The Death Of Live Music

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00:00 The State of Live Music in 2024
01:12 The Bleak Reality
02:10 Why Grassroots Venues Matter
03:04 London's Bush Hall
03:25 What Can We Do?
06:13 Why Art Matters

[@MarySpender]

🎸 *MY TOUR DATES* bit.ly/MarySpenderTour 🎵 SAVE LONDON'S BUSH HALL www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/help-save-music-at-bush-hall

[@martinemesguitar]

Advertising a tour on a video about the death of live music, bold move. 👏

[@frankboyd.]

If you ever make it to Vancouver 🇨🇦 I will definitely come see you. Our Folk Music Festival often boosts the careers of rising stars.

[@christianparsons6050]

@@Steve-yo8uhjeez, really?

[@christianparsons6050]

@@Steve-yo8uhNot sure what your motivation is but I couldn't disagree with you more. I've played in bands since i was a teenager (now 50) and the life of MOST full time musicians is tough. Anyone who makes the comittment to that life has to make sacrifices both personal and professional. Personally I didn't have the grit or mental health to sustain it, but I worked with people who did and am glad that they're out there. The larger venues wouldn't exist without them. I don't really follow Mary's music but having worked for another female artist - who after numerous record deals in the 90s continued to release albums and manage her own affairs to the the present day - I've seen how much hard work and struggle it involves if the financial rewards do not appear, and that's the case for most of them. Mary is playing the game, and playing it well in a field where she is outgunned by cynical business attitudes who do not give a fk about anything other than money. But you're entitled to your opinion.

[@peteremery7422]

You seem to suggest that the value of small venues is to only provide a space for musicians like your self to train on your journey to stardom and stadia gigs. I see these venues as a place to see some of the world's best musicians (long past their apprenticeship days) in a humane, intimate, affordable and (for me at least) superior situation.

[@tower_studios_dave]

When I was 17, I dated a nurse. I felt inadequate because she was saving lives, and I was just a musician. When I told her how I felt, she was shocked. She said that she may be saving lives, but musicians make those lives worth living. Live music is central to our human experience, and gives far more back to people than it takes financially

[@ohhello1809]

sometimes music can save lives as well if it encourages you to keep going

[@byggloket2590]

Thats why music will never die!

[@dcarbs2979]

You're both saving lives

[@coraholunder1989]

Music is used in therapy for mentally ill patients. And it keeps a lot of people sane.

[@veronicagorosito187]

Mary, put this comment on sticky. This is the truth of human Nature. Music saves our lives. Musicians are just the medium.

[@strychen]

Greed is killing live shows. Ticket prices are absurd. I'd rather pay $20 and see a lesser known band in a club (and usually meet the band and maybe even share a drink or a story) than $100+ for a ticket to sit in nosebleed and realize i forgot to bring binoculars.

[@happypapi1903]

This is why I love bands like Stars and Metric. You get that big arena rock show energy in a 2000 capacity concert club and if you support them on Patreon, you can hang with them after the show. And $200 for the night gets you show tickets, merch, drinks, and transit fare.

[@strychen]

@@happypapi1903 I listen to mostly Doom metal these days. It works in my favor because those bands almost never play the big venues outside of festivals. I cant remember the last show I went to with more than, maybe 500 people there. Usually the crowds are around a couple hundred at most. Best part is I can almost always manage to meet the band before I leave the venue. So basically, same story. lol

[@randychristensen1028]

​@@strychenCandlemass is the GOAT

[@strychen]

@@randychristensen1028 You are bewitched!

[@sonofsandwiches6892]

Us old folks remember when you went to a concert, tickets were $30 - 35, and getting tickets a week before a show was no problem. Live Nation and Ticketmaster have ruined the whole experience, and do nothing for the consumer.

[@Captain_Lockheed]

In 1979 I saw Van Halen at the Rainbow theatre in London for the princely sum of £2. According to the bank of England inflation calculator that would be £9.43p in today's money! Imagine that 😂

[@RudalPL]

As I grew up in Poland the ticket prices were a bit different than in US or UK but as you said. Even the big festivals you could buy ticket with no problems a week before and for a higher price on a day of the gig. What I don't like now is the scalpers. They will buy off all the tickets as soon as the tickets show up. Me and a few friends were trying to get tickets for Dead Can Dance few years back. Two gigs in Poland. Both sold out as soon as the tickets were available and you could get them for triple the price on internet. I didn't go and my mates found some tickets for the gig in Prague and had to travel to another country to see the band.

[@JayBigDadyCy]

Bots are a big part of this. And it's a conspiracy between the sellers and the bots. Basically Ticketmaster buys their own tickets via bots then sells them for more on secondary sites. It's sad. And like you, I miss the days when nearly any concert I wanted to go to was between $15-$50. It's ridiculous now. Even mid level bands charge insane amounts for tix. Like $100+. Makes no sense.

[@deathrowlemon7367]

Nor the bands. They take all the profit and bands don’t get to decide their prices anymore.

[@starscreamthecruel8026]

not to mention those assholes who buy up a TONNE of tickets from those websites then sell them online at like 400% profit.

[@conormurphy7058]

Watching live music in a stadium is like looking at the moon from your garden.

[@SuperNevile]

Friend went to a Rolling Stones concert, and was so far from the stage he couldn't tell which one was Keith Richards and which one was Ronnie Wood. I suppose that was before big screens side stage.

[@baustin4444]

I’d say that significantly underrates moon watching from one’s garden.

[@mtc5]

you made the experience so romantic, even desirable. I don't know if this was your intention with your analogy.

[@chrisjones6496]

@@mtc5 Sadly no you’ve read too much into it. In my opinion He’s simply stating the stage is so far away from you in a stadium it’s like looking at the moon from your garden. You’re not going to see much detail in other words and certainly not the performance unless you just watch it on a big screen (or several) which just isn’t the same as in a small venue. The whole vibe is different.

[@conormurphy7058]

@@chrisjones6496 Thank you.

[@biffboffo]

Who wants to pay $400 to sit up in a stadium? Plenty of people, I guess, but not me.

[@DrayClay]

That’s 400 for nosebleeds seats as well.

[@fdllicks]

I wanted to take my wife to Coldplay in California as a present. I didnt mind the airfare or hotel. But tix were $400??????each?? I said no out of principle. No way.

[@jesusislukeskywalker4294]

100k people per night at Taylor’s Melbourne concerts and she played 4 nights and also did 2 nights in Sydney 😳

[@Durmomo0]

No way can I spend that much money on that

[@budgetguitaristcom]

Preach

[@subbbass]

whether it's a quote of Churchill or not - It would be a good one: "When Winston Churchill was asked to cut arts funding in favour of the war effort, he simply replied, ‘then what are we fighting for?’" I (as a german) can't image a world without the music from the UK.

[@Dreyno]

Well Churchill’s old party has all but eradicated the arts from state schools with swingeing cuts for the past decade and a half.

[@creamwobbly]

Not too be overly rude (I assume you don't cleave to certain political leanings) but I equally can't imagine a world where it's all oompah music, all the time.

[@subbbass]

@@creamwobbly I heard a lot of People all over the world appreciating the music of Bach, Haydn,Händel, Beethoven, Brahms, Schumann, Schubert and other German composers. Not to be overly rude - It looks like you have some gaps in your knowledge about German music....

[@rmleighton1]

And The Beatles played The Cavern. Then London’s blues scene with The Stones, Jimmy Hendrix, The Who.

[@metetural9140]

​@@creamwobbly what an incredibly rude, ignorant and unnecessary thing to say.

[@RickDrift]

Lets all remind ourselves, that if we take interest to seek local shows, they might happen more. The overflowing pop crowd is always going to fill stadiums, but those of us who want the close up experience have to put ourselves into it.

[@theneonchimpchannel9095]

We have lost so many venues in Australia. A big problem has been the building of luxury flats next to venues. These rich people move in next to venues that have been homes to live music for 50+ years and then they complain about the noise. The Palace in Melbourne was originally a movie theatre, my grandmother used to go there when she was young. It became a live music venue at some point and hosted all kinds of amazing concerts. I saw Richard Ashcroft, BRMC and Ace Frehley there. Then the new neighbours complained until the owners gave in and sold the building to developers. There was a campaign to save it, but the new owners had already demolished the interior before enough money could be raised. I really hope that this doesn't happen to any more iconic live music venues as we've already lost too many.

[@maryburke5423]

Yes, especially in sydney we are sadly way in front of this trend. The combination of pokies, nimbys, real estate insanity effectively killed live music in Sydney, with the 2014 lockout laws just being the final nail in the coffin. It’s part of what has made Melbourne the most liveable city in Aus for the last 2 decades. Pleased to see in the last few days that Chris Minns MP is offering incentives and extended trading hours for venues who commit to live music in Sydney

[@noesunyoutuber7680]

Rich people should really just be told to cry about it more often. It's loud because they, horror of horrors, play music at the historic music venue you chose to live next to? Suck bricks. Buy some soundproofing if it bothers you that much.

[@stuartd9741]

In the UK. There's a situation of a small village with a local parish church with its traditional bell ringing, that has continued for decades... . Wealthy city types move in to the area then complain about the noise of the bell ringers!! .. An even better one. was a local cockerel cockaldudaling @ 5am in the morning. Again City types move in and complain.. .. In one village the local cockerel disappeared!! ..

[@sseltrek1a2b]

this is a problem everywhere...(ie: why would someone move near an airport, and then complain about how loud the planes are?...)...

[@markde9904]

Pssst, venues can open in other areas that don't have residentail housing built next door. The landscape will always change. This is what we call life. There is NOTHING stopping anyone from opening venue for music somewhere else in your city.

