The trust highlighted how football has a framework in place that helps fund the lower levels of English football in order to help nurture young talent and help emerging players progress, suggesting this approach could be utilised within the music industry to halp grassroots venues.

The post read “As the England team head towards the Euro Quarter-Final, we’re reminded that top-tier football teams in the UK invest a small levy from stadium tickets back into supporting the smaller clubs that feed the talent pipeline.”

The post continued highlighting how the Premier league “nurture young talent at a grassroots level, and support finding it in every corner and community, so that every kid – from every walk of life – has a chance to walk out onto the biggest stage and do what they do best.”

They then asked why the Music industry can’t do the same, saying that “A £1 levy on stadium and arena tickets for concerts would generate millions of pounds of vital income to ensure that the UK keeps creating national heroes.”

As the England team head towards the Euro Quarter-Final, we’re reminded that top-tier football teams in the UK invest a small levy from stadium tickets back into supporting the smaller clubs that feed the talent pipeline.#Euro2024 pic.twitter.com/DvvYiLDv27

— Music Venue Trust (@musicvenuetrust) July 6, 2024

This came shortly after the news that Lisa Nandy had been appointed as the secretary of state for Culture, Media and Sport following the 2024 UK General Election where the Labour party won a landslide victory over the Conservative party.

Prior to the General Election the Music Venue Trust published a manifesto for Grassroots music where they set out a series of steps that they say need to be taken in order to stabilise to grassroots music sector and stop the rapid closures of grassroots music venues. The manifesto called for £1 from every ticket sold at stadium or arena level to be invested back into grassroots venues. The manifesto also called for a VAT reduction for ticketing in grassroots music venues as well as calling for the removal of business rates for Grassroots music venues.

Speaking on the manifesto for grassroots music, Music Venue Trust CEO, Mark Davyd said that 38% of Grassroots music venues made a loss in the last year and that overall, the grassroots music sector operated at a profit margin of 0.5%. “We therefore call on all political representatives, from all parties, to seize the moment and drive forward this change. We have a chance to save UK Grassroots Music Venues from the crisis they currently face, and we should not let it slip.” Davyd said.

A report by the Music Venue Trust at the end of 2023 revealed just how dire the state pf the grassroots music venue industry is with 125 venues closing down last year or 16% of all grassroots music venues.

DOWNLOAD and read the full Manifesto for Grassroots Music: https://t.co/auSonGEoNI

SHARE this post to your social media with the hashtag #VoteForMusic.

WRITE to the prospective MPs in your constituency and ask them to commit to the Manifesto for Grassroots Music. pic.twitter.com/MK5TBDmDfv

— Music Venue Trust (@musicvenuetrust) June 11, 2024

The video was released on the biggest platform for UK rap and hip hop GRM Daily and has gained nearly 700 thousand views in 2 days.

The rap duo released a documentary with the BBC where they explored Englishness while creating the catchy anthem ’Olé’, the documentary featured the Croydon duo speaking to England manager Gareth Southgate, Players Declan rice, Tyrone Ming, Dominic Calvert Lewin and Eni Aluko, as well as artists Big Zuu and Aitch.

The video was shot outside of Wembley ahead of Englands Group stage game against Scotland and features Krept, Konan and S1lva with the England fans as they prepared to watch their team compete against their neighbours, Scotland.

The song features Morrison, M1llionz and S1lva, the latter being very new in the music scene having only dropped his first single ‘Milli’ in May of 2021. Morrison on the other hand has been rapping for nearly 10 years but in the last year, the East Londoner has upped his work rate releasing 6 songs which have all received well over 1 million views each, with ‘Brothers’ featuring Jordan gaining 10 million views and ‘Bad guys’ featuring Loski sitting on nearly 7 million views. Northwest Birminghams own M1llionz was the last feature on the song and shot his part outside of his local stadium the Hawthorns home to West Bromich Albion FC.

The video for Englands official euro anthem ‘Olé’ is available to watch here:

Southgate’s boys are 10 days away from their first game at the 2020 euros and the 26 players chosen to represent the three lions were officially announced on Tuesday. With one of the most diverse and youthful squads that England have ever taken to a major tournament, It was only right to have the outspoken Wretch 32 as the voice of the official squad announcement.

The announcement video came accompanied with a track in which the Tottenham born rapper spoke on the talents of Phil Foden and England’s young stars as well as the unity and community that comes around when England are in a major tournament with lyrics such as, “on the field, we’re a family hence why we take one knee after we huddle up”.

