The UK live music industry has joined together for the first time to formally launch its own industry body, LIVE. It follows a year of devastation due to Covid-19 and now new challenges posed by Brexit.
The federation will be the voice of the UK’s live music ecosystem including artists, managers, venues, festivals, promoters, agents, production and ticketing. Membership is made up of the 13 principal industry associations across the sector, representing 3,150 companies, over 4,000 artists and 2,000 backstage workers.
Greg Parmley, CEO of LIVE (Live music Industry Venues & Entertainment), said: “It’s long overdue that the UK’s live music industry has a properly representative body, and LIVE will be that unified voice as the industry comes out of lockdown and beyond. The unprecedented challenges we face might paint a bleak picture, and this is a critical time, but together we can help protect jobs and the future of live music, as we move toward restoring the UK industry to its world leading best.
“LIVE is an opportunity to represent the whole of the live industry, from the smallest show to the biggest festival. We are delighted that the founding associations include organisations at the very top of our industry and those with deep connections into the foundations on which that industry is built.”
Stuart Galbraith at Kilimanjaro Live was instrumental in the formation of LIVE, alongside Live Nation’s Phil Bowdery and the association heads.
Galbraith said: “LIVE is focused on securing the long-term support for our industry that we vitally need and protecting the jobs and livelihoods from the double whammy of Covid-19 and Brexit. We are a £4.5 billion world-leading industry, and by bringing together all of the unique voices within it and working collaboratively, we are in a far better position to protect and support our ecosystem as a result.”
As one of the first sectors to close at the outbreak of the pandemic, and one of the last to reopen, live music has suffered enormously throughout the pandemic. LIVE was initially formed in response to Covid-19 and began co-ordinating, resourcing and supporting the efforts of committed groups and individuals across the industry.
LIVE and its members are heavily represented on numerous government working groups and committees. Early success for its members includes the #LetTheMusicPlay campaign, which helped secure millions of pounds in additional funding from the Culture Recovery Fund to protect the live music industry.
The organisation is currently campaigning for:
- Three-year extension to the reduced cultural VAT rate on tickets
- A government-backed insurance scheme to allow events to go ahead when it is safe to do so
- Targeted financial support for the sector to protect jobs and infrastructure
LIVE is also working closely with UK Music, as well as other bodies across the music and wider entertainment industry.
The LIVE Sustainability group has convened the industry’s leading sustainability practitioners to work in tandem with industry leaders to develop a sector-wide charter and resource.
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