The death of the grassroots circuit 

In a recent BBC article, Ian Youngs wrote about Oasis’ first headline tour from exactly 30 years ago. The venues listed in the article are small, fitting up to 250 people. They are made for smaller artists with smaller crowds, allowing for a more intimate performance and a way for bands to promote their work and garner a stronger fanbase. However, it has come to be that 9 out of those 15 venues that Oasis graced in their first tour are now closed or no longer hosting gigs.

There are numerous reasons for this. Notably, the small nature of these shows warrants limited profits for the bands and venues alike, which has only worsened due to the rising fees, bills, rent, and wages, which have increased at a greater pace than ticket prices and bar takings. Furthermore, with the cost-of-living crisis, people are going out less and spending less when they do, which inhibits the profit able to be made by venues. There is also reduced touring for some online artists, who are able to grow fanbases through TikTok and social media as opposed to live performances. This leaves these venues running pay cheque to pay cheque, reliant on club nights and cover bands to bring in revenue, limiting the extent to which these Grassroot venues can be used to highlight and promote small, up-and-coming artists.

One demand from the MVT is that larger venues and big promoters should put a portion of their earnings into smaller clubs and pubs

The decaying nature of the Grassroots Circuit – shown by, for example, Bath Moles shutting in December 2023 – led to the Music Venue Trust (MVT) being set up to champion the cause of the grassroots circuit. One demand from the MVT is that larger venues and big promoters should put a portion of their earnings into smaller clubs and pubs. They argue this on the basis that big artists were able to grow and provide heightened profit to arenas due to the smaller venues existing and providing platforms for the artists in their infancy, demonstrating that major gig operators benefit from the presence of small venues. This goes beyond benefitting the artists, but also provides experience to sound engineers, promoters, and staff who are able to work at festivals and big arenas.

It’s really important to support smaller grassroots venues, but it’s also exceptionally easy. These venues sell tickets for bands at prices incomparable to the larger venues. A grassroots venue ticket can cost as little £3 – with New Adelphi showcasing four bands for that price – and generally tend to cost below £20. In comparison to the costs of shows featuring larger artists, in a less intimate venue and with an often objectively poorer view, it’s an undeniably appealing offer. It’s important to consider widening your playlists and experiencing underground and smaller artists, because whilst it’s not cool to hate popular things, it is cool to be an OG fan. Furthermore, it is often the smaller venues that work to enshrine values that we should be supporting, such as environmentally friendly practices and supporting local economies and communities.

In Coventry, we have The Tin at The Coal Vaults , The Empire and even Kasbah Nightclub hosting gigs

If you are unsure of where to start and would love to discover new music and support small local bands and businesses, the MVT has a ‘gig-guide’ which can show you nearby venues hosting gigs which can be filtered by genre for ease of use. Through this tool, you can discover that, for example, in Coventry, we have The Tin at The Coal Vaults , The Empire and even Kasbah Nightclub hosting gigs. Birmingham also has a range of venues, such as The Sunflower Lounge and The Night Owl.

Another way to discover venues is through following the tours of any smaller artists you may already know. For example, through Passive Fix’s tour, venues such as Dead Wax in Digbeth and Gulliver’s in Manchester were brought to attention. Similarly, in following Softcult, you can find venues like Flapper in Birmingham, The Lanes in Bristol and The Underworld in London.

This piece demonstrates not only the importance of the grassroots venues, but the ease at which you are able to support these venues, alongside the benefits of showing support. I implore you to read further and engage with MVT’s Manifesto for Grassroots Music and work to protect, secure, and improve the Grassroots Circuit.