Pete Cogle. Podcaster & Grassroots Music Advocate

Category: News

  • Sunrise – Episode 17, The Last Safe Space

    The Last Safe Space a straight-talking, data-driven podcast from Music Venue Trust. Each episode breaks down the biggest news affecting the UK’s grassroots music venues – from government policy to local wins, campaigns, crisis cases, and how you can take action to support live music.

    In this episode, Toni Coe sits down with Mark Davyd, CEO of Music Venue Trust, for a reflective conversation about the state of the grassroots music sector at the start of a new year. Looking back to January 2020 and the long period of survival that followed, they explore why 2025 was not the year the sector turned the corner, but why the foundations now feel stronger than they have in years.

    Disclaimer: All data is correct on the date of filming 08/01/2026

    Join the Supporters Circle: https://save-our-venues.backstreetmerch.com/collections/membership

    Learn more about our work: https://www.musicvenuetrust.com

  • Music Venue Trust partneres with Setmixer

    Music Venue Trust have recently partnered with Setmixer

    From MVT on Instagram:

    “Music Venue Trust have recently partnered with Setmixer to help bring automated live recording technology to venues across our network, with no upfront costs.

    This system plugs straight into the venue’s live feed and does the rest. Artists get full ownership of high-quality live recordings. Venues get passive income from future sales. And everyone benefits from better documentation, visibility, and archive of what’s really happening in our grassroots spaces, without adding to anyone’s already-overflowing workload.

    It’s a smart, sustainable, and scalable way to support venues and artists alike – and a great example of the practical, low-burden solutions MVT is prioritising in 2026 and beyond.

    Finding models that work under real-world pressures, and not just in theory, is crucial to backing the live sector.”

    You can have a listen to 30sec on each track of events recorded at setmixer.com before you decide to pay for full access. Then you can download and keep the MP3 version. You can sort by band and venue. The Brunswick in Hove has both the Main Room and The Cellar on board!

  • Keeping Bandcamp Human

    I’m not a fan of AI being used in the creative arts. Taking someone else’s creative input and appropriating it as your own is lazy, uncreative and wrong. I want AI to be doing the drudge work, giving people time to learn of develop their musical, artistic or creative sides. Not vice-versa. So I’m happy to see Bandcamp confirm yesterday:

    • Music and audio that is generated wholly or in substantial part by AI is not permitted on Bandcamp.
    • Any use of AI tools to impersonate other artists or styles is strictly prohibited in accordance with our existing policies prohibiting impersonation and intellectual property infringement.

     

  • The Artist Development Cycle: Why it’s Taking Longer to Break New Artists

    “This Is Music” is UK Music’s annual economic report into the financial health of the sector. You can read the full report HERE.

    They have also written an article about the Artist Development Cycle, which you can read HERE. They comment:

    “Artist development is not an exact science with no one fixed method or metric to achieve and measure success. Since 2020, there has been a shift in the market, with fewer debut albums by UK artists making it into the year-end top 1000 album charts, as artists are taking longer to achieve breakthrough success. Some of the factors influencing this trend are global, and there is evidence of similar trends in other markets, most notably the USA. The Artist Development Cycle is easily misunderstood. This section describes the challenges, the context, how the industry is innovating, and where government can help.”

    I’ve included the section of the report on Grassroots Music Venues below.

    Foundations - The Grassroots Ecosystem

     

     

  • The Sound of Silence

    Baroness Hodge has published her independent review of Arts Council England. You can read the whole thing HERE.

    MVT’s Mark Davyd seems less than impressed.

    “The review could have taken the time to endorse a simple contribution from the most commercially successful parts of live music to support the grassroots that feed it. Silence. […]

    Culture in this country is not dying because it lacks boards, frameworks or strategic visions written in careful language. It is struggling because the places where it begins are being starved of oxygen. They are under-funded, over-regulated and constantly asked to justify their existence to systems that fundamentally misunderstand what they do. […]

    The Hodge review offers comfort to those already seated at the table and a flashing neon No Vacancies sign to everyone else.”

