We all know that the majority of successful bands don’t start out in stadiums. They cut their teeth in grassroots music venues. These venues provide an essential platform for bands to perform, and they support local talent.
The Music Venue Trust, a charity which acts to protect, secure and improve these venues, defines them as beacons of music and key generators of the night-time economy. They inspire towns and attract audiences who add significant value to other aspects of the night-time economy – restaurants, pubs, bars and clubs for example.
Not only do we pay on the door and buy tickets to attend an event, we may also go for a meal somewhere too. Enjoyment is had and money is spent.
Grassroots music venues are at the heart of the music scene and also our communities. When they close they hit our communities hard and the threat of closure is real. The Music Venue Trust continues to do all it can to protect them. The Big Issue is also highlighting their importance by recently launching Venue Watch, a campaign to support and champion them, confirming that grassroots music venues are crucial cultural institutions.
Grassroots music venues in Swansea are doing what they can to help attract more people to the city and they say that additional late-night public transport from Swansea to Cardiff and further afield will help – the last train from Swansea is about 1030pm for example. In partnership with The Arena, Elysium, The Bunkhouse, Hangar 18, Hippos, and Sin City are asking Welsh Government to consider discussing this in the Senedd. For this to happen they need thousands of keen music and arts lovers to sign their petition, and they are nearly a third of the way there. If you would like to sign the petition and hopefully watch the number go up to 10,000 (the number of signatures they need) click on this link: Supporting Swansea’s Grassroots Music Venues (swansea-arena.co.uk) Swansea Council is also doing its bit. It recently advertised for a Music Development Officer to join their Cultural Services team to develop live music in the city.
I read somewhere that a vibrant and mixed night-time economy encourages tourism, boosts the local economy and even contributes to shaping places where people want to live. By supporting grassroots music venues, we provide an audience for up and coming talent and help create scenes and communities – great things can happen when people come together. We support culture and diversity, and we help create jobs. The importance of these venues should never be underestimated, and they should never be taken for granted. Let’s hope that the grassroots music venues in our communities don’t just survive but thrive.