[@dougmorgan6616]

Without small venues and the indie artists nurtured by them, all of our music culture will consist of highly produced "acts" chosen for their looks, not their poetry.

[@garydiamondguitarist]

Beautifully said, and succinctly too. Obviously there can and will again exist the exceptionally talented artists who are also lookers, rather than those who are just the latter and not the former 😂

[@ImYourOverlord]

In other words, modern Pop.

[@kanohu8983]

They’ve already been doing this for at least the last decade. That’s why there is a decline in good popular music. Even many instrumentalists online have become addicted to numbers and money. It’s not necessarily their fault it’s just how leaders of the world want things to be. The music industry is not at all a delicate one. If you want to enjoy music as best as you can, DONT DO IT FOR MONEY.

[@TheAllstonians]

Local radio is dead and local radio used to help venues survive. Very rarely do bands put in the road work before the behemoth gets behind them to push their music. Why bother with that when the MIC can simply tell their audience what they should hear?

[@NozmoKing]

Unfortunately, I think we're already there

[@gackaret]

Sadly, it wouldn't be the first industry to sacrifice long term future for short term profits.

[@KarlaKloppstock]

It's the iron law of this ugly thing called capitalism. They don't "sacrifice" the future, they make sure there is none where they don't make profit on the back of others.

[@jpdemer5]

How many board members do they share with Boeing?

[@yobhsiFehT]

I’m not necessarily pointing the finger at Mary or anybody else, specifically, but we NEED the influencers in this community to study up and really start to engage with the economics and politics of these situations. Hiding behind the divisiveness of politics is ultimately just acceptance of the widespread ignorance that’s letting the powers that be rip people off in the first place. Corporatism is pretty literally making everything worse, and we’re letting it happen for all sorts of reasons, but ignorance being one of those reasons is particularly difficult for me to swallow in “the information age.”

[@magingi]

@@yobhsiFehT It's happening in a great many industries: consolidation into fewer and fewer hands leading to the erosion of true diversity culturally through corporate behemoths operating with impunity, ie 'the market is always right,' so 'let it be'. I am not sure that's what Paul was thinking of.

[@kylereyes2337]

That’s capitalism in a nutshell.

[@roasty80]

I used to be a local live music photographer. I saw a worrying pattern at the majority of venues. When venues had multiple unsigned bands on each band would have their own crowds made up of family and friends.once the band performed they left and so did their crowd. Once you got to the last act there was hardly anyone left in the venue

[@thekitowl]

In the UK, if you couldn’t guarantee 30 followers attending , you didn’t get the gig & each band had to pay the PA guy.

[@MrDaneBrammage]

One useful shift we've seen recently is more early shows. Traditionally live music doesn't start until late, but both bands and audiences complain about not getting home until the wee hours of the morning. Recently we've seen venues start to book more 'happy hour' gigs. They seem to draw more people to begin with, and more of those people stay until the end.

[@ithemba]

funnily that kinda goes hand in hand with audiences getting older. The boomers who remember fondly their concert days in the 70s are nor retired but still very much agile enough to go out to gigs. I see a ton of retro-style hardrock and psych bands and a very solid portion of the audience is retirement age. Those ladies and gents very much enjoy a show starting at 7. Me myself I work as live engeneer in a bar that is also a small music club, doing several concerts per week. We are very small, and our audiences are intense music fans, people who I see literally once or twice a month, seeing a ton of bands who play their first tour or first gig in our town. these people don't show up untill 9. There is no one fits all solution.

[@mrbigg7255]

Here in the states, it seems like when schools trim budgets, the music, trades, and other arts get cut. All the money goes to sports.

[@kanohu8983]

It’s because all these business people and CEOs think us musicians don’t have an “actual career”. Much like how video games are still widely looked down upon as “children’s toys”, despite making more money than 85% of these under-qualified and whiny parents all around the world. Shit’s crazy, like me

[@TheAllstonians]

How did musicians "make it" before schools emphasized music? They did it for love of music.

[@langhamp8912]

But not to the sportsmen and women. A back of the napkin calculation shows that about 95% of athletes that earn money for their organization get paid nothing whatsoever. And the majority of D1 athletes provide their own insurance. Getting injured while playing for a college organization means losing your scholarship even before your broken body hits the ground (less than 3 million dollars was outputted by the NCAA). That's not to say college and professional sports isn't profitable. Far far from it.

[@digitaljanus]

@@TheAllstonians A robust social security net that allowed them to live while they honed their craft.

[@UrMomsChauffer]

@@TheAllstoniansschools have always emphasized music. It's a down turn in that promotion that's being discussed here. Art and trade programs are dying off.

[@KansaSCaymanS]

I believe that, at least in the US, the monopoly of Ticketmaster/Live Nation and ticket resellers (who used to be called scalpers - which used to be illegal) are the leeches who are killing the live music industry by hurting both the small venues, as well as up and coming artists and bands that can barely afford to tour, because their return is so low.

[@charlesbolton8471]

That is 100% the truth. Since scalping (I mean reselling) became legal I have often thought that the “resellers” are actually just Ticketmaster/LiveNation trying to squeeze more profit out of every event. I recently bought tickets to see Neil Young & Crazy Horse in May. Apparently, Ticketmaster/LiveNation now gives artists the option to choose to not allow tickets to be resold above face value.

[@theironsheik6322]

This isn't just music. I see a lot of myopia among artists, like they're the only ones. Every industry is being monopolized. Anti-trust is DOA.

[@eboethrasher]

@@charlesbolton8471 Yeah, the Cure did that option but unfortunately there are some states where they can't prevent tickets from being resold above face value, based upon state laws. Also, Robert Smith was able to take Ticketmaster to task in a way that Pearl Jam and the others never were: he got them to refund part of ticket fees! That's some power, honestly. I knew they have been my favorite band since 1987 for a good reason!

[@charlesbolton8471]

@@theironsheik6322 You’re right it is everywhere. Just like the concert ticket “resellers”, there are people buying anything that has a high demand and a limited supply for the sole purpose of reselling the item at a profit.

[@danp4693]

If you don't buy the ticket day of sale, they are bought up by resellers and resold for at least double the price. I love live music, but I do not want to enrich leeches to do it.

[@kykk3365]

Why pay 40 bucks for an intimate evening with an artist when you can pay ten times that to stare at a screen 'cause you're too far away from the product you worship to actually see it.

[@rubycebreros2330]

True……. I experienced same. Did not bother anymore

[@michaelgnit8476]

I grew up musically between about 1969 and the 80's with so many great bands it was staggering. Pink Floyd, the Beatles, the Stones, the Who, Genesis, Yes, Moody Blues and the list is almost endless. No auto tune for a fraction of the cost now adays. Sadly that time ended long ago but I remember it like it was yesterday.

[@bryantcochran5065]

Greed has always been the big enemy of all the arts but especially music. Now all the consolidation, unreasonable increases in production costs has ticket prices so high many fans simply can't afford to attend a show.

[@nu385]

Greed is the root of all the problems we have in the world.

[@jimrussellmusic]

Hit the nail on the head. Greed is, and always has been, the source of all the world's' problems. Not just for human beings, but all life, including the planet itself.

[@bernardbrennan1612]

When I went to music college, in the business section, the first lesson was, Tours don’t pay. You only tour in support of an album. That was in the early 90s. Now there is no way to make money selling music. CDs are gone. Music streaming pays next to nothing to the artist. Now Tours have to pay. That’s why it’s so expensive to see live music. The internet killed it. The price of ticket is ridiculous but it’s not just greed. In my view, live music is finished.

[@iamaduckquack]

I just watch all my music on youtube now. Cheaper.

[@starscreamthecruel8026]

@@bernardbrennan1612 CDS arent gone completely, you just have to buy them online or from the record label direct now. There aren't any music shops to buy them in person anymore.

[@darikas3325]

So true. Without small venues, music can not breathe. Thanks for speaking out!

[@MatthewTheWanderer]

Music doesn't need venues at all, though.

[@darikas3325]

@@MatthewTheWanderer you don't seem to be a musician

[@MatthewTheWanderer]

@@darikas3325 There are literally hundreds of videos on my KZbin channel that beg to differ! I'm not a professional, but I do sing often.

[@Ninjamanhammer]

@@MatthewTheWanderer Lack of venues would kill a lot of smaller artists, and by smaller I'm talking anyone not pushing 1+ mil monthly listeners on spotify.

[@MatthewTheWanderer]

@@Ninjamanhammer How the hell does ANYONE make enough money to live on by exclusively playing at smaller venues!? Also, why would not being able to play "live" "kill" any artist? If that stops you from making music, you are not a true artist!

[@user-oj9nf3vx2i]

Here in L.A many clubs I grew up knowing, have come and gone on Hollywood blvd and the sunset strip. Now in their place are high priced vacant condos , offices and Netflix studios. I’m 45 now. I was raised a block away from Capital Records and the Pantages Theater from 79-93. I remember seeing Hair Metal dudes and Real Punks walking up and down Hollywood blvd from earliest memory at age 3. I remember seeing guys and gals unpacking their vans and tour bus. The smell of leather jackets coming out from the shops on the Blvd. When you watch a classic hair metal band video that takes place in Hollywood or the film Airheads. That’s what the vibe felt like. A never ending Party. I know there must be small clubs. But the magic of going out, getting to know other band and artists has dwindled for the current generation. But I’m grateful that we can make our own music at home. Put out an album/single on The World Wide Web. Venue maybe closing but if you look back in NYC in the 70s and 80s. People got creative and got into empty buildings, theaters and warehouses. Also Schools have auditoriums. They may want to make a buck as well. Morrissey played at my old high school in 2013.