    It’s going to be another tough year ahead in 2026.

    The Sound of Silence by Mark Davyd

    Who public funding works for, who it doesn’t, and why that question keeps getting parked.

    Read on Substack

  • MPs write to Chancellor over impact on hospitality and entertainment venues

    Chair of the CMS Committee, Dame Caroline Dinenage MP, said:

    “Venues, clubs and cinemas up and down the country are already struggling for survival, but instead of coming forward with support for premises vital to our high streets and culture, the Government with its planned business rate reform risks pushing many over the edge.

    “The Treasury needs to be open about how it decided on the changes, while the sector desperately needs more details on the alternative support promised by the Prime Minister.”

  • Grassroots music venue “Where Else?” in Margate appeals for help to raise £40k to avoid closure by end of month

    This venue obviously wasn’t being considered by Music Venue Properties as a potential venue to purchase, but it does appear to be in bad shape. They are now crowdfunding for £40,000 to do the following:

    • Clear £15,000 of legacy debt
    • Pay overdue supplier invoices
    • Settle a critical VAT bill
    • Recover lost income from the licence disruption
    • Repay personal credit used to support the venue
    • Stabilise cashflow through the quieter months

  • UK Music Spending Climbs in 2025 — But Artists Still Face Tough Realities

    Data from The Digital Entertainment and Retail Association suggests music revenue in 2025 was up 4.2% on 2024 levels but that the pace of growth has slowed. 

    Given the planned changes to business rates in 2026 this can only get worse.

     

  • Sunrise for Grassroots Music Venues?

    My favourite part of this piece:-

    “If you cannot laugh at the absurdity of explaining, for the fiftieth time, that a venue with a 0.48% margin cannot absorb another pre-profit tax hike, you will end up screaming at a spreadsheet”

    I just wish the politicians actually listened.

     

    Sunrise by Mark Davyd

    Are we emerging from a long dark night for the grassroots music sector?

    Read on Substack

  • Meet the music fans fighting to save grassroots venues

    Meet Rachael McEntee, founder and operator of The Snug in Atherton, near Wigan. One of the properties now owned by Music Venue Properties.

    This article from the Times (via archive.today)

  • Bob Lefsetz

    Bob Lefsetz has been blogging for as long as I’ve been podcasting. Even a few months longer.  Yet I’ve only just heard about him in the last few months, thanks to my old mate Peter Clitheroe. I’ve now subscribed to his Lefsetz Letter where he claims to be first in Music Analysis.*

    He appears to be a big thing in music, yet I very much doubt he and I would be friends. How do I know? Firstly take his Let The Clubs Close blog where he argues that today’s generation do not want to go to clubs to listen to unsigned artists. Now I know I live in a cultural bubble, being close to the city of Brighton where there are numerous Grassroots Music Venues (I stopped counting at 18 but there are more I haven’t been to) so my experience will not be “the norm”.  I saw 97 bands last year, down from 108 in 2024, as I was trying to be more selective about who I saw.  The crowd at these gigs was always varied, but I acknowledge his point that it’s some of todays generation (by which I assume he doesn’t mean me boomer!) do not want want to bother with bands, booze and nights out. Yes, there does appear to be a cultural/generational shift. 

    But I disagree with his assertion that clubs should just be allowed to close because no-one goes there anymore. I also disagree with his assertion that  artists now move from the bedroom producer to the arena headliner thanks to social media alone. He names people who have done this: Chappell Roan, Sam Smith & Olivia Dean, but how many have come along because of the GMV infrastructure? I’ll give him some examples: Coldplay, Sam Fender, Ed Sheeran.  I’m crap at card games but I would win at top trumps bitch! His assertion is not true, at least in Brighton.

