Italy’s live music biz launches #noconcert campaign

A raft of Italian trade bodies have joined forces to launch a new campaign drawing attention to the ongoing shutdown of the country’s live music industry.

AssoMusica, Arci, Assomusica, Bauli in Piazza, KeepON LIVE and MMF Italy have united to launch the campaign under the banner #Nessunconcerto (no concert).

Concerts have been banned until today (31 January) and the country’s state of emergency has been extended to 31 March 2022, amid the spread of the omicron variant.

The consumption of food and drink at concert halls and other indoor locations is banned until the end of March.

The use of FFP2 masks is also compulsory on public transport, in theatres, concert halls and cinemas and for sporting events until at least 31 March.

In a statement, the associations say that the enduring restrictions – particularly the ban on food and drink – render concerts “economically unstable”.

“The entire sector is once again forgotten”

The bodies point out that the sector has been almost “totally silent” since the very beginning of the pandemic.

“Although, last October, there was a faint hope that we could start towards a gradual, albeit slow, restart, in recent months an entire sector, that of contemporary live music, is once again forgotten,” reads the statement.

The #Nessunconcerto launched exactly one year after the associations’ previous campaign, L’ultimo Concerto? (The Last Concert?), a campaign that has been defined as ‘one of the largest webmobs’ the sector has seen.

The initiative launched on social media at the end of January 2021 when Italian venues posted images with the year of foundation and the year 2021 with a question mark to suggest that the crisis may force the permanent closure of these spaces sooner rather than later.

The culmination of the campaign involved 130 Italian venues livestreaming ‘silent’ performances from renowned artists including Lacuna Coil on 27 February 2021, marking a full year since the first venues closed and stages fell silent.

The campaign was originally launched in Spain to highlight the increasingly uncertain future of music venues.

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Italy’s music sector allotted €50m after ‘The Last Concert’

Italy’s music industry has been allocated €50 million by the government following ‘The Last Concert?’ (L’ultimo Concerto?), a campaign which has been defined as ‘one of the largest webmobs’ the sector has seen.

The initiative, promoted by KeepOn Live, Arci and Assomusica in collaboration with Live DMA, launched on social media at the end of January when Italian venues posted images with the year of foundation and the year 2021 with a question mark to suggest that the crisis may force the permanent closure of these spaces sooner rather than later.

The culmination of the campaign involved 130 Italian venues livestreaming ‘silent’ performances from renowned artists including Lacuna Coil on 27 February, marking a full year since the first venues closed and stages fell silent.

Two days after the event, minister for culture Dario Franceschini announced that a new decree had been signed, allocating €50m for live clubs, concerts, authors, artists, performers and performers.

Fifteen million euros is dedicated to live clubs and other operators in the live music sector, €10m to concert organisers to compensate losses due to cancelled dates or missed dates, and €25m to authors, performers and performers for missed collections.

AssociaMusica, the Italian association of live event organisers and producers, says The Last Concert has given way to ‘a new phase of reflection and awareness’ about the future and sustainability of the sector.

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Italian venues adopt ‘The Last Concert?’ campaign

Italy’s live music sector is preparing to host ‘The Last Concert?’ (L’ultimo Concerto?), a campaign which was originally launched in Spain last year to highlight the increasingly uncertain future of music venues.

More than 130 Italian venues will live stream performances under the campaign banner on 27 February, a full year since the first venues closed and stages fell silent.

The initiative, promoted by KeepOn Live, Arci and Assomusica in collaboration with Live DMA, launched on social media at the end of last month when Italian venues posted images with the year of foundation and the year 2021 with a question mark to suggest that the crisis may force the permanent closure of these spaces sooner rather than later.

“When will the last concert be? Or maybe it has already been?” reads the statement from the campaign group.

“Live clubs and concert halls carry the weight of almost a year of closure on their shoulders. Currently, despite the enormous role that these spaces have in terms of the creation, promotion and dissemination of culture and their indisputable social value, it can be said that they have been almost ignored by the numerous decrees that have followed one another in recent months. Provisions have mentioned cinemas and theatres in terms of entertainment but have not devoted due attention to these realities which risk [music venues] disappearing.”

The campaign group has also highlighted urgent requirements to prevent the live sector from permanently closing including economic compensation “proportional to the level of impact that the sector has suffered in these 12 months and in the months to come” as well as institutional recognition equal to that of cinemas and theatres which would entitle it to subsidies and support measures.

‘The Last Concert?’ will be streamed for free at 9 pm CET on www.ultimoconcerto.it featuring performances from Lacuna Coil at Alcatraz in Milan, The Social State and Botanics from Locomotiv in Bologna, Marina Rei from Angelo Mai in Rome, Cosmo from Fabrique in Milan, Bobo Rondelli from Borderline in Pisa and more.