[@quailstudios]

In 1975 I saw Chicago live in the Fabulous Forum near L.A. for about $20. We bought the tickets at the box office at the Forum and got front row seats. It was awesome.

[@TomTobin67]

I am officially jealous of you.

[@quailstudios]

@@TomTobin67 We didn't know how good we had it back then. Awesome concerts were everywhere and they were affordable.

[@markski813]

FYI… $20 in 1975 is worth $115 now.

[@rosswarren436]

The small music venues here in North Carolina in the medium sized towns support so much. Music goers support the numerous restaurants, clothing outlets, beer gardens (breweries), the Uber drivers, those inside the venue selling merchandise, beers, chips, CDs, the guys running the lights and soundboard, all this and more. I've almost given up seeing huge shows. They are almost like watching a movie. But hearing an artist in a small venue is like having them in your living room. Your presence matters. And you feel like you have really seen them, not on some jumbotron screen. And one of the best kept secrets is the sound quality in smaller venues puts that in the stadiums to shame.

[@kovie9162]

Small towns, cities and venues have long been the heart and soul of live music. Arena and stadium shows and major tours that only hit big cities are how music companies make huge profits, but not how serious and sincere musicians connect with their audiences. It's ancient history now but this is a big reason for why the Beatles quit touring nearly 60 years ago. No audience connection.

[@Suddsy.]

The problem where I'm from ( Washington DC area ) that even the little club venues are ridiculous in ticket prices. I agree the small shows are so much better than most of the big shows exception would be I'm seeing iron maiden in November 🤘. Ticket prices across the board are being pushed out of reach and I would say at least 25% of that is Live Nation and Ticketmaster fault. Abunch of BS fees

[@garydiamondguitarist]

I agree with this - a properly put together small venue hosting a great gig can leave a mark like nothing else. Some of the greatest gigs I've ever seen, including my first ever "proper" one in about 1997/8, were at The Joiners Arms in Southampton, which is more venue than bar, it's great. The sound quality tends to be exceptional and I've seen some really talented people there, some well known, some not so much, and have been lucky enough to grace the stage myself once or twice (it sounds almost as good on stage as out front, which if you're a musician you'll know is pretty damn rare). These are the real gigs. These are the things you remember. These are where you see every inflection as you hear it sung, you see sweat on the brow of the performer as they give it their all (assuming they're the perspirating type of course 😂). That's the stuff that needs protecting, nurturing, growing back after years of cuts.

[@ab8817]

enjoy it while you can. some developer is going to plop a bunch of condos next to those venues while marketing their proximity to "nightlife" as a selling point, and then when people move into those condos, they will start complaining to the police, local government, and the venues will be forced to close because developers always win.

[@lifeontheledgerlines8394]

​@@ab8817 something similar is unfortunately happening with racetracks. they've been there for years in isolated areas, bringing business to the local economy, but then houses are built right next to A GODDAMN RACETRACK and HOAs try and get them shut down :/

[@johnvrabec9747]

I'm 65 years old and back in the 70's and 80's we went to local bar shows all the time, we had a few bands we followed and went to most of their shows in the area. Some actually produced albums (not CD's) and we bought those as well. One of our Chicago FM stations produced an album showcasing up and coming Chicago bands, which a couple went national and did pretty well. It's not the same scene, now. So expensive, if any bar or club even has live music anymore. I remember when the bars went from live to DJs, and of course, that started a decline in live music at that time. The consumption of music today is so different and unfortunately, some older ways die off. Change is always a constant. Just looking at a few websites on the Chicago scene, it seems vibrant and strong today, and I hope it never dies, because you can see and hear pretty much whatever you want there. There is nothing better than seeing a live act and enjoying it with others. It makes a lot of fun memories.

[@nickmonks9563]

Just to follow on what you're saying, the competition for attention makes it so hard nowadays. Instant media piped right into your pocket, and a ton of it not only discourages us from participating in live events (and I think some post-pandemic jitters also contribute), but it chews up our mental bandwidth, making it hard to know what to give the lion's share of our attention to. As a result, we parcel out small amounts of attention across a lot of "content" instead of really digging in to one thing we really might love. Further, a lot of the connection we feel to what we love also has to do with our connection to other people who love the same thing...but when they, too, are splitting fractional amounts of attention "currency" everywhere, it's hard for two of us to get together and go, "OMG, did you hear (such-and-such) is coming to town...we have GOT to go see them!" to have that communal experience. It's not impossible, and maybe the coming backlash from Gen-Z quarters will start to upend some of that paradigm (few young people want to be like their parents, or the older generations), but the corporate stranglehold on our attention, and their ability to lure us psychologically more deeply into their web is an uphill struggle.

[@RudeBoy77777]

Same here - you can be glad to have had that experience. Sometimes it was like world class bands playing in your living room.

[@creamwobbly]

It's so different now, huh? Back then, all we had was the _wireless, streaming playlists_ all day long. Nowadays, they have their phones with _wireless streaming playlists_ all day long. The loss of that comma made such a difference /s

[@joermnyc]

I was around for the death of CBGB’s here in NYC, among many other places, and what’s left just isn’t the same. Still bar bands exist, but they play day gigs now (seriously I passed a bar near me that had a band playing in their open front accordion doors (there was no other room inside)!

[@MrDrewseph]

Agreed. That said, I don't remember gigs. Been to hundreds and... without drugs or anything, I just forget them 😕

[@FromTheMosh]

Love supporting my local music scene in Brisbane Australia. Ive discovered so many amazing bands who are playing for the love of it, they're not making money. And when you play for the love it really shows, more than words can describe. Its really important to help out your fave loval bands buy helping them and buying their merch because they're just scraping by.

[@malluxmusic]

Until recently my only experience of live music was arenas and stadia, paying £100 a ticket to see crusty old favourites... but this year I started going to smaller gigs around North London, deliberately trying out artists I'd never previously heard of, and it's been a complete revelation... getting up close and personal in a crowd of fellow music lovers is so much more of an experience... not just live but "alive"... along with all the fun of interacting with them at the gig or Instagram... buying a little bit of souvenir merch which you know will be appreciated... I'm a total convert.

[@ACCPhil]

Watched this on Nebula but came here to comment. In my youth, I was in a band. We played small gigs and had a full set of our own material. This was the late 80s and there were venues like the Jericho Tavern in Oxford - where we played a bunch of times. There was a thriving scene in the area of small bands plugging away, doing their thing. Bands that did break through from there were Ride, Supergrass, Radiohead. We didn't make it - due to lack of talent - and I work in IT now. But I have played the same venue as Radiohead so there's that. For a band trying to get started now, well look at how many acts have rich parents.

[@andrewtongue7084]

Well put, Phil !

[@somersetcace1]

You just basically told my story, but citing oxford, whereas I was in the midwest US. Same era, late 80's into the early 90's. Same basic experience.

[@garydiamondguitarist]

"Pay to play" really did win the day after all, which is shameful. Working class grassroots music is really important and it seems the exposure opportunities for it are lacking.

[@Luketaylor9729]

So glad it's not just me seeing rich kids take up all the space!! Nearly all the working class minorities have been pretty much shut out!

[@ithemba]

It's getting harder for sure, even just to find space to rehearse as a band in the first place, not even to mention finding a stage (but that very much too). But changing cultures and tastes have had their due at that as well, for sure: working class youth music just sounds very different and performs very different than it did in the 80s and 90s nowadays. DJ-ing and putting up dance clubs and parties is just as popular nowadays as it was in the 90s high-time of rave culture and a lot more people are into that (and it is easier to make a buisness run on that, too).

[@greenwave792]

I’ve recently lost my left arm, my fretting hand. I have deleted EVERY music related you tube channel except yours, I want to see you. You are a beautiful soul, carry on.

[@MarySpender]

Sorry to hear that!

[@rv6205]

im very sorry to hear that , but please dont give up on music. ...Was your arm loss motorcycle related, im thinking of not riding anymore

[@mal2ksc]

That is sad, but perhaps you might look into the Harpejji?

[@latexgeneration]

I was thinking about this the other day - What would happen if I lost the use of one of my hands, and the answer is that electronic music tools are so inspiring and capable that I think I would be ok. I would encourage you to maybe pick up a groove box and start tinkering around a little. It might change your life! There’s some great KZbin content out there and even Rhett Shull posted a video recently about his Moog Sound Studio. I also noticed he’s been using an Elektron Digitakt sampler for his drums in his latest videos. Hope this helps!

[@greenwave792]

@@rv6205 stroke

[@polygonalmasonary]

The same is true in the UK, young people (18-21) have virtually no small venues left to develop live experience. Everything is now based upon KZbin or other online performances. It’s a real shame as small venue music is an amazing experience for both artists and audiences alike 😢🇬🇧💙💙💙💙🙏🇬🇧🌈♥️

[@MatthewTheWanderer]

What's wrong with basing all performances on KZbin and other online places? Music is infinitely better that way! I have literally NEVER had an amazing experience with live music in real life, neither as a performer and especially not as an audience member. Being in the audience at a small venue is literally torture for me!

[@lukasdatree]

Thank you for putting this so well. It'sa worry loads of us low-mid level touring artists face. A appreciate your good work.

[@marcvanheugten9472]

And you forget to mention that many youngsters consider live music a rave party where a dj presses play waves his hands and shouts that everybody should say hey or ho - good topic you picked this time

[@eboethrasher]

There are still plenty who like real music, too, trust me. I, even at my accelerated age of 51, get out to Pop-Punk shows and they still maintain a young fanbase, even with the fans who are getting older. Bands like The Wonder Years, Spanish Love Songs, Hot Mulligan, The Front Bottoms, Mom Jeans, they are pretty popular with 30s and 20s peeps, and bands like The Wonder Years have gone from selling out 700 seat venues in 2015 to selling out 2000+ seat venues in 2023 with little to no radio play. Just on the back of constant touring and word of mouth on the internet. Organic growth, like it used to be. I saw Hot Mulligan at an intimate 125 person venue in 2019, and they are currently one of the bands opening on the Fall Out Boy tour, and they were selling out 1600 seat theaters on their own tour in late 2023. Take away the pandemic and holy shit that's a meteoric rise.