    And now we have yesterday’s blog The Live Business, where he now says the world is not producing enough hit acts. He argues that there are no good opening acts trying to blow the headliner off the stage. Well, where have you been going to look Bob? You’re not at the venues I go to, I can assure you. I’ve seen several support acts this year that have blown the socks of some headliners I’ve seen. Is it because I’m still going to the clubs you said should close and you’re not? Because they closed?

    He goes on to say “How about the shows that are struggling, how about quality new acts without traction…who is talking about those, who is championing those?” Well who do you think Bob? Myself, the folks at MVT, MVP and the Live Trust. The Promoters, Agents, Managers and Artists themselves. And how to do they get the “traction” you’re talking about? By playing live, that’s how. At venues that I love, care about, and support by attending. By buying in to Music Venue Properties and becoming a shareholder in the bricks and mortar where the shows take place. 

    But hey, it’s the season of goodwill Bob. If you’re ever in the UK and want to visit Brighton ping me and I’ll take you a gig and we can talk about this some more. 

    * I’ve now unsubscribed from the newsletter. The sheer number of scattergun mindless ramblings produced per week put me right off. Quality not quantity Bob!

  • Crowdsurfing into 2026 – Episode 16, The Last Safe Space

    The Last Safe Space a straight-talking, data-driven podcast from Music Venue Trust. Each episode breaks down the biggest news affecting the UK’s grassroots music venues – from government policy to local wins, campaigns, crisis cases, and how you can take action to support live music.

    In this episode: Toni and Mark Davyd look back on a defining year for the grassroots music ecosystem. From policy battles and frontline crisis support to the rise of community ownership and moments of collective action, they reflect on the pressures, progress, and hard-won victories of the past twelve months. A clear-eyed end of year round-up from Music Venue Trust, closing with thanks to the venues, workers, artists, and audiences who continue to keep the last safe space alive.

    Disclaimer: All data is correct on the date of filming 11/12/2025

    Join the Supporters Circle: https://save-our-venues.backstreetmerch.com/collections/membership

    Learn more about our work: https://www.musicvenuetrust.com

    Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 31:21 — 21.7MB)

  • I’m a proud shareholder

    I got my share certificate yesterday. Now some more venues can operate without the property being owned by someone who cares only about profit, instead of culture!

    You can still become a shareholder by investing HERE.

  • 2025 Christmas Message……

  • MVP 2025 End Of Year Update

  • MVT December 2025 Newsletter

  • The musician’s classroom: Why we need to save grassroots music venues | Steven Smith | TEDxWorthing

    In this talk, Grammy-winning musician Steven Smith reveals why the future of live music depends on the survival of grassroots venues. He shares how global superstars including the artists he has worked with and toured alongside, began their careers playing to fewer than a hundred people in tiny local rooms.

    Drawing on his own early years performing in small South London venues, Steven shows how these intimate spaces give artists the confidence, resilience, and connection that no stadium can replicate. With many grassroots venues now closing due to rising costs, redevelopment, and lack of support, he argues that losing them means losing the next generation of great musicians.

    His message is clear: if we want a thriving future for music, we must protect the places where it truly begins. Steve Smith is a Grammy Award–winning musician with over three decades of experience as a performer, songwriter, producer, and mentor. As a founding member of Dirty Vegas, he earned a Grammy in 2003, achieved Platinum and Gold records worldwide, and toured extensively across the globe.

    In 2019, he contributed to the Grammy-winning hit “Feel It Still” by Portugal. The Man, which went multi-Platinum in more than 30 countries. Since 2017, Steve has been a full-time member of the iconic British band Squeeze, performing on world tours and sharing stages with artists from The Who to Hall & Oates. Alongside his performance career, he mentors emerging musicians through Help Musicians UK and holds a Master’s in Music Enterprise from Waterbear College, specialising in sustainable careers in music.

    This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community.

    Video posted Nov 19, 2025

  • Sector Holding the Line – Episode 15, The Last Safe Space

    The Last Safe Space a straight-talking, data-driven podcast from Music Venue Trust. Each episode breaks down the biggest news affecting the UK’s grassroots music venues – from government policy to local wins, campaigns, crisis cases, and how you can take action to support live music.

