{"id":31058,"date":"2023-02-03T17:40:30","date_gmt":"2023-02-03T17:40:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/cjsnews\/?p=31058"},"modified":"2023-02-03T17:41:58","modified_gmt":"2023-02-03T17:41:58","slug":"small-venues-critical-for-cardiff-indie-bands","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cardiffjournalism.co.uk\/cjsnews\/small-venues-critical-for-cardiff-indie-bands\/","title":{"rendered":"Small venues “critical” for Cardiff indie bands"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

As Independent Venue Week comes to an end, there have been calls on the Welsh government to support smaller , independent venues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sam Budd, owner of Le Pub, Newport and previously Welsh coordinator of Music Venue Trust says small stages are the “research and development arm of the music industry”. Protecting grassroots venues protects the “whole ecosystem of music” . <\/p>\n\n\n\n

She’s concerned that without independent venues, there won’t be any new artists coming through. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Figures from the Music Venue Trust’s 2022 annual report, show that live music still has not returned to pre-pandemic levels. The number of live shows in independent music venues has declined by 17% . <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The report suggests that the cost of living is the reason for this decline with average ticket prices increasing. According to the report, this has led audience numbers to fall by 11%. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Inflation is the reason for fewer live shows and falling audience numbers said Sam Budd. “Bands can’t really afford to tour without putting ticket prices up but then audiences don’t have the money to support them.” <\/p>\n\n\n\n

“It’s who swallows the cost” she says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The report revealed the grassroots scene contributed \u00a3500m to the UK economy, but venues had an average profit margin of just 0.2%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Grassroots venues are the stepping stone for bands like Inland Murmurs. Quillan Thomas, the drummer, said bands have to start “at the ground level.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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