[@marcvanheugten9472]

@@eboethrasher I did not accelerate that much yet, but the generation of 20-ers now, are more and more into raves. If you look at how those venues have grown in the past 20 years, this does not compare to playing at you local shed to opening before a major band with every night a gig in between. The thing is and thats what Mary says, stages can't hold their pants up, rising costs and people staying away to save for that 1 big show

[@airfixx_8952]

Put aside your cynicism about other forms of music. Make no mistake the underground electronic/dance music scene suffers no differently; only with the added stigma that venues and local authorities just work on the assumption that you intend to host a huge drug binge rather than host some form of creative/artistic stimulus....... Meanwhile, the music making pathway relies just as heavily on having a platform to showcase itself too (imagine dedicating your life to your craft of being a producer and LIVE performer - yes they do exist! - only to find that you're locked on the outside looking in due to some soul-less, no talent hipster(s) who just have social media clout and a few connections faking their way to the that precious stage-time instead). The big commercial raves that depict a "happy healthy scene" are just the equivalent to a Talyor Swift stadium show. Trying to promote events that have a braver musical agenda is a hiding to nothing and the number one obstacle is lack of venues, small clubs and music-friendly bars. Those of us that truly care about our art, music etc. all crave the same thing, perhaps just not the same..... We are stronger against such detrimental forces together; no fractured into a multitude of sub-scenes and genres.

[@Chef_Jeff69]

I’m 55. I’ve been done with concerts for a few years now. Thankfully I saw hundreds of shows when I was young. I was in band in early 90’s Seattle, and saw everyone multiple times. Usually for $5 or less in the clubs. Big concerts by national touring bands or Lollapalooza for instance, were rarely more than $20-$25. Now it’s just not worth it. Not to mention every idiot on their phones the entire show.

[@jesusislukeskywalker4294]

👍🏻 exactly, i don’t even have a tv set anymore , haven’t bought any music in about 20 years 🚬🐨

[@sidalientv]

Same here. Played live 1986 - 2010. I'm fed up. The quality of music is degraded to an unimaginable point, 90% of bands want to play mainstream kind of music, the payment is downsized, etc.

[@kovie9162]

And they do it in portrait mode, which looks horrible on a big screen. It's become the new cigarette lighter and you might as well hire a robot to capture it for you. Everything is experienced through a phone these days, not with one's own senses. We're all being deadened.

[@garydiamondguitarist]

There are many problems causing the downfall of the grassroots part of live music, and apathy is one of them. New artists needs support, exposure, an audience to cut their teeth in front of, someone to buy their records (assuming they get them pressed which I think is probably easier to do now in limited runs than it was 30+ years ago). So perhaps it's time everyone ignores all the phone drones and sees what new artists are out there, because believe me, if you look just a little below the surface there's plenty of talent still trying and still succeeding to make great music despite even worse odds now than a few decades ago. If we want to turn the tide, we all have to do our part.

[@sidalientv]

​@@garydiamondguitarist"So perhaps it's time everyone ignores all the phone drones and sees what new artists are out there, becaus....." And how you plan to do it?

[@joekmoch978]

You are wise beyond your years - I love to listen to your talks about music, the music business, the arts and so forth. Keep up the great work you're doing,

[@malcolmwatson3009]

Thank you, for your highly knowledgeable observations about the practical challenges facing the post-covid gigging situation. I do hope that the general public and especially those who value the experience of attending live concerts, become aware of the problems and act to help musicians and venues continue to put on shows. Videos like this hopefully help.

[@ericrhill]

The performing arts are under threat across the board unfortunately. my college alma mater is cutting the entire performing arts department after this academic semester, which included programs in musical theater, dance, classical, jazz, technical theater, and music education. I am also the technical director for a small non-profit arts organization and can't even get a thousand dollars approved by the board for replacement fixtures that died last year because the money just isn't there. It's a challenging and scary time to be in the arts in any capacity right now. All we can do is support each other as much as we can and encourage EVERYONE to go to shows, buy some merch, drop a few dollars in the donation box, and anything we can spare because once these places go away, they rarely if ever come back. Thank you for shining a light on this, Mary.

[@garydiamondguitarist]

The ironic thing about it all is, this kind of neglect and such could actually help usher in some of the best art of all. Adversity is one of the key pieces of the puzzle really, isn't it? Having something to kick back against, shout about, write about, perform about. I think it's more than wishful thinking.

[@FussellFilms23]

I lost the live music places I played in London after lockdowns and I have heard that the police told many places they can have their alcohol license or music license back but not both after lockdowns. I am an old Essex Bluesman and when I started playing live gigs at thirteen in 1979 you could make a living out of the scene, not a great living but a living. I have watch over the years as more and more rules and regulation stoped music in its tracks! If things were as free as the 1950's then we could have another 1960's!

[@garydiamondguitarist]

I saw the tail end of this wonderful time you describe, but I was already too late, too tenuous to make a living from at that level in the late 1990s. C'est la vie.

[@thekitowl]

The huge hike in the music license fee killed off loads of smaller gigs in the 80’s.

[@balloonmarsupials4259]

I saw the Crue in Montreal for $20 buying the ticket outside once the show had started. Amazing concert to my great surprise.

[@monstrok]

So well said Mary. Your points hit home and need to communicated far beyond the reach of this channel.

[@OriginalGrasshopper]

The problem is much more than financial for these small venues. As Mary states in this video many communities are now complaining about noise whereas in the past this wasn’t an issue. Here in Stockholm, Sweden there’s an awesome little club (Melody Box) that has been putting on fantastic concerts for decades and it’s located smack dab in the middle of a residential neighborhood. Yet only in the past 2 or 3 years have the “noise complaints” started. There’s simply a lot of people who take pleasure in destroying others happiness now.

[@harpsgalore6584]

True too.

[@olganesterowicz2112]

In Poland it's a very popular things, hence why I can't find many places for gigging.

[@AnthonySforza]

Oh, no kidding... in my home city of Columbus, there was an Ampitheater called Polaris, where huge acts would go play, that was built in like 93. Where it was way out, like a half hour drive from the city. Problem is, restaurants and shopping centers started filling in to capitalize on the concert goers... which eventually began filling in with housing developments because of being "A nice area with a lot to do." Then those residents complained relentlessly about the noise and the Ampitheater was shut down. Didnt even last 15 years.

[@TheMolesRevenge]

That happened to a town center venue I used to go to. A developer bought the vacant office building across the road, converted it into appartments, and then filed complaints with the council that "noise pollution" from the venue was preventing them from finding tenants until the council caved in and withdrew the venue's licence, forcing it out of business.

[@leinonibishop9480]

@@AnthonySforza such a viscous cycle. then the businesses in the are start losing money since they no longer have the concert crowds and the neighborhood becomes poorer and then the residents can't figure out what happened. "this used to be such a nice neighborhood".

[@adventuresinsimland4626]

Another risk that arose from venues going bust during lockdowns was that of cultural monopoly. A theatre near me could no longer afford to run. A large multinational was very interested in purchasing it, and they have a particular roster of artists and shows that they have deals with and would not have given the same access to local projects or left field projects that werent as commercially viable. Whether intentional or not, this one company and their roster becomes the taste maker the area; decides which stars will rise and whose voices will be heard. I think the email you received highlights a bigger issue - does art or music need to exist based on whether or not it is profitable? As a long suffering jazz fan, I say we need to support the small and counter-cultural venues or risk losing the unique voices and histories. We need venues where its safe to experiment, try new ideas and have them fail or succeed so they go on to influence the next wave of musicians.

[@UrMomsChauffer]

Part of the problem, at least in the States, is the fact that LiveNation and Ticketmaster bought up many small and struggling venues. Like you said, they only promote the bands they have contracts with. No one else can play there. The acts that do play these venues can't play elsewhere as contracted by TM or LN.

[@pfkmsandiego]

good stuff. thanks for sharing. hope ur shows go really well.

[@MichaelFath]

Thanks, beautiful soul. Very well presented...best of luck. I'll need it, too!

[@stephenjoslin7408]

Totally agree keep it small keep it real often at the end of a gig you can talk to the artist.have now given up large venues

[@frankboyd.]

I only wish I could brag about seeing Beatles in the Cavern or in Hamburg. I didn't. I did see them in Empire Stadium in 1964. Row 17 for $5.50

[@mk1st]

Missed out on those cheap shows from 1960 eh?

[@peterkossits4794]

...and that's the equivalent of about 50$ today. Pretty fair. They used to only play for about 45 minutes though, right?

[@MatthewTheWanderer]

My mom got to see The Beatles in concert in Seattle once. But she said that the screaming fans made it impossible to actually hear them sing and enjoy the music.

[@ConnorBaxter]

Great video, So many awesome small venues have closed down. I remember Playing loads in the brighton scene when studying there. and everytime I go back ti seems another one closes.... Sticky mikes frog bar, and The Haunt to name a few... Hope this message spreads and gets poeple supporting more!

[@dlagatep2171]

All very well said. Much respect for responding to the respondent of your newsletter; there's was a compelling argument. Most would've avoided speaking to it altogether. Not only did you acknowledge it but you came back with an equal serving of food for thought. Really impressive, homegirl.

[@SalAveNU]

You know, with the ballooning costs of concert tickets for these large arena shows I'm surprised people have the money to go to those shows. A local show would be more intimate, less of a logistical nightmare (traffic, parking and such), and less money.

