and take their place. The world is changing in ways that local music venues can't compete with individually. The industry needs to innovate, build a brand, attract new customers and evolve. If Cold Garden can compete locally with Anheuser-Busch why can’t local music? It is not because of a lack of talent. We have decided (through our elected leaders) that city-building mega projects are important, we need to decide if the same is true for grassroots venues like Mikey's.

Grassroots music venues are extremely important, not just for the development of future talent, but for the cultures that don't produce popular music artists. Friends in the folk music community have been reaching out recently to our fellows to pre-buy tickets to gigs because venues cannot put events on without knowing capacities. It is hard for Grassroots Venues to know if their night is going to be profitable if there is no previous information on the artists, for example, a sell out stadium tour or a multi-albim record deal. Grassroots music, as an artist, is about finding your feet and what works well with your music. It's about finding your audience, and ultimately making money doing the thing you love doing above all else. Often grassroots artists have a full time job because playing at your local venue doesn't pay as well as becoming a high paid, record producing artist, who becomes a household name. Grassroots venues are smaller, their in towns and villages, and they bring in genres of music that don't permiate into the collective psyche. They bring together religions, cultures, beliefs and emotions from all walks of life. Without them some of your household names wouldn't exist. This report shows how many of these important venues are closing because we are not supporting them. There's something to be said about large music venue atmospheres, because it brings a vibe that everyone is a part of. But those intimate concert/gig venues bring about community feelings and emotions that to an artist can't be replicated in a larger venue. I believe in grassroots venues and I just want to know if you all do too? https://lnkd.in/enA9wr7R

The club market in 2024 faces unprecedented challenges, but what does that mean for the future of live music? Pollstar dives into the topic with insights from industry leaders, including our own Stephen Chilton of Psyko Steve Presents. From shifting audience habits to rising costs, this article sheds light on the hurdles—and opportunities—that come with running independent venues and promoting live music in today's landscape. 🎶 Read the full piece here: https://lnkd.in/gueTUZCv

🎫 A Ticket to the Future: Securing Bristol’s Music Legacy The newly-released A Ticket to the Future report outlines a bold vision to create Bristol's first Music Fund—an initiative designed to invest in the city’s iconic music sector. At its heart is an innovative 1% ticket fee on music events, paid at the point of sale, to support grassroots venues, artists, and promoters. A recent survey found overwhelming public support: 93% of respondents are happy to pay the fee, with 96% saying it would have "no effect" or even make them "more likely to buy a ticket," knowing the proceeds benefit Bristol’s music scene. Rooted in community power, the fund has the potential to generate £400k to £1m annually—providing crucial support at a pivotal time. This report also comes as Motion, one of the UK’s top music venues, faces lease renewal challenges in 2025, further highlighting the urgent need for sustainable solutions to protect Bristol's cultural ecosystem. 🔗 https://lnkd.in/eqgDgkCu #BristolMusic #GrassrootsVenues #MusicInnovation #CulturalSustainability #BristolNights #MusicFunding Bristol Nights

GOOD HEDONISM -- Live music venues, clubs and bars feed creativity and drive social change. But they’re increasingly in danger, and the global hollowing-out of nightlife has the power to radically change culture. Last year, 125 grassroots music venues closed permanently and 1,293 pubs shut their doors across Britain. According to the Night Time Industries Association, more than 3,000 pubs, clubs and venues have closed down in London alone since the pandemic began in March 2020. With numbers like that, it’s worth asking: If we lose nightlife, what else do we lose? • The damage is naturally economic, but “social and cultural,” too. Nightlife “brings people together and remains an insistently communal experience,” even as society becomes more atomized, and is an outlet for collective movements. • Gigs and clubs require us to be together – as friends, but also with those we don’t know. Luis Manuel Garcia-Mispireta, an academic who researches dance-music scenes, calls this “stranger-intimacy”. • "Hedonism can lead to trouble of the negative kind, but it can also lead to trouble that changes the world." • After dark, revelations and revolutions happen. Marginalised communities have found freedom in nightlife, and gone on to push that freedom into the daylight. People who were at the Stonewall riots say that their protest emerged from an insistence on the right to dance freely. Want to dig into this more? 📖 'Life After Dark: A History of British Nightclubs and Music Venues' by Dave Haslam 📖 'Together, Somehow: Music, Affect, and Intimacy on the Dancefloor' by Luis Manuel Garcia-Mispireta 📖 'Gay Bar: Why We Went Out' by Jeremy Atherton Lin