Music Venue Trust Announce 20 Grassroots Music Venues Are Still At Risk Of Permanent Closure. Crowdfunder campaign launched.

Monday, March 01, 2021

Music Venue Trust (MVT) has announced that 20 venues remain in imminent danger of permanent closure with 6 newly highlighted venues added to the #saveourvenues Red List.

We have received the following press release;

MUSIC VENUE TRUST ANNOUNCE 20 GRASSROOTS MUSIC VENUES ARE STILL AT RISK OF PERMANENT CLOSURE

#saveourvenues #savethe20

http://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/save-our-venues-red-list

London, February 26th 2021 – Music Venue Trust (MVT), which represents hundreds of UK grassroots music venues (GMVs), has announced that 20 venues remain in imminent danger of permanent closure with 6 newly highlighted venues added to the #saveourvenues Red List.

While Pop in Hyde is now deemed safe and removed from the Red List, The Black Heart and The Fiddlers Elbow in Camden, Stage and Radio in Manchester, Legends Live Lounge in Oldham, The Cobblestones in Bridgwater and Y Llew Coch in Macynlleth have now been deemed at critical risk.

“The crisis is nearing its final lap but we need to make sure these venues finish the race. With the support of artists and audiences, we have fought our way through the last 11 months venue by venue, case by case, trying to make sure that we are able to Reopen Every Venue Safely. These 6 newly highlighted venues need urgent help, and we still have 14 venues that were on our original Red list that we can’t yet guarantee will survive to bring live music back to our communities. We are completely determined that they will.” Mark Davyd, CEO Music Venue Trust.

In November the charity revealed its ‘Traffic Light’ campaign, a new phase of its hugely successful #saveourvenues campaign which is seeking to Reopen Every Venue Safely and Revive Live after the COVID-19 crisis. At that time 30 venues were deemed at risk. Previously 15 of those 30 venues have been removed from the list, and now Pop in Hyde has been declared safe. However, in addition to the 6 venues added to the list today, 14 of the original 30 venues remain at risk:

Alchemy, Croydon

Beehive Jazz, Kingston upon Hull

Boom, Leeds

Dryad Works, Sheffield

Egg, Kings Cross

Spiritual Bar, London

The 1865, Southampton

The Hot Tin, Faversham

The Lexington, Islington

The Post Bar, Tottenham

The Venue, Derby

The Waiting Room, Stoke Newington

The Windmill, Brixton

Venue 38, Ayr

See the national map HERE.
https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/viewer?mid=1rsdHDA7LeBcqIn4MOF7VDM5nvNYlBGRY&ll=52.59951500853822%2C 1.9050950406210632&z=7&fbclid=IwAR2NSpZ4HiU3vdwZiF_vdTiTc34Vu6QGsdPaKxoyPE453Fv72ZcyBc9tRu8

The single landing page for the crowdfunding initiative powered by Crowdfunder can be viewed at http://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/save-our-venues-red-list. People can choose an individual venue to donate to and if an individual target is reached by a particular venue the surplus donations will go towards supporting other venues in crisis.

A range of merchandise is exclusively available to support this campaign from https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/mvtredalert. Every item bought directly supports a venue, with MVT paying the costs of printing, packing and delivery.

RED LIST RELAUNCH
ADDITIONS:

Fiddler’s Elbow (London)
“The Legendary Fiddler’s Elbow Camden now faces closure because of the effects that COVID-19 has had on our small independent business. We need all the financial help we can get to continue to provide London and the local community with live music events, which we have been doing for over 40 years. Prior to COVID the venue was hosting 28 bands a week, giving a vital platform for unsigned, emerging and seasoned artists alike.
We only received minimal government funding and because of that, there is a serious threat to our business. Without donations, we will be forced to close for good. So please help if you can.”
The Fiddler’s Elbow, quote is from Dan Maiden, owner

Stage and Radio (Manchester)
Since March last year we have been unable to host events in our space which made up over 90% of our income, we have also been unable to support the careers and ambitions of all our freelancers, artists, promoters & everyone involved that made our space the venue we all love and cherish.
Over the last 10 months we have been unable to host over 120 events which would have seen in excess of 400 artists and 18,000 patrons through our doors, and unfortunately Stage & Radio was not on the receiving end of Round 1 Culture Recovery Fund.
Donations and support will be used to help ensure the survival of our venue and sustain the work it delivers for artists, audiences and communities in and around Manchester.
Stage and Radio - James Lunham, owner

Legends Live Lounge (Oldham).
“Having jumped at the chance to take over the Legends Live Lounge lease in May 2020, what followed was 20 weeks hard labour and a good few £s of our own, before we finally transformed the space and opened our doors in September.
The great acclaim we received on launching was short lived however, as just 3 days later we were hit with the 10pm curfew, and at the end of only our 7th week we were closed by lockdown measures. We have now been unable to trade since then and have missed out on many crucial events.
Live Lounge customers have been overwhelmingly supportive, and here are just a few of those positive messages…
“You have totally transformed Lees!”
“This is just what Lees needed.”
“Fantastic; we don’t need to travel to Manchester now for a top night out!”
“We’ll be here every week!”
Funds raised from this campaign will be used solely to cover unavoidable outgoings until such a time that we can safely reopen and secure our future.”
Ozzy Kovacevic, owner of Legends Live Lounge

