Oasis, one of the most successful British bands of all time, performed at Moles early in their career, and the venue is often credited as being instrumental in their rise to fame. Similarly, Ed Sheeran, who has become a global superstar, also graced the stage at Moles in his early days.

 Oasis                                                                                                      Ed Sheeran

The impact of Moles extends beyond just launching successful acts. Manic Street Preachers, a Welsh rock band, secured a record deal after their performance at the venue. Supergrass, another popular British band, even used Moles’ dressing room for the cover shoot of their debut album, highlighting the venue’s significance in the music industry.

Manic Street Preachers                                                                 Supergrass

The closure of Moles is a devastating blow to the local music community. The owners’ decision to file for insolvency reflects the harsh reality of the financial challenges faced by grassroots venues. The rising cost of living and increasing bills have made it increasingly difficult for small venues like Moles to stay afloat.

Co-owner Tom Maddicot’s statement about the economic viability of grassroots live music is a sobering reminder of the challenges faced by these venues. Without adequate support and a sustainable financial model, more small venues may face a similar fate. Tom said “Making the decision to close Moles was horrendous, but the reality is that live music at grassroots level is no longer economically viable.”

Moles’ rich history and contribution to the music scene in Bath cannot be understated. From hosting early performances by iconic bands like Blur, The Cure, and The Smiths, to providing a platform for up-and-coming artists, the venue has left an indelible mark on the industry.

As the doors of Moles close for the final time, the music community mourns the loss of a beloved institution. The memories and impact of this iconic venue will live on, but its closure serves as a stark reminder of the challenges faced by grassroots music venues in an increasingly challenging economic climate.

Recently, Moles hosted Slowthai, and the fast-rising indie band The Last Dinner Party. Unfortunately, the closure of Moles adds to the growing number of losses in the UK’s live music circuit.

Mark Davyd, the CEO of the Music Venue Trust, believes that the closure of Moles reflects a larger failure by the music industry and the government to invest in venues that support emerging artists.  The Music Venue Trust is looking to France as an example, where the government has implemented a ticket levy on arena shows to provide financial support to smaller venues and up-and-coming artists. Davyd has reached out to the UK government and opposition parties, urging them to take action and support the grassroots live sector. He said “Unless it gets serious about its responsibilities to encourage, nurture and develop the grassroots live sector, the music industry as a whole will face a catastrophic failure of artist development,”

the sound of 2024 longlist is here ✨

a selection of the artists will be performing at maida vale studios on monday 8th january 2024. if you want to be there, register now: https://t.co/O2HAQ3FGLx pic.twitter.com/tdHSIJiiJI

— BBC Radio 1 (@BBCR1) December 4, 2023

 The top ten acts are (in alphabetical order): Ayra Starr, Caity Baser, CMAT, Elmiene, Kenya Grace, The Last Dinner Part, Olivia Dean, Peggy Gou, Sekou and Tyla. From January 1, 2024, a countdown will kick off across Radio 1, counting down the top 5. The number one spot will be revealed live on Radio 1 on Friday, January 5.

It’s very hard to not be grateful ! I’m filled with so much joy and gratitude! Thank you too all my starrs , I see all your messages on me being your top artist , I’m so glad to be doing this life thing with you and that my music brings you peace and joy ! Ayra mob we just… pic.twitter.com/7N3TnyyNk7 — Celestial being (@ayrastarr) December 1, 2023

Head of Radio 1, Chris Price spoke of his excitement about the gender dynamic on the list, mentioning “With so many female artists on the Sound Of list this year, I’m really encouraged about the next generation of festival headliners. The list is as diverse as ever, reflecting the genre-agnostic nature of BBC Radio 1, which has supported every single one of the acts on the longlist. 2024 promises to be a great year for new music!”

The countdown of the Top 5 will kick off across Radio 1 on January 1st, 2204. The winner will be revealed live on Radio 1 during a special broadcast on Friday, January 5th. An event will be hosted at Maida Vale by Radio 1 called ‘BBC Radio 1 Sound of 2024 Live’ on January 8 2024. There is an application for tickets which is now open on the BBC Show And Tour website – see here for details.

The competition dates back two decades, with the first BBC Sound of in 2003! Among the success stories, boasts Ellie Goulding, 50 Cent, Sigrid and last year’s winner, girl group, FLO.

BRIT School alumna, Olivia Dean has also been named ‘BBC Introducing Artist of the Year’ live on-air, after the ‘secret’ award was announced unknowingly to Ladies Room’ singer, Olivia in an interview with presenter Jess Iszatt. The artist humbly accepted the award, thanking the emerging talent organisation BBC Introducing for all their support. She commented “Thank you so much for all the support over the years BBC Introducing! You are such an important and valuable platform for up-and-coming musicians. From my very first gig at the Lexington until now – poof crazy! So excited to be your artist of the year!!”

i won @bbcintroducing artist of the year !!
wow @jjiszatt thank u for being there from the beginning ❤️ https://t.co/5hSRHCy1J3

— Olivia Dean (@oliviadeano) November 28, 2023

On the opening night, Friday 12, Liam Gallagher will grace the main stage. Whilst speaking about his return to the festival he said “Can’t wait to return to Glasgow Green next Summer to headline TRNSMT.” He continued by teasing about what he’ll play, hinting at some solo material “I’ll be playing songs from Definitely Maybe as well as some solo stuff. See you there.”

Bringing the pop vibes, noughties group The Sugababes have been announced for the Friday Line-up. Known for their iconic hits  ‘Push The Button’ and ‘About You Now’, the band are rumoured to have new releases in 2024. The English pop vocal trio of Keisha Buchanan, Mutya Buena and Siobhan Donaghy has changed musical line-ups three times before returning to the original members in 2012. The group released their first single in a decade in September 2023, the soulful song ‘When The Rain Comes’. 

Example has been announced as the headline act for the King Tuts Stage. The rapper and singer rose to fame in the 2010s with his catchy songs such as ‘Changed The Way That You Kiss Me’ and ‘Kickstarts’ and his funny personality, with dry humour, which fans adore. His personality has been shown in videos with his celebrity friends such as Ed Sheeran. Lastly, To complete the Friday line-up, fans will be rocking out to Pop Rock band Picture This and indie group The Last Dinner Party.

Saturday sees Gerard Crosbie, professionally known as Gerry Cinnamon headlining after a four-year break from playing the festival. The Scottish singer-songwriter and acoustic guitarist is back, after saying “Get hounded on the daily to do TRNSMT again, well hound no more.”

Pop star, Rick Astley, who is known for his legendary debut track ‘Never ‘Gonna Give You Up’ will be joining the party on Saturday. The 80s singer has made a big comeback over the past few years, with Gen Z audiences ‘Rick Rolling’ each other. The new ‘internet meme’ has become a trend, with people seemingly clicking on a video, and instead being presented with Astley’s ‘Never Gonna Give you Up’. Even supermarket giant Sainsbury’s is ‘Rick Rolling’ the nation in their 2023 Christmas ad.

Sunday is the day for all the ravers, with DJ Calvin Harris taking over the main stage. The popular DJ and producers, who have hits such as ‘How Deep is Your Love’ and ‘Feels So Close’ will arrive at TRNSMT for his first gig following his sell-out Ibiza residency. Dance duo, Chase & Status will also be bringing the energy on the final festival day. To see all these iconic artists and more, get tickets online here