Annual grassroots music celebration ‘more important than ever’

For seven days at the end of January a national campaign will encourage people to seek out and support the grassroots spaces that form the backbone of the city’s music scene.

Independent Venue Week (IVW), the annual celebration of the UK’s independent music venues and the people behind them, runs from January 27 to February 2.

Participants suggest the spotlight is particularly welcome this year given the challenges facing the grassroots music industry, with small venues closing at an alarming rate and the Music Venue Trust calling for a financial lifeline from major music events to bolster a scene that is faltering under pressures associated with Brexit, Covid and the cost-of-living crisis.

Bristol venues taking part include the Canteen on Stokes Croft, longstanding family-run venue The Louisiana, Lakota and The Love Inn, a Team Love project.

“We’re really proud to offer free live music and are very passionate about spaces such as ours being able to exist and give opportunities to upcoming & seasoned musicians alike,” said Liam Stocks, manager of the Canteen which has live music every night of the week for free or a minimal charge to punters.

The Canteen proudly showcases music of all genres and descriptions, as well as hosting regular funk, hip hop and jazz jams – photo: The Canteen

“Statistics show live music venues are closing at a worrying rate and it’s so important they’re kept alive and supported. We’re taking part [in IVW] for this reason as we’re proud to be a part of the community here.”

The venue estimates they welcome 90,000 gig attendees and rack up over 300 artists or groups each year.

Over the week they’ll be hosting a hip hop jam session, anglo-Brazilian eight-piece Soma Soma, and a dub night with Ishan Sound and prolific MC Rider Shafique – previously seen locally with Madly and Snazzback.

“Bristol has a reputation for being a creative city, fun nights out, great music,” said Stocks. “Yet it is fighting against gentrification, making running costs – and cost for musicians living here – sky high. So keeping Bristol’s culture alive feels more important than ever.

“If we don’t use the indie venues we’ll lose them, as well as the creative people that make this city great.”

 

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It’s an attitude vehemently adhered to by The Louisiana, a small yet vital venue in the centre that has seen acts like Muse, Dua Lipa, Chemical Brothers and Amy Winehouse grace their stage since they started hosting gigs in 1996.

Their IVW show is a celebration of local talent. Headliners LICE, who deliver “a new kind of satirical music” with a foundation of industrial, minimalist and prog sounds, said: “The Louisiana is a place very dear to us, having hosted us when we were starting out and supporting us constantly since, as well as being the hallowed ground that our latest masterpiece Third Time At The Beach was recorded at.

“Mig Schillace and the whole team at the venue are some of the best humans out there.”

The three-floor takeover, with Blood Wizard, Leeches, The New Cut, and Eva Penney Band also on the bill, is supported by Beavertown who are sponsoring shows at seven other “iconic” venues across the country.

The brewery is covering artist fees and production costs so the venue can hold on to 100 per cent of ticket and bar sales, and also providing green room drinks for performers.

The love Inn’s Outer Edges Beat jam is designed to bridge the gap between electronic live music, hip hop, jazz, funk and soul. Special guest performers will feature at their IVW edition – photo: The Love Inn

The Love Inn, an electronic music haven on Stokes Croft that celebrated a decade in the business last year, is celebrating IVW with a special edition Outer Edges jam featuring special guests, and with two powerhouse artists, Arthi and Fyahdred, performing the night before their own 11th birthday celebrations on January 30.

Venue manager Rhodri Davies sees the independent scene as a vital part of the music industry’s wider ecosystem.

“At the Love Inn we have a really strong ethos of promoting local grassroots artists and giving them the platform to showcase their talents. Seeing artists play opening slots for us on a midweek evening then grow into international touring artists and return for headline shows on the weekend makes it all worth it,” he said.

“In the management team we’re all very immersed in Bristol’s music scene and love the variety and strength of its independent venues. It’s tough running venues with the increase in costs so platforms and organisations like IVW are great to highlight the joy and life the scene breathes into the country!”

Details of all Independent Venues Week events can be found at independentvenueweek.com/uk/shows

Main image: Strange Brew, Goshx7

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