    In this episode: Toni and Mark Davyd break down a week of political pressure, frontline crises, and hard won momentum across the grassroots music venue sector. From the fallout of rising business rates and parliamentary scrutiny, to real time crisis support, rights management escalations, and the power of partnerships and community ownership, this Big Friday Round Up takes stock of a sector holding the line. A clear, data led snapshot of where things stand, why it matters, and how listeners can help keep grassroots venues alive.

    Disclaimer: All data is correct on the date of filming 11/12/2025

    Join the Supporters Circle: https://save-our-venues.backstreetmerch.com/collections/membership

    Learn more about our work: https://www.musicvenuetrust.com

    Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 39:12 — 27.0MB)

  • Mark Davyd reflects on the positives and negatives for the grassroots sector in 2025

    Here are the key points from Mark’s monthly column in Music Week, which you can read HERE.

    FIVE NEGATIVES FROM 2025

    1. Policy by accident
    2. The implementation gap
    3. The unsustainable squeeze
    4. The slow bleed of venues
    5. A sector in denial

    FIVE POSITIVES FROM 2025

    1. Artists shift the debate
    2. Fans get a formal voice
    3. Official recognition at last
    4. The ownership model proves itself
    5. The pieces are now on the table

  • Latest on Moth Club

    Hackney Council have finally made a comment regarding the Moth Club, saying

    “Hackney’s planning policies include an ‘agent of change’ principle, which places responsibility on a new development to mitigate for noise, rather than existing venues to change how they operate.”

    The MVT have responded. See their comment below

  • Inside the Network – Episode 14, The Last Safe Space

    The Last Safe Space a straight-talking, data-driven podcast from Music Venue Trust. Each episode breaks down the biggest news affecting the UK’s grassroots music venues – from government policy to local wins, campaigns, crisis cases, and how you can take action to support live music.

    In this episode: Toni speaks with Lala, MVT’s Membership Coordinator, to uncover how the charity understands and supports grassroots venues across the UK. They discuss who makes up the network, the pressures venues are facing, and why MVT has broadened its definition of a grassroots space. A concise look at the data, challenges, and human connections that shape the membership at the heart of Music Venue Trust.

    Disclaimer: All data is correct on the date of filming 20/11/2025

    Join the Supporters Circle: https://save-our-venues.backstreetmerch.com/collections/membership

    Learn more about our work: https://www.musicvenuetrust.com

    Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 25:48 — 17.8MB)

  • An Open Letter To The UK Government

    The entire music industry is united in calling for Sir Keir Starmer and his government to take urgent and decisive action on business rates before ticket prices soar and venues close.
    We have come together today to sign a joint letter to the Prime Minister.
    Why?
    Because the new 2026 Business Rates revaluations will force a £7.2 million tax hike onto UK Music Venues.
    For hundreds of stages this is a closure notice.
    We stand together to demand urgent action:
    Fair Business Rates relief and a valuation system that recognises cultural impact, not just commercial property value.
    This is a pivotal moment for the future of British music.
    And we need your support.
    Share this message.

     

  • LIVE Nation rumoured to be taking on Brighton Hippodrome?

    I can understand why LIVE Nation would want to have Brighton’s Hippodrome amongst it’s Venues. They have the money and it’s cost millions to refurbish the dilapidated site. But I can’t help thinking “It’s not very Brighton, is it?”.

    Prepare yourselves for overpriced tickets for past-their-best acts from the heritage circuit. That probably means I’ll never set foot in it’s hallowed halls when it opens in 2027. Makes me sad, but I’ll just stick to the “research and development” venues around the city.

  • The O2 and Music Venue Trust Forge Landmark Commitment to Fuel Future Talent

    It’s just been announced the O2 will make a direct donation to Music Venue Trust each time a new artist headlines the arena for the first time as part of a wider three-year commitment. It’s not known how much of a donation will be made, but I’m assuming it will vary, depending on the income derived by each of the new headliners.

