Arena gigs by North East musician Sam Fender have raised more than £100,000 to support grassroots music venues around the 海角视频.
The Tyneside singer-songwriter is one of a number of stars who have signed up to Liveline Fund set by up the Music Venue Trust and the Save Our Scene organisation. The fund sees a contribution made to small venues from the ticket sales of large-scale concerts in arenas and stadiums.
Fender, Katy Perry, Coldplay and Enter Shikari were among early adopters of the scheme and now money raised by an arena tour at the end of last year has seen grants given to 38 independent venues across England, Scotland and Wales.
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The grants are a mixture of hardship relief packages and money given to help venues develop their offerings. Venues benefiting in the North East include Little Buildings and The Globe, both of which are in Newcastle, and the NE Volume Music Bar & Venue, in Stockton.
Organisers said the initiative showed that funds raised from arena and stadium events could play a key role in sustaining grassroots venues, many of which operate on tight margins and some of which have faced losses and closure in recent years.
Sam Fender said: “It’s brilliant to see that the money raised from the arena tour is making a real difference to so many venues. The grassroots circuit has been decimated over the last 10 years or so and the idea that money from shows in big venues supports the smaller venues, where it all starts for musicians like me, is just common sense.”
Mark Davyd, chief executive of the Music Venue Trust, said: “This remarkable contribution from Sam Fender, his management, and his team has created a real and lasting impact on the grassroots music ecosystem.
“These venues are the places where artists like Sam take their first steps, where local communities come together, and where live music truly begins. By investing directly into their future, we are strengthening the entire live music sector.”
Fender, who is best known for songs such as Seventeen Going Under and People Watching, performed at venues including London’s The O2, Birmingham’s Utilita Arena and Manchester’s Co-Op Live on the tour last year. Gigs in Newcastle had to be cancelled when the singer fell ill, but he returned with a series of triumphant gigs at St James’ Park in the summer.