Music Venue Trust partners to launch Liveline Fund
The Music Venue Trust (MVT) is teaming with live music advocate Save Our Scene (SOS) to launch a new scheme aimed at supporting the independent music scene.
The Liveline Fund is focused on strengthening the future viability of the UK grassroots music ecosystem, with companies, organisations and artists able to make donations through a simple platform.
Coldplay’s vow to donate 10% of their proceeds from their forthcoming Wembley and Hull stadium shows to the MVT served as the first initiative under the partnership, followed by similar pledges by Sam Fender and Katy Perry.
Donations made by the concerts’ promoters (SJM Concerts, Metropolis Music and Live Nation), the band’s booking agent (WME), the venues (Wembley Stadium and Hull Craven Park) and official ticket agents (Ticketmaster, See Tickets and AXS) will also support the new fund.
“We are proud to have formed this partnership with Music Venue Trust following our introduction to Coldplay last year,” says George Fleming, who launched SOS during the Covid-19 lockdown. “The goal of Liveline is to affirm the independent live music ecosystem and ensure the future viability of our sector. A thriving music industry depends on a steady pipeline of talent, which is made possible through supporting grassroots music.
“Collaborative action is essential to ensure this fund achieves its full potential and we look forward to working alongside MVT and other stakeholders in amplifying the fund, its awardees and helping ensure proceeds are distributed in a holistic and transparent way, which benefits the entire grassroots ecosystem, including fans.”
“In George and the team at Save Our Scene, we have found kindred spirits who share our passion to protect the grassroots music sector”
UK footwear and apparel brand Kickers has become the first brand to contribute to the Liveline fund in the wake of the launch of the brand’s Stomping Grounds campaign in partnership with SOS.
Alongside investments in infrastructure, events and touring, UK grassroots venues, artists and independent promoters will be able to apply for funding through an open application process, which will be managed by MVT.
“Working with likeminded people is always inspiring and, in George and the team at Save Our Scene, we have found kindred spirits who share our passion to protect the grassroots music sector in the face of many challenges they are having to confront,” says MVT CEO Mark Davyd. “Save Our Scene has the sort of direct access to the fan community that we feel has been missing from too many of the discussions so far. By partnering with SOS we are taking a first step towards putting fans and their experiences at the heart of the conversation.”
Davyd previously discussed Coldplay’s donation in an interview with IQ in September.
“If the biggest band in the world is telling you that they know that without the grassroots music venues, they probably wouldn’t have got to where they are – and they are going to put their own money out of their shows into a cause to save them – I think the whole music ecosystem should be listening,” said Davyd. “I can’t think of a bigger message than that for our industry.”
“While touring is the best job ever, it is currently technically what you might call a passion project for a lot of artists in 2024”
Meanwhile, British singer-songwriter Kate Nash has garnered headlines after launching an OnlyFans account selling revealing pictures to fund her tours under the campaign slogan “Butts for tour buses”.
“While touring is the best job ever, it is currently technically what you might call a passion project for a lot of artists in 2024,” she said.
Speaking to the BBC, Nash described the music industry as “completely broken” and claimed that “touring makes losses not profits”, adding that she was probably going to make more money from OnlyFans than from music over the next three months.
“I also think it’s bit of a punk protest as a woman to take control of my body and sell it to be able to fund my passion project, which is actually my 18-year career,” she continued. “I want to highlight that, and I want people to talk about it, and I want people to know the truth about what what’s happening in the music business.”
The 37-year-old, who is best known for her 2007 hit Foundations, is currently in the midst of a UK tour, stopping at venues including New Century Hall in Manchester, KOKO in London and Brighton’s Chalk, having recently completed a three-week tour of the US.
“I’m losing money from those tours,” she tadded. “The only way I could find to make a profit on the tour – you’re either going, hopefully I sell enough T-shirts to cover the debt, or you cut people’s wages, or you fire band and crew, or you travel dangerously. So that leaves me in a position where I’m not profiting from tours. So is this a job, or is it a passion project?”
Artists including Chemical Brothers, Little Simz, Santigold, Metronomy, Rachel Chinouriri, Easy Life and Roger Daltrey have previously raised concerns about the cost of touring – particularly in the States – with some axing entire tours.
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