Savages’ Jehnny Beth proposes how to save UK music venues

Savages’ Jehnny Beth has spoken about the lack of resources and poor standards in independent UK music venues, blaming these factors in part for the current problems facing the industry, which ought to intervene and financially assist when possible.

In a post for The Guardian titled ‘Show us the money: how the music industry can save the UK’s small venues’, Beth proposes that the music industry provides direct funding towards struggling venues.

“Just because small venues are the grassroots of the industry, that doesn’t have to mean they can’t benefit from the profits the others make,” she states, saying “music industry support is essential for the survival of independent venues.”

“I believe the idea is more popular among professionals than we think, but maybe it demands a bigger effort – or someone, a hero, to fight for it.”

In the past few weeks, London venues have been hit with high-profile closures. Buffalo Bar will close its doors after New Year’s Eve, and Soho’s Madame Jojo’s was given an immediate shutdown following a violent incident and plans to regenerate the area.

London Fabric was last night (18th December) saved from the threat of closure, after a series of drug-related incidents. Instead of closing their doors, the central London venue has agreed to hire seven £300-a-night sniffer dogs to help prevent the selling and use of drugs on its premises. In the space of 24 hours and prior to the judgement, 30,000 signatures had been added to a Change.org petition to keep the venue open.

Read Jehnny Beth’s Guardian blog in full here.