    But it is known that the O2 had made an initial 6 figure donation to the MVT as a result of hosting 50 first-time performers in the last year. That’s great news.

    Obviously LIVE Nation / Ticketmaster remain to be the stumbling blocker of the complete implementation of a voluntary £1 ticket levy (minus the 20% the government insists on taking!). Lets hope this changes in 2026.

  • The Success of Own Our Venues Round Two – Episode 13

    The Last Safe Space a straight-talking, data-driven podcast from Music Venue Trust. Each episode breaks down the biggest news affecting the UK’s grassroots music venues – from government policy to local wins, campaigns, crisis cases, and how you can take action to support live music.

    In this episode: Toni sits down with Matt and Chris from Music Venue Properties to break down the extraordinary success of Own Our Venues Round Two. Together they explore how the campaign soared from a £1 million goal to £1.5 million in community investment, why 1,349 people chose to become shareholders in the future of grassroots venues, the pivotal moments that shaped the campaign, and what this landmark funding means for the next phase of securing buildings for the UK’s music ecosystem.

    Disclaimer: All data is correct on the date of filming 20/11/2025

    Join the Supporters Circle: https://save-our-venues.backstreetmerch.com/collections/membership

    Learn more about our work: https://www.musicvenuetrust.com

    Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 36:24 — 25.0MB)

  • The imaginary budget of a Chancellor who cares about culture

    Parallel Universe by Mark Davyd

    The budget speech you wanted to hear, the one where the Government actually delivered the radical approach to culture and creative industries they keep talking about.

    Read on Substack

  • Our House, Our People – Episode 12, The Last Safe Space

    The Last Safe Space a straight-talking, data-driven podcast from Music Venue Trust. Each episode breaks down the biggest news affecting the UK’s grassroots music venues – from government policy to local wins, campaigns, crisis cases, and how you can take action to support live music.

    In this episode: Toni and Mark dive into a fast-moving fortnight for grassroots music, covering surging political pressure on Business Rates, big wins in planning, major new partnerships, real-world crisis cases, and the rising wave of community ownership and workforce recognition driving the sector forward.

    Disclaimer: All data is correct on the date of filming 16/10/2025

    Join the Supporters Circle: https://save-our-venues.backstreetmerch.com/collections/membership

    Learn more about our work: https://www.musicvenuetrust.com

    Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 42:53 — 29.5MB)

  • Protect Moth Club – sign the petition!

    MOTH CLUB is facing an existential threat because Hackney Council is considering approval of a residential development next door under delegated authority – denying the venue and its community a public planning hearing despite more than 25,000 objections.

    The Council has sidelined the Agent of Change principle, ignored expert evidence, and withheld a key acoustic report from an FOI request while relying on assessments that independent specialists describe as “useless”. For almost a year, MOTH Club and MVT have struggled to achieve meaningful engagement from planning officers, even after raising serious concerns about flawed reports, contradictory information, and failures in the consultation process.

    If Hackney side-steps national policy here, it sets a catastrophic precedent: any grassroots venue in the UK could be placed in the same position by developers who choose not to mitigate noise. This isn’t just a MOTH Club issue. It’s a test of whether planning protections for cultural spaces have any real weight.

    Add your voice by signing the petition HERE!

  • Budget fails to win fans from the Grassroots Music Sector

    Picture by Simon Dawson. HM Treasury photostream on Flickr. License: CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International
    Picture by Simon Dawson. HM Treasury photostream on Flickr. License: CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International

    Chancellor Rachel Reeve’s budget has done nothing to assuage the fears of the Grassroots Music sector. Take the following quotes:

    “While headline figures for the UK music industry look strong, grassroots and independent businesses and entrepreneurs are under strain”

     – Gee Davy, CEO Association of Independent Music

    “This Budget is yet another episode in the long-running saga of failures to seize opportunities to support grassroots music venues”

    – Mark Davyd, CEO Music Venue Trust

    Both quoted in today’s article at Music Week.

