UK music industry pushes for Agent of Change to protect grassroots venues

Members of the UK music industry gathered outside Parliament yesterday to show their support as introduction of the Agent of Change bill was being discussed.

The bill will protect London grassroots venues from closure due to noise complaints.

If passed, it would mean that councils will take into account the pre-existing presence of music venues before they green-light new developments, and property developers would be responsible for sound proofing their buildings if they are built in areas where music venues already exist.

It is believed that the UK industry was particularly inspired by the positive results for the live music industry emanating from the state of Victoria adopting the Agent of Change some years ago.

Chief Executive of UK Music and former Labour MP Michael Dugher said: “If you don’t have really healthy grassroots music venues where on earth are the next generation of global superstars going to get their chance to learn their craft, hone their trade, build an audience?

“It’s tomorrow’s Adeles, tomorrow’s Ed Sheerans, tomorrow’s stars… All of the biggest names in music, all started somewhere.

“They were all given a stage somewhere and we’re in danger of taking that stage away from them.

“The huge global success we enjoy at the moment is being put in jeopardy unless we do something about protecting music venues… Agent of Change is an SOS to ministers to act and act urgently.”

The music industry wants it ultimately to be expanded to cover the entire United Kingdom where Agent of Change does exist on paper but is not compulsory.

It was already passed in Wales last May and comes into effect in the UK spring.

30 million people attended UK music events in 2016.

But over the past decade, 35% of venues around the country have had to close, including the legendary London venue The Marquee.

Some like Ministry of Sound spent £1 million (A$1.72 million) in legal costs when it was threatened with closure.

Other reasons for closing their doors have been rising rents and licensing restrictions.

The venue crisis has generated warnings from the likes of Sir Paul McCartney, Billy Bragg, Chrissie Hynde of The Pretenders, Brian Eno, Imogen Heap, Ray Davies and Pink Floyd’s Nick Mason that the next generation of music stars will have no place to kick-start their careers.

Hynde said, "It isn’t talent shows on television or theatre schools that propagate great music, it’s small venues.”

Labour MP John Spellar, one of the new law’s strongest advocates, added that the British music industry needed to be protected at a time when its impact – and export dollars – was going through a strong period.

“We are in danger of taking away the ladder that has served both individual musicians and the music industry so well for so long,” he said.

“We are second to the United States in international reach and sales..."

He added that the closure of venues also meant “narrowing a route of opportunity for working class youngster, many from our deprived inner cities and left-behind industrial towns.”