Agent Of Change; Future Of Hope
Music Power's historic triumph at Westminster. Keep pushing for the Agent Of Change via your MP.
Music Venue Trust, UK Music, John Speller MP, Sir Paul McCartney, Frank Turner, Nadine Shah, Pink Floyd, John Robb, Billy Bragg, Chrissie Hynde, Craig David, Brian Eno Ray Davies, Feargal Sharkey and newcomers, The Blinders, are among an array of names participating in a historic day for music. On 10th January 2018, hope united a KIN-dom of music lovers and twitter trended #AgentOfChange #SaveLiveMusic all day.
We need our world famous small venues. The Agent of Change Principle is common sense: The person or business responsible for the change is responsible for managing the impact of the change. An apartment block to be built near an established live music venue would have to pay for soundproofing, while a live music venue opening in a residential area would be responsible for the costs.
If we save live music we have globally successful entertainment economy to make our brexit broken Britain GREAT again with this multi billion industry. Of more importance is the social collusion and therapeutic joy. Small entertainment venues are where bands and relationships form, friendships and futures are made. For centuries.
Within three years since forming, the ever achieving Music Venue Trust (MVT) have built a collective voice with a growing number of partners. When Michael Dugher became CEO of UK Music last year, Agent of Change became a priority.
TheZineUK were at the annual Venues Day in October, where he announced John Spellar MP’s intention to take a Bill to Parliament.
Also present (among a massive swathe of the British Irish gig circuit community at Ministry Of Sound) was musician, Frank Turner, who has fronted the campaign to make Agent Of Change a part of UK Law.
Steve Lamacq's opening speech noted that some of the best taste makers he knows are grass roots promoters. He remembered seeing Radiohead, Elastica, Coldplay, Blur, Manic Street Preachers and more, before they were signed, at small venues, that are now shut.
Pic: MVT patrons, John Robb and Frank Turner spotted on one of the panels at Music Venues Day 2017.
The cameraderie of these annual conventions spilled over to Westminster in the second week of 2018 (a.k.a. #BowieForever week)
Since then, UK Music, MVT and The Musicians Union have worked together to raise support for the Agent Of Change bill, backed by further industry bodies, while cross-party support has built in Parliament.
Artists including Sir Paul McCartney, Chrissie Hynde, Craig David, Sandie Shaw, Tom Hingley of Inspiral Carpets, Ray Davies, Billy Bragg, Feargal Sharkey, Everything Everything and Pink Floyd's Nick Mason have added their voices.
Wednesday 10th January 2018. The times, they are a changing.
The Day started early with reports on BBC RAdio 5 live interviewing musician activists John Robb and Thomas Haywood.
The latter, guitarist and singer with new rock band, The Blinders, is very much what this is all about.
In October 2016, they were virtually unknown student's playing MVT's FIGHTBACK all dayer at London's Roundhouse.
Now a word of mouth underground "youthquake" courtesy of the grass roots circuit (and the festival stages they lead to), they've recently signed a record deal, recorded a debut album and supported The Charlatans, CABBAGE, IDLES and more .
Through February they play their first own headline tour in the very venues that MVT support. Even in the digital age, word of mouth reputations for our best hopes for the future need the grass roots music venues to hone their craft and create their individual chapters of our collective heritage.
Right now, with the biggest wave of exciting new potential in AGES, is not the time to lose our treasured circuit. ‘It isn’t talent shows on television or theatre schools that propagate great music, it’s small venues.‘They’re the setting of everything great that’s come out of the music scene in this country, from The Beatles to Oasis and beyond." (Chrissie Hynde)
John Robb was also then talking about Agent Of Change on BBC One TV's Breakfast show with OneDa aka Flowchild and Michael Dugher of UK Music.
At 10am a delegation collected outside Parliament to further publicise the cause, with interviews taking place throughout the day.
MVT patrons including Billy Bragg, Nadine Shah, Sandie Shaw, Jeremy Pritchard (Everything Everything), Rhoda Dakar and David Gedge of The Wedding Present have lent their voices alongside the venues, to help gain further traction.
John Spellar MP’s Bill was read in Parliament and no objections were raised.
A huge list of sponsors of the Bill accompanied the first reading, meaning that this can now progress to a second reading (on 19th January). Always working collectively to create a voice for the grassroots sector, MVT thanked everyone who has supported the campaign and encourage anyone who has not yet done so to write to their MP to ask them to support the Bill.
Billboard Magazine ran the headline "UK Music Industry Bands Together to Save Grassroots Venues From Closure". Summed up the succesful day perfectly. Actual positive news.
TheZineUK were going to update on #TheMusicPeopleParty one month on. With the national press support for Musicians Against Homelessness announcing the widely publicised #RoyalBedding events, among much else there was lots to say. But, we're all dependant on small venues, anyway. MVT are part of our ongoing story, and this was more important. On his first interview of the day (BBC Radio 5 Live), John Robb mentioned about The Blinders being possible Glastonbury headliners. From The Beatles to The Blinders, The power of small music venues are making Britain great again. Thank you MVT! Involvement/Information: musicvenuetrust.com
Last word? The above mentioned Passion for small venues on BBC TV. From public and interviewees alike...
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