[@nickmonks9563]

100%, but I think a big reason people attend shows by certain artists is that communal sense they get. You've got a pretty sure thing of being surrounded by fanatics at a T-Swift show and having that kind of group experience than you do at a random local show. It's incumbent on us as artists to find ways of really brining in audiences at local shows so they feel like they are active parts of the experience rather than just passive consumers.

[@milesmcmillan-kr6ti]

People have to give up food to go see bands with one original member. But the flashpots and fireworks. Oooh!!

[@mattparker8747]

Stadium shows aren't really shows. Unless you pay absolute top dollar, you're effectively watching it on a big screen. May as well stay home and watch it on the TV, with beer at half the price

[@louiscypher4186]

The issue is that in a lot of places local shows are no longer cheap. The average local gig in my area now costs $50. But I can see a pub band for free or at most $20. Put yourself in the shoes of your average punter. Not that into music, you've got the choice between a free live band at your local pub or paying $50 for some act you've never heard of.

[@UrMomsChauffer]

The sheep are selling their own wool to be a part of the shit. I've seen this with every hobby. One rich person pays some exorbitant amount because money is no issue. Then sellers see that sale price and up their prices. Most average people get edged out, but some of these fools will take a second mortgage to be a part of something. Then it becomes the standard.

[@JimGramze]

I performed live in small venues with a classic rock cover band for 10 years. 1990-2000. Also working a day gig, I did not have a single day off for 10 straight years. Holiday? Local festival. Mostly bars with

[@peterkadelbach7010]

Great vocal sound. Nicely produced video. Worthy content too. 🙏

[@ddy3smptr]

Amen, great message. Please continue to kick ass

[@DeadWhiteButterflies]

Art is an essential service to society. It's a fundamental right, and I have no shame in saying that. It communicates ideas, raises people's morale, alleviates mental health issues, and brings people together where they don't have to feel like an isolated individual. Everyone loves a good party, and we deserve as a right to have a place to have that party in. Venues are 3rd spaces, places of community, vital for a thriving society where everyone feels valid and able to express themselves. Venues are important even for meeting people and forming relationships. Most people who have met their partners for life have done so in clubs, in pubs, in beer gardens, at fairs, at festivals. This is vital to have. You cannot have a society of just houses and offices.

[@garydiamondguitarist]

Beautifully written, and I agree with all of it. Thanks for sharing. It's like a manifesto you're writing there, a call to arms.

[@tiredoftheliesalready]

If you believe there are truly fundamental rights that corporations and governments cannot stomp all over and ignore, you are sadly fooling yourself. The problem with music and art is that is can open up the mind for abstract thought and critical analysis, and that is something we can no longer have en masse. As for a society of just houses and offices? Well, perhaps not a society...but you can have mostly productive civilizations. After all, that's the very concept that has kept downtrodden populations in hand and working for thousands of years while the rich and powerful profit from their collective efforts. Of course you can have that, it is only good and right, right? 😉

[@strongbird3499]

If I owned a tin foil hat, I might think the strangling of the arts was a deliberate act of sabotage.

[@stuartd9741]

​@@strongbird3499 no tin hat required. Look at the demise of pubs, local meeting areas, ever stricter regulations...

[@stuartd9741]

As others have Said in other threads. Live music has declined due to the internet /online platforms.. Maybe this is progress. But I agree having a city of just houses & offices seems very sanitised..

[@jeremythornton6090]

My wife and I quit going to shoes. There are no cheap seats anymore. I quit playing gigs too. The pay is less than a quarter of what it was 20 years ago. I’m amazed when I hear a musician is working at all. Most bars and clubs just have DJs and or karaoke.

[@seanmormelo01]

I just depends on where you are. If you are in an urban blue state or a blue city somewhere in the United States and maybe that’s the case I have no idea but come to Florida there’s thousands upon thousands upon thousands of places to play all around the peninsula.

[@nickmonks9563]

@@seanmormelo01 Many blue states and cities are still paying alright and doing alright, just as places in St. Pete, Dallas and Memphis (more purple or red strongholds) do.

[@seanmormelo01]

@@nickmonks9563 well, that’s good to hear! Rock on!

[@charlesbolton8471]

@@nickmonks9563 I lived in Memphis from 2013-2016. There were multiple venues with live music EVERY NIGHT OF THE WEEK. My work schedule was the only thing kept me from seeing live music every night of the week. Some nights I went to multiple different shows the same night. I was friends with many people in the local music scene, and most of those people’s sole source of income was from their music.

[@ozboomer_au]

One of your most moving videos for me... and I love all of 'em... I'm not a live venue person in any way... but absolutely, the local, small-scale, live venues are more than critical to the development of musicians and the industry. Down here in Oz, I've seen sooooo many folks come up through the local venues and now deliver their musical visions in stadiums all over the world. 'The Seekers' started in local venues... and they still hold the record for the biggest concert crowd in the southern hemisphere (200,000) in March 1967... not to mention the worldwide history of bands like 'AC/DC'.. 'INXS'.. and many others. So many folks with clout still have blinkered vision and are so short-sighted... We can only hope people with more imagination get to have more clout... and better take care of the local venues.

[@frankbodenschatz173]

We are traveling to England this fall and I hope to see you while over there!

[@GuitarDocAndMore]

2:56 Julia on Bass 😍

[@TheStuport]

Saw that as well!

[@weschilton]

KZbinr band... so odd.

[@TheStuport]

@@weschilton Odd? How so?

[@Musician-Lee]

It’s a terribly sad tale Mary. Birmingham City council is pretty much bankrupt seemingly through financial mismanagement so I understand what they are doing, but it only makes matters worse. Very small brains working there. Cornwall, where most of my gigs are, is suffering because traditionally most of the organisation has been done by volunteers, and these days younger people don’t volunteer. Also very sad.

[@ChrisPage68]

Through government underfunding. Don't let the Tories off the hook!

[@WarrenPeaceOG]

A lot of councils are going bankrupt. Neoliberals don't understand the monetary system, and refuse to use the financial super powers of a currency-issuer to fund local govt as is conventional. Unlike a national currency-issuing govt, local govt must rely on taxes to fund infrastructure. This means local taxes must rise and services and investments cut. It's part of the general Neoliberal decline across the West. The British ruling class is informed by tragically stupid fundamentalist ideologues

[@elvwood]

@@ChrisPage68 Exactly. Councils have legal obligations to provide certain services, which they have been forced to do with less money year-on-year for so very long, and then you add in the effect of the pandemic (much of the cost of which was on on local council shoulders) and many many councils are on the verge of bankruptcy even with very strong financial management. Staff have been cut to the bone and those of us left are asked to take on way more responsibility for no more pay; the only fat left to trim is in areas where bureaucracy makes it too hard to change. It's not surprising any services that councils are _not_ legally obliged to provide are being cut or eliminated - it's often the only option left. And it's down to a deliberate strategy by our national government. Pardon the rant from a council worker married to a city councillor who are both doing the very best we can!

[@theneonchimpchannel9095]

On the subject of Birmingham, there's a town just outside of Birmingham called Walsall which is a great music town. The main venue for live music is a small pub called The Wheatsheaf where most weeks they have live music Wednesdays through Sundays. It's only a small place but they're dedicated to keeping live music going.

[@badnewdays8728]

Great video! Thanks for advocating!

[@dennyd4848]

Here in the middle of Canada, I got to see some class acts when they first started out in a venue of less than 200 people - this includes Bryan Adams, Loverboy, KD Lang, and Midnight Oil - and a few famous drop-ins like Burton Cummings (The Guess Who), BTO, and ZZ Top. I met both Sting and Bono in clubs in my city where they played small-ish shows. We are lucky - we still have venues here to see new acts, but it isn’t easy for them! I can’t imagine what it’s like in the Big Smoke overseas! 😳🙏 It does feel like we lost something magical! 🎶

[@garydiamondguitarist]

But as Lester Burnham says in American Beauty, it's never too late to get it back. Would help if we started now though, for sure. Everyone, en masse.

[@UriahHeep100]

Hey Denny, just yesterday playing Burton Cummings incredible "Stand Tall".... One of my top-10 ever songs. (American Woman was up there). Memories of an era long since passed.....

[@user-qd9mm5mt4i]

Support local music.

[@thoughtengine]

I tried, but last time I did so I didn't actually LIKE the music.

[@user-qd9mm5mt4i]

Sadly, many local musicians don't understand song structure or the need to pursue musical excellence .

[@airfixx_8952]

@@user-qd9mm5mt4i - That's not tied to locality at all.... Everyone (including the creative, passionate and talented!) comes from somewhere..... They're out there and need our support. By that very token; a lot of the time, being able to get on that ladder to making a modest living as a low-key musician is what allows someone to dedicate enough time to go from good to great.

[@elikellyireland]

Thanks for the insightful video. I have a promoter in Scandinavia and tour 5 countries. I’ve seen the affects of Covid and other external forces on live music venues. All the venues I play expect me to only play cover music but on quiet nights I can throw in one of my own. I’m lucky to have contracts etc for each booking. I know not everyone is in the same boat as me. Being around the arts for 30 plus years I think you are right in saying we need to support the smaller venues by paying for shows etc. I believe by the time the venues are ready to close and are in need of help it is too late unless a millionaire investor comes in. Keep up the great work Mary ❤

[@gansior4744]

Damn, your voice is so clear and smooth. Definietly need to try your music

[@jackgolden5006]

I'm beeing honest: I think we're at the age of music democracy. That dream of becoming a rising artist is failing so many. I'm a musician, producer, writer and vocal teacher and whenever one of my students say they wanna pursue a music career I'm gonna have to say them: "Prepare yourself to have lot of fun, lot of stress, worries and have your heart and soul be broken a lot of times. Prepare yourself well music is pretty darn expensive. Surviving, healing and just beeing able to keep on going is the only way to succeed in the face of things getting harder..." For some students I try to cut the bank and help them find affordable gear to keep on going or simply just starting out. And to be honest I don't think music should be accessible only to rich people but all. But right now it turns out more and more this way...😢

[@airfixx_8952]

I entirely appreciate these comments; but at the same time once prohibitively expensive aspects of being a musician have actually been democratized significantly over the last 20-30 years...... The ability to make a good quality (home) demo recording is far less expensive than it's ever been and the internet is an extremely powerful tool for self promotion and distribution of independent physical product (even if digital formats have long proven a double edged sword). Regrettably the surrounding environment and marketplace have also changed to counter balance these things.