The video focused on the diversity of the people and characters in England and the England squad, it showcased kids playing football on their estate, amputee players, women’s teams, grassroots referees and more.

It showcased the inclusivity and national pride of the England national football team.

The announcement track was produced by Maestro, featured backing vocals from 0207 Def Jams faceless RnB act Debbie and was directed by Keane Pearce shaw. The art for the squad announcement was created by artist Reuben Dangoor who has created work for artists such as Arlo Parks, Slowthai and DC, his work featured some of the biggest England stars alongside the diverse NHS staff and key workers that make England what it is.

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A post shared by Reuben Dangoor (@reubendangoor)

Wretch 32 was the creative director behind the announcement video and starred in the 1-minute 43-second clip, the release comes just a week after the UK rap legend dropped his latest effort ‘Little BIG man’, an album that focuses on the life and mentality of a young black man growing up in inner-city London. The gifted artist also released a 3-minute freestyle a week before this announcement in which he condemned the government and British empire as well as hailing up England star Marcus Rashford.

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

A post shared by Wretch 32 (@officialwretch32)

The artist’s ability to cover such vast topic areas at such a high level of rapping ability is profound and is what makes him one of the best talents out of the UK. The official England squad announcement video starring wretch 32 is available to watch on the artists Instagram:

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

A post shared by Wretch 32 (@officialwretch32)

Forecast losses to be incurred by the Centre, due to the cancellation of so many events, are to be so extensive as to consume all of the venue’s reserve finances, as well as the £4m allotted to the Southbank Centre via the government’s furlough scheme. Bedell elaborated to say that the £19.2m annual grant, courtesy of Arts Council England, has already been exhausted “to effectively mothball the buildings.”

A full statement outlining the reasons behind the potential closure of the Southbank Centre until next April was released today (May 25th) on the official @southbankcentre Twitter account. Opening with the assurance that “we know we are not alone in this,” the Centre stands “with our friends, partners and colleagues – both here in the UK and abroad – during this time of unprecedented challenge.”

A statement on today's announcement from Elaine Bedell, and the full story online: https://t.co/Umo6P5k4l8 pic.twitter.com/UH4WvAVmsn

— Southbank Centre (@southbankcentre) May 25, 2020

According to the above cited BBC News report, the venue is currently assessing the possibility of broadcasting concerts without live audiences through autumn of this year and spring 2021. An enormous, and enormously complex, campus of buildings and arenas, the Southbank Centre is comprised of the Royal Festival Hall, the Queen Elizabeth Hall, the Purcell Room and the Hayward Gallery – as well as eight separate orchestras – presenting in excess of 3,500 events per year.

In her statement, Ms. Bedell reflects on the important postwar history of the venue as “a focal point of social and economic recovery,” following years of international conflict. She hopes to “emerge from this crisis to an even brighter future, throwing our doors wide open once more” in the months ahead.

The news has been announced in an Instagram post with the following statement:
‘We’re so sorry to announce that Reading and Leeds 2020 will no longer be taking place. Please read our full statement above. Keep safe and see you all next year’

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Reading & Leeds Festival (@officialrandl) on May 12, 2020 at 8:29am PDT

Liam Gallagher, Stormzy and Rage Against The Machine had been set to headline this year. Other artists included in the program were MIGOS, Lewis Capaldi, Sam Fender, Solardo, AJ Tracey, Tom Greenan and many more.

The tickets bought for this summer will remain valid, while refunds will also be available, assures the organisation.

The history of the two festivals goes back to the 1960s. Initially Reading and Leeds festivals were known as rock festivals. Over the years, however, the events became more versatile, attracting fans from many different genres.

Last year’s headliners included Post Malone, The 1975, Twenty One Pilots and Foo Fighters. Other acts included Pale Wave, Billie Eilish, Bastille, Blossoms and The Distillers. Billie Eilish’s live performance can be seen on the JmusiCall  YouTube Channel.

 

Following the comedian’s passing on Monday due to what is now believed to have been an “acute cardiac event“, the song that he recorded ahead of the previous World Cup has rocketed up the charts thanks to a number of social media campaigns. Jon Morter, the man behind the campaign to get Rage Against The Machine to the Christmas number one spot in 2009, is one of the key figures behind an effort aimed at launching Mayall’s track back up the charts.

The former Young Ones and Bottom star recorded this track which features Mayall delivering lines from Shakespeare’s Henry V. More information about the campaign, including places to download the track from, can be found here.