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Spanish venues host silent concerts in protest

More than 125 Spanish venues hosted silent performances last night as part of ‘The Last Concert’ (#ElÚltimoConcierto), a campaign which was launched to demonstrate the severity of the situation facing music spaces if further support is not provided.

Apolo Hall in Barcelona and Madrid’s Café La Palma were among the iconic Spanish venues that livestreamed ‘performances’ with the message: “Yes … you are listening well. If urgent measures are not applied, the concert halls will remain silent”.

Silencio en #elultimoconcierto Potentisimo mensaje, lágrimas. #CulturaSegura @Sala_Apolo @AsaccConcerts @ActuaCultura pic.twitter.com/zH4OtjeL5y

— Sergi Barnet (@BarnetPlanet) November 18, 2020

Artists including Amaia, Louise Sansom, Joan Colomo, Núria Graham, David Carabén, La Casa Azul, Miqui Puig, Ferran Palau, Suu, Egosex, Maria Arnal and El Petit de Cal Eril took part, silently expressed their impotence for the absence of live music or wielded signage that read ‘culture does not stop’ and ‘no more taxes’.

‘The Last Concert’ campaign initially launched with venues posting photos on social networks with the year of the venue’s foundation and the year 2020 with a question mark to demonstrate their struggle to survive beyond 2020.

Les sales de concerts i els músics fan visible la greu situació que pateixen per la pandèmia amb el silenci de la música en directe. #lultimconcert @AsaccConcerts pic.twitter.com/2MkxEiH4kx

— iCat (@iCatfm) November 18, 2020

According to the campaign group, 25,000 concerts in Spain will have been cancelled this year, causing a total loss of €120 million for concert halls. These spaces employ almost five thousand direct workers, whose jobs are at risk. Most Spanish venues have reportedly been shuttered for eight months and have received no financial income and/or are waiting to receive public aid and opening permits.

The initiative’s manifesto says “the action of all administrations is urgent” to save venues. “At its three levels, the state, the autonomous communities, and the city councils must listen to the shock measures that are proposed to reduce monthly expenses, commit to allocating financial aid for 2021 to compensate for the losses suffered so far, and guarantee the continuity of this basic and essential sector, such as the concert hall circuit.”

En serio. @MiquiPuig en @Sala_Apolo ahi solo estremece. #elultimoconcierto es que lloro pic.twitter.com/oTmtotRba8

— Fernando Delgado Lizarraga (@FerDelgadoLiza) November 18, 2020

According to the Catalan government’s draft plan, cinemas, theatres, auditoriums and concert halls are expected to open on 23 November with 50% capacity and a maximum of 600 people. So far, the only cultural spaces that have been permitted to open are museums and exhibition halls at 33% of the capacity.

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Spanish venues prepare for ‘The Last Concert’

Music venues across Spain are preparing for a livestream event dubbed ‘The Last Concert?’ to highlight the severity of the situation facing the country’s cultural facilities, due to ‘lack of action and political will’ from the government.

Next Wednesday (18 November), over 90 venues including Barcelona’s Apolo Hall and Madrid’s Café La Palma will come together and livestream performances from a host of artists, yet to be announced, for free from 8 pm.

The event is part of a wider campaign called #ElÚltimoConcierto (The Last Concert) which saw iconic Spanish venues post photos on social networks with the hashtag, as well as its year of foundation and the year 2020 with a question mark to suggest that the crisis may mean the closure of these spaces.

“We unite to celebrate what could be the last concert if the administration does not take the necessary economic and political measures to avoid the disappearance of this network of cultural facilities that are essential for the development of artists and cultural life of our territory,” the manifesto reads.

“As one of the sectors most affected by the crisis, with most spaces not yet able to open their doors, we need attention proportional to our degree of affectation if we want to avoid the impoverishment and cultural desertification of our territory, which unfortunately would be irreversible.”

“We unite to celebrate what could be the last concert if the gov does not take the necessary economic and political measures”

According to the campaign group, 25,000 concerts in Spain will have been cancelled this year, causing a total loss of €120 million for concert halls. These spaces employ almost five thousand direct workers, whose jobs are at risk.

At least 15 music venues have permanently closed already, according to AP Musicales.

Last week, prime minister Pedro Sánchez and his cabinet declared a six-month state of emergency, set to remain in force until 9 May, with periodic reviews.

The decree will allow Spain’s regional governments to order an overnight curfew to run from 11 pm to 6 am, or to begin and finish an hour earlier or later.

Promoters including Live Nation Spain, Doctor Music, Madness Live and Producciones Animadas have commented on the new wave of measures for IQ.

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