[@jackgolden5006]

@@airfixx_8952 That's so true! One thing I would add though is an imbalance for most people to handle the tools like a daw (most daws have become pretty convoluted). The other thing I see is due to many movies, that many starting musicians have become intoxicated by the thought of a one-take/becoming good very fast due to many music films. And even if I can give the tools for shortcuts, even these shortcuts take time and practice. And to realize that to become so good that your first takes become useable and doable takes a lot of experience, focus, and craftsmanship! So the tools are amazingly better, but also in some cases very beginner-unfriendly (Ableton as an example).

[@gordonmills2748]

I've been very fortunate in that I spent decades in radio, very rarely had to pay to see a show, and when I did I got a better "shot" at tickets before the public could. I also know that live performances have replaced the revenue that an artist used to earn on record sales, so I don't begrudge artists for charging more. That said, it is downright criminal what Live Nation has done to the concert business. The fees alone are more than the price I paid for tickets back when I was a young lad, and the fact that they control so many facets of the industry (including the venues, promotions, and even scalpers...sorry..."ticket resellers." they are utterly indistinguishable from a monopoly...which here in the US is supposed to be illegal. I haven't seen a big show since Rush's final tour, because while I love live music, I can't countenance supporting Live Nation.

[@garydiamondguitarist]

It's ironic they're called Live Nation, because they're killing venues and the hopes and dreams of young artists stone dead.

[@MrZipdang]

This is definitely happening here in Australia too. Our small venues and even a lot of our well-established festivals are folding at an alarming rate. Very tough times for small and rising artists.

[@debiconner6377]

I was working Security at a Garth Brooks concert in the 90's. He was on stage above me and I was facing the audience. There is an energy that passes from performer to audience, audience to performer, and it is so incredible. I highly doubt that AI or any other non-live performance could duplicate it.

[@stevelucero9047]

In 1975 a dozen eggs were $0.77, ------------------> now they are $5.00. Multiple band, arena shows were $17.50, -----------------> now they are >$100, and that's for one artist. Local music is dying because the value of the dollar no longer affords most people access to it. This is across the board, musicians to the audience. None of this changes as inflation eats into the purchasing power of the dollar... it just continues to make access less affordable.

[@maHaTma86]

The prices going through the roof yea, i dont know the old price for cold-pressed native olive oil but here in germany we pay up to 8€ now for 1x 700ml bottle. I love music, im playing guitar on my own since 4 years now and i felt in love with old renaissance - classical music. Deep inside i want to visit a orchestra someday but i better dont imagine how expensive a 1 hour bach orchestra will be these days ... I still support musicians as good as i can that inspire me on patreon or i buy the arrangements from them, but this wont keep the art alive in the actual state.

[@mal2ksc]

Inflation is just a statistic, _if_ incomes keep pace. The fact that they haven't is the real problem, not the prices changing.

[@pedrova8058]

ticketmaster/livenation monopoly is a big issue, since late 90s, they have absolute control of the market (I would say even more than the big record companies that still survive) Several "high profile" artists have put the issue on the table, but commercial laws don't change, laissez faire at its maximum expression (even now they make money from ticket resales, they charge twice for the same product, and there is no intention to limit them) . Online music systems have something similar, you must have an intermediary to publish things (digital publisher), then the musicians' earnings are even more diminished (it has also been a topic on media, Neil Young and others have tried, but they always lose (just like Pearl Jam against Ticketmaster in the 90s)) Inflation? yes; monopoly? yes

[@joeshoe6184]

I did some research. I looked at my old Grateful Dead stubs from the early 90s. Average $25. Inflation has basically doubled, so that would make a ticket for the top touring act in the country $50. If Jerry was still alive I'm sure the tickets would be 10x the $25 I paid in 1992. That's a hell of a lot higher rate than normal inflation.

[@johnwaller9399]

I agree with everything you said! I love live music and I go to 4-8 shows a month and all different sized venues in the Seattle area. I am so grateful to live in a place with so many local venues and I don’t take that for granted. 🎸

[@garydiamondguitarist]

Bless you, keep doing what you're doing, artists need audiences, everyone plays their part etc. Super important.

[@scottkidwell3601]

Here in little old Boise, Idaho, we just had the 12th Treefort Music Festival. Five days of bands and artists playing in venues all over downtown. It was pretty fantastic. We definitely need more venues supporting local and independent musicians. Hopefully that comes up. Thank you, Mary 🙏🏻🤍

[@joshdaymusiced]

That’s awesome! I grew up in North Idaho, and I had no idea that even existed. I’ll have to take a visit to Boise sometime to see it!

[@whitaaker.x]

treefort looks AMAZING - did u see cmat there - literally the songwriter of a generation

[@scottkidwell3601]

@whitaaker.x - there was so much going on... I had volunteer obligations the first 4 days, so I missed a lot of the performers. Still got to see some amazing bands.

[@captainobvious9188]

I went to a couple of local venues a lot in the 90's, but even when big stuff came through town it was like $20-50 for a typical seat. The prices now for everything I look at are just eye-watering insane.

[@garydiamondguitarist]

How easily big entertainment corporations have brainwashed the weak-minded into being convinced that they're paying for "the real thing", when they could have spent a fraction, gone round the corner and see something that might have led to their new favourite artist.

[@keithferris9574]

Capitalism is the culprit

[@ecoRfan]

We need to get giant corporations out of the equation. Especially SlimeNation (LiveNation).

[@mustafahamsho5310]

@@keithferris9574 IT was capitalism when prices were cheap, too. It's supply and demand. People are willing to pay 400 bucks for a nosebleed seat? They'll charge that much.

[@stuartd9741]

​@@mustafahamsho5310 I disagree. .. The reason for the high prices are ticket touts or scalpers.. pushing the prices up. Because it seems there is no regulation to stop reselling of tickets fans have "no other option" of paying over the odds for tickets. .. So it's not just supply & demand, .. more an artificially created ticket price boom.

[@TES-541]

One big factor is that as much as we complained about companies like big radio stations, rolling stone and mtv having such influence, it helped in making artists stars, both big and small that we cared about. There was a hierarchy where you could fill up all types of venues. Then artists that could headline small venues would open for artists playing medium, etc. anyone who was around 20 years ago in the punk/hardcore/emo scenes saw that happened to literally hundreds of bands. I remember when My Chemical Romance was opening VFW halls playing first out of six or seven bands. They then grew. We need some kind of curation to fall in love with artists. Everything is anonymous songs on a playlist 99% of the time now.

[@andrewtongue7084]

Er, Punk was around forty years ago, TES....I know, I was there.... 😉

[@jsalvatori]

The start of that crisis was when radio stations stopped being programmed locally. As soon as you had one program director setting the playlist for half the country or more, the ability to have a local, small, or unsigned band "blow up" went out the window.

[@_leivo]

You are basically defending gate keepers and elitism, it doesn't have to only be those two options

[@OriginalGrasshopper]

@@andrewtongue7084It’s been more than 50 years ago now, actually (New York Dolls, The Stooges, etc. all started playing punk in the late 60’s/early 70’s).

[@garydiamondguitarist]

It's funny and crazy to admit but as deeply flawed as the "old model" record industry was, it actually beats the even more broken streaming and stadium system we have now, where smaller artists can't barely make a living at all, disincentivizing making new, original music that isn't trend chasing. For those that said "punk was 40-50 years ago" yeah sure, FIRST WAVE punk was. There's been a couple more waves since, built on that 70s foundation of "three chords and the truth", sometimes only two chords, sometimes a few more - depends on the artist, really! Punk doesn't die if you continue to believe in it and support the artists making it.

[@keneisner3445]

As always, YOU'RE THE BEST!

[@AlbertKaufman]

Great, I shared this with some theater owners in Portland, Oregon. I like the idea of the big tours paying some into the local scene. Also, they could host opening acts from the local town.

[@JTPiano2011]

From April 1978 until Covid I was able to make a living performing live. Clubs, small halls retirement residences. That’s simply not possible now. My advice: if you want to play music for a living - marry a nurse ❤

[@jaconova]

hahaha or a doctor 💉

[@rv6205]

please go into it a little more...what changed ??

[@UrMomsChauffer]

I completely agree. When I was younger, an average band from average means could make it. You worked a regular job until things took off. Now, the only people that seem to really make it in music are the trust fund kids or the kids with connected parents. Most of the venues small and large are owned by Ticketmaster or Live Nation. Local live music is dwindling. There isn't a local music scene in most places. The logistics of being discovered have completely changed and some forms are non existent. They don't look for bands to have careers. Society is set up for short attention spans and on to the next thing. There is no longevity for the artists in many cases.

