Northampton music venue fundraising campaign receives video support from Alan Moore

Among the many casualties of Covid-19, independent music venues are also sadly facing imminent difficulties and threat of closure due to loss of income.

The arts bailout package that was announced in July for £1.57 billion is simply not sufficient to cover ongoing losses for all theatres and venues, and many are making the tough decision to stay closed and keep people safe.

The recent #saveourvenues campaign has so far raised nearly £1.5 million to help out, and other independent music venues have taken to crowdfunding.

According to the Music Venues Trust, which runs the campaign, of the 670 independent music venues they support across the UK, 556 are at risk of permanent closure.

This would be a devastating loss to our cultural landscape.

The Music Venues Trust state on their website that: “The situation is dire, government support has been exhausted, and it now falls to artists, music fans, local communities and the wider industry to take action. Put bluntly, without these venues, the opportunities for artists and audiences to connect in a meaningful way at a local level will simply disappear in a lot of cases.”

This includes Northampton’s very own independent music venue, The Lab. The venue has a crowdfunder with the Music Venue Trust and all money raised goes towards covering The Lab’s monthly costs until it is safe for them to reopen.

Last weekend, many musicians from Northampton, and international musicians who have previously performed at The Lab, held an online fundraiser to help raise awareness and much needed funds.

This included a video of support from local writer Alan Moore, who said: “The Labour Club has been the backbone of Northampton counter-culture for as many decades as I can remember. It’s where all the best bands, the best comedy, the best groups have been meeting.

“It’s where the Northampton Arts Lab currently meets. We don’t know where we’d be without the Labour Club. Many groups depend on this lovely little place.”

Prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, The Lab had been running an array of entertainment and services including hosting music, discussion, spoken word, The Lab Café, a daytime mums and tots group and upgraded sound and video recording facilities to support emerging local musical talent to record material and get seen and heard.

Although the Government has made announcements to allow indoor music gigs to be put on with social distancing measures in place, this is simply not practical or profitable for many independent music venues.

It also means that many people are facing redundancy or are currently out of work due to freelance contracts.

Back in early July, the #LetTheMusicPlay campaign was launched which saw over 1,500 musicians and artists write an open letter to the Government calling on action to be carried out to save the live music scene, which generates around £5.3 billion per year into the economy.

It is widely acknowledged that independent music venues, with their affordable ticket prices and exposure to an array of diverse up and coming musicians and bands, are lynchpins of local culture and vibrant communities.

When we emerge from a post Covid-19 world, we will need them more than ever to help re-build social connections and provide cultural experiences.

It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that if it were not for independent music venues, a large portion of people’s music collections probably wouldn’t exist. They’ve been a starting point for many musicians.

Kirsty Wilkins, the chair of The Lab, said: “We’d like to thank everyone for their support. The whole team is working very hard to ensure that we make it through this extremely challenging period. We look forward to reopening when it is safe and feasible to do so and have ambitious plans for the future, so we may continue to provide a magical space for creativity and grassroots culture to thrive.”

You can help support The Lab by making a donation via the crowdfunding link on their Facebook page:

@thelabnorthampton