The Cobblestones (Bridgwater)
“Over the past 5 years The Cobblestones has established itself as a musical hub for the local community. Based in a small Somerset town we have welcomed talent from all over the world, from veterans that have played the biggest venues to youngsters that want to build themselves a future in a beautiful industry. In 2020 we saw all our income disappear causing a venue that many know, love and even call home, to face hardships and potential ruin. With the help of Music Venue Trust, The Cobblestones is now attempting to raise much needed funds to ensure our survival and bring everyone back together when it’s safe to do so. We will use any funds raised to ensure the survival of the venue so we can continue to support all the artists and staff that make it what it is. We have explored all other options to keep us going but were not eligible for the Culture Recovery Fund and so now need help to ensure we return when we are allowed to reopen.”
The Cobblestones - Graham Hodgson, owner/manager

Y Llew Coch (Macynlleth)
With the current situation times are very uncertain and we are doing everything we can to keep our great venue and home going. When we can open again we want to be here for you. So many venues are being lost and we don’t want to be another statistic. We have been unable to trade for the last 12 months and this has left us unable to cover some of the costs of keeping the venue going.
We have bills to pay but as well as that we have to replace some of the sound system and the outside stage covering. We have a growing reputation as a leading live music venue. People travel from all over for our gigs, major bands are now adding us to the tour planning. We are more than this, we are a major part of the local community. A place to meet, eat, relax and enjoy each other’s company.
Please help cover these outgoings now and allow us to serve our community and the wider music community for many years to come.
Y Llew Coch - Sam Hill owner and manager
07947150289

The Black Heart (London)
We are The Black Heart and we are in trouble. We are an independently owned ‘destination’ live music venue and bar for people who like heavy music. Since opening in August 2009, we have hosted over 2,500 shows. But after being closed or heavily restricted for over a year we have an insurmountable – and ever-growing – mountain of debt, and our landlords are threatening us with legal action. We need to raise £150,000 to keep the doors open. To help us raise this we’ve been running a Crowdfunder campaign. Thanks to our fantastic community we have currently raised £85,000 and have just over 3 weeks left to raise the remaining. Raising the full amount will allow us to remain open. As a small independently owned venue being on the Red List and having the support of the MVT means so much to us. It allows us to bring our fight to a much larger audience and a bigger impact.

COMING OFF:

POP (Hyde)
In 2020, POP was identified by the national Music Venue Trust (MVT) in the #saveourvenues campaign as one of 30 venues at imminent threat of permanent closure.
POP would like to give a HUGE thanks to the MVT and population of Hyde, along with other supporters including BBC Manchester, Jonathon Reynolds MP, Tameside MBC engagement officers, Manchester Evening News, Hyde Past and Present (Andrew Richardson), Puck Drop Clothing, our Post Office House Landlords and many, many more!  With this fantastic and welcome support, we are pleased to say that POP’s future has been secured!
Jackie Francis, POP Founder, says “we are overwhelmed and very grateful to so many people” and goes on to talk about the amazing Foldesi/Bromley Family who set up a fundraiser of their own for POP, after their relative suffered a stroke and immediately upon gaining consciousness wanted to know how POP was doing!
POP’s plans to open a recording and editing suite and develop their Podcast and YouTube are now secured as is their ability to wait until such time that live music gigs are once more allowed. POP looks forward to reopening the Community Hub when permitted, and we will be very excited to welcome everyone back.
Thank you so much.

Grassroots music venues play a crucial role in the development of British music, nurturing local talent, providing a platform for artists to build their careers and develop their music and their performance skills. These venues also play a vital role in the cultural and economic vibrancy of any village, town or city. Since the pandemic forced Grassroot Music Venues to close their doors early in 2020 Music Venue Trust, via its #saveourvenues campaign, has helped unlock over £80m of funding from donations and government initiatives, which has seen over 500 venues secure their immediate futures.

Music Venue Trust is a registered charity, created in January 2014 to protect, secure and improve the UK live music network by securing the long-term future of iconic grassroots music venues such as Hull Adelphi, Exeter Cavern, Southampton Joiners, The 100 Club, Band on the Wall, Tunbridge Wells Forum etc. These venues have played a crucial role in the development of British music over the last 40 years, nurturing local talent, providing a platform for artists to build their careers and develop their music and their performance skills.

We work to gain recognition of the essential role these venues fulfil, not only for artist development but also for the cultural and music industries, the economy and local communities. We aim to preserve and improve venues, making them more efficient and improving the experience for performers and audiences. Long-term we plan to acquire the freeholds of as many of these vital venues as possible. 

Music Venue Trust is a Charity registered with the Charity Commission of England and Wales, registration no: 1159846.