    But the most aggrieved is Rachel Brown at Northern Exposure:

    “I clocked it the second Starmer started spouting bollocks about backing the music scene, it was always gonna be hot air and fuck all else”

    – Rachel Brown, Northen Exposure

    You can read the whole article below.

  • MVT Statement on the November Budget Announcement and November Newsletter

    The Music Venue Trust are not impressed by today’s budget. Despite lots of discussions and roadshows where the Government fan-led review has gone out to the people across the country, the country’s chief accountant* has done nothing for the grassroots music ecosystem.

    * Sorry, she doesn’t have the vision to be called an economist. This is not a slur on her as a female. I think it’s about time we had a female chancellor, but she’s not a Keynes or a Friedman, she’s just balancing the books, like an accountant.

  • Manchester Music In The City 2024 Final Research Report

    Manchester has produced a report which details recommendations to support the Grassroots Music scene. You can download the report HERE.

    It covers four pillars of action:

    1. Ecosystem development with long-term investment
    2. Marketing and Audience development 
    3. Innovation
    4. Council Policy, Structures and Processes

     

  • In Conversation with the Venue Support Team for Scotland & Wales – Episode 11, The Last Safe Space

    The Last Safe Space a straight-talking, data-driven podcast from Music Venue Trust. Each episode breaks down the biggest news affecting the UK’s grassroots music venues – from government policy to local wins, campaigns, crisis cases, and how you can take action to support live music.

    In this episode: Toni speaks with Stina and Aled about the current pressures, regional strengths, and emerging opportunities shaping grassroots venues across Scotland and Wales, from licensing and planning issues to ethics, accessibility, and community-led support.

    Disclaimer: All data is correct on the date of filming 16/10/2025

    Join the Supporters Circle: https://save-our-venues.backstreetmerch.com/collections/membership

    Learn more about our work: https://www.musicvenuetrust.com

    Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 18:47 — 13.0MB)

  • Reselling gig tickets for profit outlawed

    Various articles, including this one in the Guardian talk about this.

    I’ve only ever sold a gig ticket once and it was for the face value (minus the booking fee, I might add) which was fine by me.

    Resale platforms, such as StubHub and Viagogo, will be legally liable if sellers do not comply with the law. This also applies to Social Media selling.

    Lets hope this stamps out the touts and makes it easier for true fans to get the tickets they want (and can afford).

  • The Room Where It Happens

    A substack piece from Mark Davyd, based on a Drowned In Sound article by Emma Wilkes. Plus my own comments below:

    The Room Where It Happens by Mark Davyd

    A short guide to why nobody at your local Grassroots Music Venue is keen to tell you when anything starts

    Read on Substack

    I read the Drowned In Sound newsletter with interest. As I’m frequently one of the guys that arrive at the gig before everyone else I do want to know there will be something worth experiencing when I get there. At a recent festival in Brighton I arrived exactly on time and was told the first band would be on 90 minutes later. I had a nice 10 minute chat with the promoter, but then I was left waiting alone and bored. I eventually took a long walk around the city and returned, still in the minority before the first act.

    In a city where all the drinks cost above the national average either in a pub or a venue, I don’t think the audience are pre-loading at a pub around the corner. It’s just they can’t be bothered to see the support band.

    You’d have thought that there would be many, many bands who would love to take the opening slot, but, for some reason, they don’t get the opportunity. Yet, I’ve seen some bands perform 2 or 3 times as support in different venues in the course of a week. Why would you turn up early to see the same band for the 6th time? Yet, I have been there. Maybe that’s a topic for another day.

    I’ve seen this week reports that Liverpool’s Jacaranda has now cut the price of alcohol at the start of the evening to “Support the supports”. This is a great idea. I love your ideas of a comedian, a DJ or a short film. It certainly beats waiting on your own or walking around the city to kill time. They might even buy an extra drink!