[@geneclarke2205]

On the other hand, I work in a 2,000 seat venue and the hall struggles to get performers / bands with regional name recognition. The majority of contracts want at least 5,000 seat venues and a guaranteed minimum so the risk is all on the venue. What's keeping the place going are tribute bands since their contracts are still reasonable and music festivals where we bring in money from food, drinks, and t-shirts. The named headline performers wouldn't give this small venue a second thought but they will play at casinos where they're a loss leader just to get people in the doors and the performers get a guarantee fee plus all expenses and wide media coverage. The economics no longer makes sense to keep a small venue open.

[@dcarbs2979]

I had a similar experience. My local town has no 'mid-sized' venues. There were (now closed) small venues of up to 100 with the next size up the local theatre of 1500: one of 3 run by the council of the same size. Too small for current national acts, too big for local new acts. Locally there seems to be no one in between. The main type that do fill it/perform there seem to be former headliners decades past their prime (80's- early 2000s band etc.). Seem to have moved more to comedy now.

[@JamesStoddah]

Well said. An important conversation to have.

[@ucdavis4pt0gpa]

I went to my first 6,000+ seat venue concert in over 5 years a few weeks ago. It also was the first concert of any kind regardless of venue size I had attended in the last 5 years where I wasn't in the first few rows and/or where my tickets weren't part of a package that included a meet and greet or something like that with the artist. And while I was happy to see one of my favorite artists of all time....I was sad at the same time because I realized it was probably the last time I'd see them because I had an epiphany at the show..... I no longer care for that type of experience. The seats we had were mid-tier priced to lower upper tier priced. Not nosebleeds by any stretch, good sight lines, not insanely far away, decent but not by and means stellar sound. And I remember sitting there thinking.... I'm not having as much fun as I used to and I'm not sure the cost, even though I'm fortunate enough for that not to really matter in this instance, is worth it. Part of that is probably age, maturity and evolving tastes....hotel, tickets, dinner, concessions at venue, parking etc. were probably $700ish and that's picking quality but still relatively cost effective options. But for that I could do what instead. Well a couple nights and few days somewhere beautiful where hikes galore and photographing landscapes are an option. Versus a few hour show surrounded by 12k people many of which were drinking quite a bit, traffic, etc. I also could spend that for a front row VIP package, private show beforehand, smaller venue, better sight and sound seating, meet and greet with a less popular artist like one I'm going to see in June. Something which to accomplish with a larger artist would probably cost several thousand dollars. Which at that point I can afford it but I won't for just that experience for one evening. So for me I'd say that a combination of a change in personal priorities along with the value dynamic not being what I'd like it to be will probably cause me to be unlikely to attend any larger (you know....more than a few thousand people venue) concert again unless its a premium package experience that's at most no more than probably $500 for a pair of tickets all fees included and doesn't involve a ton of travel from where I live. Which means.....even at 45 years old I may only attend a handful of concerts the rest of my life. Does that make me sad? Yeah a little but at the same time I know its just an evolution in life and that's a happy thing. And that doesn't mean the age of artists touring is dead because the opposite is actually the case. Venues aren't really being built much bigger than the last 30 years but the population is growing and therefore you have the same seating supply but more seating demand. That population growth also means there's a larger number of people with sufficient incomes to support higher ticket prices and still fill venues. At least in the near future anyway - one does wonder in 20 years (or even 10 for that matter) if there will even be enough acts still touring big enough to sell out larger venues. There will likely be a few, but I doubt many.....and at that point one does have to wonder if live music on a larger scalle? Will then be a thing of the past.

[@tsm7964]

Live entertainment is like 1000% better than watching a movie at home. I agree - the stadium players should subsidize the smaller venues.

[@weschilton]

I kinda disagree... when you have to pay $1,000 to stand up for 2 hours to watch someone perform on a giant screen because they are 2,000 feet away from you, you may as well be at home watching a live stream or a rebroadcast.

[@phoenixrising4995]

@@weschilton Exactly, You will also get a better view of that screen and if you have a good sound setup, damn your set. Also, VR is going to kick lives ass like MTV did to the radio. Imagine seeing your artist and set from every angle, that includes the sides and back. Stage positioning will be totally different.

[@ithemba]

@@weschiltonhell nah. I despise big shows, anything that needs a screen because the stage is too far away is not for me, but still it is totally and completely different from watching a stream or broadcast. the soundwaves literall pushing air out of your ribcage, the immersion into lights and sounds and smells and the experience of being amongst hundreds of people who share that very thing with you are all very special (same goes for all arts and even sports as well btw: theater hits very different from movies, so do classical concerts from filmed ones or football in a stadium from on the tv)

[@creamwobbly]

I love how ‘this is all new and the end is nigh’ but we had exactly the same situation back in the late 80s / early 90s because the PRS wanted higher fees for anything more than a duo act and AC/DC couldn't fill the Riverside because they were asking too much and poor Angus had a cold, bless him

[@dcarbs2979]

It also happned at the end of the 20th century: start of downloads; 2008 financial crisis, small venues and pubs closed; Same again in 2017-2019 (personal experience of local bands), and we all know what happened since then. My small town had one venue which was the only venue for miles that allowed new bands play their own music (loads of pubs with covers bands). Now that is gone. Not sure what is left.

[@jeffsimon9594]

It is not "exactly the same situation" at all, the removal of numerous populations' basic rights & liberties in the global lockstep State response to Covid was totally without precedent and the ramifications are still playing out and will do for a long time.

[@Johnsormani]

This has been going on since the 90’s here in the Netherlands. I remember in the late 70’s , when inwas 15 and had just started playing guitar, you can walk the largest street in our town and you would have countless bars that had bands playing regularly, even on a Sunday afternoon or so. It was fantastic to grow up this way. Me and my best friend would spend many weekends going to gigs of local bands , blues festival and larger shows from bands like Rainbow , Judas Priest, tears for fears ( later on) , just around the corner. In the early 80ies we even organized our own little festival during the weekend of the PinkPop festival which was still taking place in our town. Today there is nothing outside of Amsterdam or a few other big venues . Such a shame

[@QuestForever]

Small shows are amazih enough! Ive had some of the best experiences at small shows compared to large venues

[@martinfloyd6891]

Sorry, you just can't beat going into a pub/venue and listening to live music, be it a band or solo artist. Even if you do not like these sounds, it is still a worthwhile experience.

[@bretthibbs6083]

I agree. When I was a teen back int he early 90's I went to a few bars in Florida and listened to some great bands there and a few solo singers as well and it was awesome. My favorite band that I have heard and I can't remember their name but they were awesome and they played at a place called cadillac jacks that was in a strip mall in the town I lived back then and they were probably the best I've heard in a long time.

[@BrickNewton]

One of the best live shows I've been to was a tiny venue, basically a marquee with a stage at the back of a pub and The Exploited played, it's was small, packed, loud and awesome. This was late last year.

[@RideAcrossTheRiver]

Around here, the venues have 'curators' now and they 'interview' you to see if you are 'a fit' for their 'brand'.

[@MatthewTheWanderer]

I STRONGLY disagree! Like, I could NOT disagree more! It is absolute torture for me to hear live music in bars and other small venues! It is ALWAYS extremely loud, so loud that it no longer even sounds like music to me! How can anyone enjoy that? I'm sure it would also be bad in a large venue, but I've never been to a stadium concert.

[@RideAcrossTheRiver]

@@MatthewTheWanderer "If it's too loud, you're too old"

[@dkpianist]

It's all by design. There's a common move towards bigger, consolidated structures and away from small, independent businesses. Also true for farming where small farmers are dying out - due to exploding cost and insane regulations - as we speak. They don't want the little guy participating. And only few care - the masses are happy with the big names, even if they have to save up for a year to get a ticket for a Taylor Swift show.

[@traciegraves8142]

Granted, a super popular artist in many ways needs to play large venues to accommodate demand….. Yet, nothing compares to the wonderfully small and very intimate venues that are still around that can give both fans and the artists, a very connected and wonderful experience that large venues and stadiums can’t. Anyhow, it would be nice to see big artists start to rediscover and embrace doing small venue shows like they used to, and perhaps make it part of their usual tour. It would be a win~win situation, and the revenue would keep all of these wonderful venues thriving for generations to come….

[@peterkarlsson1825]

I love going to a live concert and see the whole thing through my mobile phone screen.

[@jplater9191]

Truth is the best real music is in small venues. The experience is much more intense being close to the artists and the sound is way better. Conclusion; no more stadiums for me!

[@moreld1]

Agreed. And consider the memories of all the shows we've seen. My memories of stadium shows are mostly lights and projection screens. My memories of small venue shows are watching beads of sweat roll down the singer's face, hearing the stage sound along with the mains, and chatting with the performers after the show.

[@KiltedGreen]

I’ve not heard of you before but having watching this I’m really impressed. Excellent.

[@JulesFox]

Great video Mary. All points well said

[@tomas5376]

Like everything else in this chaotic world, the element of greed is killing way more than music! Real estate prices and rents are outrageous. Food and fuel are equally expensive. The rich get the gold mine while the rest of us get the shaft! Hold on to your hats because it is bound to get worse.

[@JasperKloek]

You don't often see Mary this emotional. And it's completely understandable.

[@iGnominee]

I might be missing it but, that seemed like a very logical and research appeal to save grass-roots venues, it wasn't emotional at all.

[@JasperKloek]

@@iGnominee The appeal itself was very reasonable and logical. What I was referring to is her demeanor: her voice, the look in her eyes.

[@creamwobbly]

↑thirsty kid↑ here

[@garydiamondguitarist]

She's fighting the good fight, trying to save art and expression. Definitely she's impassioned. I found that inspiring enough to basically write an essay doing something similar in like, 20 minutes, and I resolve to get out there and both see and perform more original live music.

