Dame Caroline Dinenage, Member of Parliament for Gosport, has welcomed the publication of the findings of an independent fan-led review of the live music ecosystem set up by the Parliamentary Committee that she chairs.
The review, which sets out nearly 50 recommendations under seven key principles, follows almost a year of engagement across the country with music fans and stakeholders, including a roundtable at Portsmouth’s Wedgewood Rooms in November.
Key recommendations range from those for the Government to implement, such as introducing legislation to ban the resale of tickets above face value, through to practical suggestions aimed at improving the experiences of fans at large and small venues, such as ensuring the provision of drinking water and the availability of ear plugs.
The review also calls for the UK government to embed the ‘agent of change’ principle in planning legislation in England. This would ensure that when new homes are built near music venues the responsibility to ensure that noise is not a problem would fall on the builder rather than the venue.
Proposals to embed the ‘agent of change’ in legislation are set to be debated in Parliament on Tuesday when the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill returns from the House of Commons. The ‘agent of change’ principle was added to the Bill through a Lords amendment tabled by Conservative peer Baroness McIntosh of Pickering following a similar amendment laid by Caroline last May in the House of Commons, which was not added.
The independent review was one of the recommendations from the predecessor CMS Committee’s report on grassroots music venues, which amplified concerns by venue operators, touring artists and independent promoters regarding the financial precarity of the grassroots music sector, with venues shutting at the rate of two a week.
The UK’s 801 grassroots music venues have found themselves on the frontline of financial and operational challenges over the last few years including energy prices and increased regulatory burdens. The average profit margin for a grassroots music venue is just 2.5%.
Grassroots music venues are the research and development department for the UK’s £8 billion music industry. However, the resilience of grassroots music venues to financial shock is weak, which is why of the 366 small music venues Ed Sheeran played while learning his trade, over 150 are now closed, and only 11 of the 34 venues Oasis played to launch their careers remain.
Welcoming the Charter, Caroline said:
“For too long, the views of fans have been treated as background noise, despite those that attend gigs, concerts and festivals having an under-valued importance in the UK music scene and a unique insight, including on how to ensure its successful future. I’m delighted that the review was able to come to Portsmouth and listen to the voices of those who are driving the music industry through their passion and dedication.
“The recommendations from the independent fan-led review show the potential of putting the power in the hands of those that truly understand and love live and electronic music. We look forward to all those with an interest in securing a sustainable industry engaging with the findings and taking on board the views of the most important people in music.”
ENDS
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You can read the Fan-led review of live and electronic music at https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm5901/cmselect/cmcumeds/1628/report.html
You can read the predecessor Committee’s report into Grassroots music venues at https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm5804/cmselect/cmcumeds/527/summary.html