    Also I need to know when the gig ends because I need to judge whether I can enjoy all of the headliner’s set or, faced with an increasing number of cancelled trains, make a break for it and get home before midnight. Recent festivals I’ve been to have put headliners on at 1am, but don’t start early. Not only does this piss off the out-of-town regulars like me, but it means the headliners have a dramatically reduced crowd, and associated atmosphere.

    So, promoters: please start on time and finish early. There will be more time for the band to sell merchandise, for the punters to have one-for-the-road, and for the out-of-town folk to know they’ve been listened to, for once.

  • Part two of Mutations Festival Review

    Part Two of a review of last weekend’s festival from Brighton and Hove News

  • Another Mutations Festival Review

    Part One of a review of last weekend’s festival from Brighton and Hove News

  • Music Venue Properties raises target £1.5M to help save more music venues

    MVP Reaches it's £1.5M target

    In the second phase of crowdfunding and with hours to spare on it’s deadline, Music Venue Properties hit it’s target of raising £1.5million. This will now be used to help save some more music venues that were struggling to afford their leases.

    The following venues are hoped to be now purchased by MVP:

    • Esquires, Bedford
    • The Joiners, Southampton **ALREADY SAVED**
    • Peggy’s Skylight, Nottingham
    • The Croft, Bristol **ALREADY SAVED**
    • The Sugarmill, Stoke
    • The Lubber Fiend, Newcastle
    • The Pipeline, Brighton

    Let’s hope all the venues can be saved.

     

  • The Fight to Keep Grassroots Venues Alive

    Where Great Music Grows: The Fight to Keep Grassroots Venues Alive

    From The Badger, the student’s newspaper of the University of Sussex:

  • Inside Scottish Nightlife: A Panel on Culture, Community & Change – Episode 10, The Last Safe Space

    The Last Safe Space a straight-talking, data-driven podcast from Music Venue Trust. Each episode breaks down the biggest news affecting the UK’s grassroots music venues – from government policy to local wins, campaigns, crisis cases, and how you can take action to support live music.

    In this episode: Arusa Qureshi hosts a panel discussion at EXIT Club in Glasgow, co-produced with Glasgow Life, NTIA Scotland, and the Association for Electronic Music. Together, they explore the heartbeat of Scottish nightlife – its unique culture, challenges, and the collective action needed to ensure a thriving future for live music across Scotland.

    Disclaimer: All data is correct on the date of filming 16/10/2025

    Join the Supporters Circle: https://save-our-venues.backstreetmerch.com/collections/membership

    Learn more about our work: https://www.musicvenuetrust.com

    Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:00:01 — 41.3MB)

  • Sam Fender donates his £25,000 cash prize to the Music Venue Trust.

    Sam Fender has donated his £25,000 cash prize to the Music Venue Trust.

    Fender said: “I wouldn’t be doing what I am doing today if it wasn’t for all the gigs I played around the North East, and beyond, when I was starting out,” he said. “These venues are legendary, but they are struggling.”

    Mark Davyd, CEO and founder of the MVT, said: “This is an incredible gesture by Sam, demonstrating once again that artists absolutely understand how vital grassroots music venues are to their careers and to their communities. We are honoured to accept this donation and will ensure every penny of it makes a direct difference to the campaign to keep live music at the heart of our towns and cities.”

    Fender performing at the Southside Festival in June 2025 as part of the People Watching Tour.

    Fender performing at the Southside Festival in June 2025 as part of the People Watching Tour.

    By Schwabenmodel – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, Link

  • Review of Mutations Festival 2025

    Review from “When The Horn Blows”:

  • Janelle from GENN and Andy Crowley discuss Johnny Marr, Grassroots Venues and the MVT

    Instagram post from Andy Crowley discussing Johnny Marr, Grassroots Venues and the MVT with Janelle from GENN. Plus a longer YouTube video showing Janelle teaching guitar with a violin bow!

     

    View this post on Instagram

     

    A post shared by Andy Crowley (@realandyguitar)


  • Chris Sherrington from Music Venue Properties talks to BBC News about buying The Croft and The Joiners

    Chris Sherrington from Music Venue Properties talks to BBC News about buying The Croft and The Joiners.

