A call for clarity
Chris Carey , CEO of Media Insight Consulting and co-author of industry report Live Music at a Cliff Edge , says live music can drive economic recovery but the industry urgently needs clarity from the Government to succeed .
In 2019 , live music contributed £ 4.5bn to the UK economy . Some of that was ticket sales , some was spent inside the event and much of it was spent in the local economy around the event . If managed well , music can drive economic recovery . It can coax people off the sofa and back into our restaurants and bars before a show , but to do that everyone , from promoters and venues to artists and crew , need clarity about what measures will be imposed to protect us from Covid-19 .
Two months on from “ Freedom Day ” we have seen clear evidence that event professionals can run world class events in a Covid-safe way . Initially , Latitude and Tramlines each released data demonstrating how little Covid transmission took place , even though Covid was present on site . Since then , the festival summer has kicked into gear and , again , the combination of vaccination prevalence and the safety measures on site are doing exactly what they are designed to do ; keep people safe while having an incredible live experience . It ’ s taken a lot of work behind the scenes and the success should be celebrated .
Importantly , indoor shows are taking place safely too , from full capacity crowds at The O2 through to grassroots music venues up and down the country – and everything in between – being delivered safely . While the biggest events might grab the headlines , the return of music to everyday life , in a local venue , is an especially powerful step in getting the whole industry moving again .
We are certainly not out of the woods yet . The 15,000-capacity NASS in Somerset cancelled recently , citing lack of government support on insurance underwriting . This doesn ’ t just affect fans , who were understandably disappointed , but also all the professionals who were set to make the event happen will go without work . Other events are pushing ahead , but behind the scenes the risks they are taking to do so are enormous , especially as the rules are evolving and changing around them .
When the UK declared itself fully open on 19 July fans flooded back . Yet that same day , a plan to insist on vaccination passports also came to light . A plan which
Chris Carey
was pursued loudly for months yet has since been cancelled and is now being held in reserve as part of the Government ’ s “ Plan B ”. For fans and industry this
“ While the biggest events might grab the headlines , the return of music to everyday life , in a local venue , is a powerful step in getting the whole industry moving again .”
was another corkscrew bend on the roller coaster . The thing that both professionals and music fans desperately need is certainty .
Certainty is a lot to ask for in a rapidly changing world , as new variants and new findings come to light . The Government absolutely needs the flexibility to react to the latest science , and no one would seek to deprive them that , but in the absence of
certainty we need predictability and consistency from the Government . If they can provide that , then the live music sector can start to rebuild and bring crowds back to high streets , restaurants and bars , as well as venues .
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