[@Scyber_Official]

During the pandemic, Live Nation quietly bought a 49% stake in a old venue in my city (that had been owned by the mafia for decades) and let the venue keep it's name while operating under the impression that it's still a "locally owned" venue. A lot of construction was done inside the venue (including re-doing the bathrooms & adding more "bars" throughout the venue) that no one questioned what was going on, and I didn't know that Live Nation bought a share in the venue until I saw a video from TANK THE TECH who talked about LN doing this during the lockdowns to help local venues who were struggling to stay open.

[@jonstclair3290]

I worked and played in the business for years, when I started as a backline tech we had so many small gigs throughout the week, late load outs were how we topped up our low wages, that slowly dried up and we just did the festivals (horrible work) and big shows. Live nation are terrible to work for, sometimes you don't even know you're working indirectly for them. After brexit and lockdowns my work has gone down the pan. The best gigs of my life were in front of 80 drunken people at the 12bar in soho, it's all gone.

[@jeffersoncosgrove1910]

The decline of local live music in restaurants and clubs has been rising since 2001. Clubs that used to host house bands are lucky to have a live band on Friday and Saturday. Many places that hosted bands now only book solo or duo acts. It's not so different here in the US.

[@DanielBobke]

Think about what has changed. Playing live was primarily about creating an audience and/or supporting a new album to increase sales. No act relies on "album" sales any longer for their primary income and streaming is mostly pennies. Playing live today is about generating an income from the ticket sales, the merch sales, etc. and therefore smaller venues are going to suffer because they cannot pay what most bands need to survive. Certainly rents and other costs have risen and that takes a bite out, but bands in general demand more money. I love going to smaller shows, but I am not sure even how the economics work any more. I saw a show last week that had 4 bands in a venue that couldn't have held more than 500 people - maybe less. The tickets were $45 AFTER the Ticketmaster/Live Nation fees, so how much could the individual bands be paid net for this gig? Maybe a couple of thousand tops? If you have 4 people in your band, you just earned $500 gross before taxes?

[@jeffersoncosgrove1910]

@@DanielBobke Ok, so the problem is bigger than that. 25 years ago, original music bands seldom made any money at the local level. You'd have to go back as far as the late sixties to find bands that got paid for that. Cover bands however could play five nights a week making decent money until 9/11. Then people stayed home and most local venues didn't have enough income during the week to keep that going. You also have a change in mentality with DJ culture. People want wallpaper music when they go out. They want music for a backdrop to their experience out, not a band that's the focus. Because of that there's a perpetual war between the manager and entertainment over any volume above a whisper. So then the establishment hires the solo guitarist/singer with backing tracks or a DJ. What came first, the chicken or the egg? All I know is people don't spend their time out seeing live shows anymore.

[@DanielBobke]

@@jeffersoncosgrove1910 Certainly 9/11 and other global events took their toll - those are unavoidable things that we have to live with. Many businesses died during the COVID lockdowns...it was devastating to many aspects of life. But I think the changes to the music business were more long-term impactful to live music - 9/11 and specifically COVID were late nails in the coffin. When music became "free" everything changed.

[@CatholicTraditional]

@@DanielBobkeActually, I consider the tragic 2007 death of Boston singer Brad Delp as the end of the music industry as we knew it. The Recession began a month thereafter. There’s no $$$ in album sales. It went from physical media to digital downloads to streaming, where you’re at the mercy of the 🛜; content can be pulled at anytime and you don’t have a copy.

[@TomTobin67]

Hey Mary. Here's what you neglected to say: the music publishing companies insist on making the venues pay for the local bands that play covers. People will come out to see a band playing classic music. Original music is something the average passive music fan isn't very interested in paying money and coming into a venue (bar,concert hall,etc) so the conundrum is insane.

[@airfixx_8952]

Unfortunately/rightfully; the onus there is to write good original music and use the gift of the internet to the hilt to promote it and build an audience. I'm sure if the shoe was on the other foot and bands were making a living off of playing your songs and it was cutting into your financial interests then you'd want compensating.

[@joeshoe6184]

​@airfixx_8952 the vast majority of bands playing covers in bars aren't making anything close to a living. They work real jobs during the day and the music is a hobby. Publishing companies are helping to kill the live music scene, it's just a fact.

[@airfixx_8952]

@@joeshoe6184 - The notion of the struggling artist or musician is nothing new. Playing covers of OTHER people work doesn't mean you are owed a living...... Anyone choosing that path without realising that it's a lifestyle choice/sacrifice is naive. The hard truth is that an artform doesn't owe nor guarantee anyone a living, but people that write and create original material are crucial to the music world on both on a creative & industry level.... A lot more so than 'secondary' level entertainment. The implication that copywrite and publishing rights are untoward is fundamentally flawed. If you're profiting off of someone else's art they deserve a slice of your pie. HipHop had to learn to accept this notion when it came to sampling laws...... In essence, this really isn't any different.

[@joeshoe6184]

@airfixx_8952 for example, if you think a small town bar that hosts an open mic should have to worry about BMI and AFSCAP goons suing them because somebody struggled through a cover of 'Old Man', I vehemently disagree. How many venues will just drop the live music rather than deal with paying publishing companies? I will stick to my guns that ASCAP and BMI are stiffling the small live music scene in a very real way. I've talked to several venue owners around here that are scared of getting sued. Anyway how big of a cut does the actual artist get from these payments? I guarantee it's a very small fraction of what the suits are getting. Just because I wrote a song doesn't mean I should get paid every single time somebody plays it at a open mic or small gig. It's stiffling the art for the sake of the dollar.

[@TomTobin67]

@joeshoe6184 ....then you should ask these venue managers about paying a music license fee. I'll bet you they might have had a few incidents with them. Then there's the musicians union bothering bands.

[@thewatercolourartist]

Very eloquently put Mary. 😉👍

[@Ferry1411]

So much truth.... and then big artists are charging hundreds of dollars for tickets... everything i so unbalanced! Loved the points you made and you voice is so soothing, I wish you well!

[@florisbackx1744]

Are we talking about live music or live entertainment? It feels like the live music market is undergoing the same horrible transition from art and performance to Business and product recorded music went through. The dominance of Live Nation over all the industry is crushing the live and the last cent out of any one but the biggest artist. They control all aspects of the market and take a cut at every level down to a percentage of the merc sold buy the artist at the gig. And if you oppose you don;t get booked, they own the booking agency, they own the venue or strong arm them to not book the bands why don't conform.

[@davidhotson1594]

While I don’t disagree with any point in this the fundamental issue is the last point you touched on. People are going out less and less , the venues (even the bad ones) would survive if people went through the doors but people are not doing that. Cinemas are becoming a venue at risk. Restaurants struggle.nightclubs are closing . People can stay at home and get entertained , fed and communicate with others with out leaving the house. I hate to suggest it but venues love streaming events could well be answer. The tech is available, artists Arw doing their own live pre show streams , behind the scenes and maybe part of the gig . Venues with better sound / video could charge small fees

[@airfixx_8952]

If that's the proposed pathway; there's no need for a concert venue at all when you can just broadcast that performance from a small self contained studio (think Tiny Desk.... BBC live sessions etc... A number of such online platforms already exist).............. It'd be different; but a stream of a band playing a 1/4 full venue would be a far more lacking atmos/vibe and less finacially sustainable. .......Though obviously at which point you're essentially admitting defeat here and giving up on the social aspect and the financial benefits that gig (and club culture!) can inject into a local community (that are touched upon in this video).

[@markwatson8714]

Some artists already are. The issue is more rising costs than footfall; pandemic aside attendance has remained fairly static. The problem is a music venue is largely fixed sales - if you only have 300 seats you can't respond to a 25% increase in costs by trying to sell 25% more tickets, you have to make those 300 seats you already have generate more money to cover it. With the hikes in everything from energy to alcohol and especially rent (which is a double whammy for businesses here in the UK since the business rates are calculated based on the rental value of the property, so when the landlord puts the rent up your business rates also go up) we're at the point where smaller venues are caught in catch 22 - charge enough per ticket to cover your costs and you won't sell enough to break even, charge any less and even if you sell out the show you're still running at a loss.

[@davidhotson1594]

@@markwatson8714 very good points. If the solution was simple some could get it implemented I guess. A levy on super large firms making billions off these mega artists would help but not easy to implement. Running venues as non profit charities probably closes as many doors as it opens.

[@airfixx_8952]

@@markwatson8714 - These rent increases are often a mechanism to drive lease holders out so landlords can sell on to developers for massive short-term profit...... The corner section of London's Tottenham Court Rd/Charring Cross Road is the perfect example..... Not so long ago in that very small area you had The iconic Astoria 1 & 2, The Crow Bar, The End, The Velvet Rooms, the big warehouse-style venue accross the road and the big 2 floor open plan bar just off Soho Square that would often host gigs too (neither of which I can recall the name of now) all co-existing....... Now? All gone. If an area like that (with it's additional constant stream of tourists) can't sustain a healthy music lightlife in one of the busiest areas of the capital city against the tide of Apple stores, Tescos, Starbucks and chain-pubs then we in the UK are pretty screwed.

[@Still-Sitting]

Hollywood as well. We can at least all celebrate the old days. Glad I have amazing memories from the 90s from when it was grass roots everywhere. Best of luck to you from California

[@theartofheavymetal]

Wherever you are, support your local music scene. Music is art, and art cannot be killed. I'm so encouraged by the number of grassroots shows, and bands putting on and promoting their own shows. Great video, fascinating to see the numbers broken down, wild stuff!

[@thelolguy007]

Most people are not real music fans - they would rather spend €150 euro to be one of 80,000 others and watch the concert on a big screen while sitting down because it’s the show to be at rather than spend €40 to be one of 200 people and support an up and coming act.

[@prydeofclyde1891]

So you get to decide who’s a real music fan. Excellent.