     

     

  • In Conversation with Music Venue Properties – Episode 9, The Last Safe Space

    The Last Safe Space a straight-talking, data-driven podcast from Music Venue Trust. Each episode breaks down the biggest news affecting the UK’s grassroots music venues – from government policy to local wins, campaigns, crisis cases, and how you can take action to support live music.

    In this episode: Toni speaks with Chris Sherrington from Music Venue Properties about the Own Our Venues campaign, exploring how community ownership is protecting grassroots venues, the impact so far, and what the future holds for the movement.

    Disclaimer: All data is correct on the date of filming 16/10/2025

    Join the Supporters Circle: https://save-our-venues.backstreetmerch.com/collections/membership

    Learn more about our work: https://www.musicvenuetrust.com

    Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 19:28 — 13.5MB)

  • The Croft and The Joiners purchased by Music Venue Properties

    Latest News from the Crowdfunder

    Music Venue Properties are thrilled to share the news that both The Joiners in Southampton and The Croft in Bristol have now been purchased and brought into community ownership, thanks to their supporters. 

    These venues were among the very first to join the potential new pipeline after the first share offer, with the venues getting in touch well before they had even started to plan this campaign. The threats they were facing meant they had to act fast.

    The press release from MVP doesn’t say what is going to happen to the other venues on this second campaign:

    • Esquires – Bedford  
    • Peggy’s Skylight – Nottingham  
    • The Pipeline – Brighton
    • The Sugarmill – Stoke-on-Trent
    • Northern Guitars – Leeds
    • Gut Level – Sheffield
    • Little Buildings – Newcastle

    If you want to invest some of your own cash into supporting venues such as this, for as little as £100 then go to the Crowdfunder page HERE.

    I suggest you watch the video first.

  • Marshall x Music Venue Trust

    Marshall has partnered with the Music Venue Trust to support grassroots music venues

    ‘Marshall Nights’, will feature emerging artists at a series of gigs at various independent venues, such as Green Door Store in Brighton.

    “Grassroots Music Venues are the lifeblood of the UK’s music ecosystem, they are where artists take their first steps, and where fans fall in love with live music. We’re proud to partner with Marshall, a brand that embodies the sound and spirit of live performance, to keep these vital spaces alive.”

    “Marshall was born from the live stage, and that’s where we belong. Grassroots venues are where every great band starts, and we’re proud to help keep those stages alive for the next generation of artists and fans. This isn’t just about sound, it’s about community, creativity, and giving back to the music that made us.”

    Marshall x Music Venue Trust

  • Mutations 2025 Lineup Announced

    Back to Mutations Festival again next weekend. My 5th time. This time it’s just two days. Once again there are bands I want to see playing until 2am. Fuck that shit! I’m sick of promoters putting on gigs that are after the last public transport home. People that do not live in the city cannot attend those events. Not good enough.

    Clashfinder is here: https://clashfinder.com/s/mutationsfestival2025

  • MVT October 2025 Newsletter

  • In Conversation with the Venue Support Team for England – Episode 8, The Last Safe Space

    The Last Safe Space a straight-talking, data-driven podcast from Music Venue Trust. Each episode breaks down the biggest news affecting the UK’s grassroots music venues – from government policy to local wins, campaigns, crisis cases, and how you can take action to support live music.

    In this episode: Toni speaks with Lloyd and Jay about the latest trends, challenges, and breakthroughs shaping grassroots venues across England – from rising costs to local government support and policy innovation.

    Disclaimer: All data is correct on the date of filming 16/10/2025

    Join the Supporters Circle: https://save-our-venues.backstreetmerch.com/collections/membership

    Learn more about our work: https://www.musicvenuetrust.com

    Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 26:03 — 18.0MB)

  • New MVT patron Goc O’Callaghan from the Arc TanGent Festival talks about MVT

     

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