Arlo Parks in call to value independent music venues

The 20-year-old Londoner, who is one of four ambassadors for this year’s event, says: “All the venues that I’ve played have been independent venues, all my first run of headline shows, and I feel like these venues really nurture emerging talent.

“When you’re playing your first shows at 200-capacity venues all of them are independent, so when people are building up their platform as artists, finding their feet as performers, these venues are the ones that welcome them with open arms and I feel that’s why it’s so important to support them and protect them, because without independent venues there will be no emerging artists. That’s why I’d like anyone who is a fan of new talent, and discovering new music, to support these venues.”

With many venues struggling to survive, having been closed for almost year due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Parks is keenly aware of the impact this could have on the music scene. “I just hope that when things get back to normal, the proper infrastructure is put in place...to make sure they are protected if anything like this were to happen again,” she says.

The week will open with On The Road With Independent Venue Week, a feature-length documentary about venues and their communities.

On The Road with Independent Venue Week was filmed over two years, including the 2018 and 2019 IVW celebrations, and takes music lovers on a very special journey to independent live music venues across the country, meeting those who run, work and play in them.

The film will premiere on Monday January 25, on the IVW website followed by a Q&A with Philip Selway (Radiohead), Adrian Utley (Portishead), Dom Fraser (The Boileroom), Rebecca Walker (The Leadmill), Nathan Clark (Brudenell Social Club Leeds) Big Jeff (Bristol) and Sybil Bell (IVW founder) and hosted by Matt Everett (BBC 6 Music).

Tickets are on sale on the website until 3pm on Monday.

Contributors to the feature documentary include Nick Mason (Pink Floyd), Adrian Utley (Portishead), Fatboy Slim, Nadine Shah, IDLES, Gaz Coombes, Novelist, Richard Hawley, Talk Show, Pip Blom, Big Jeff & more.

The documentary was filmed on location at The New Adelphi Club, 100 Club, Brudenell Social Club, Hebden Bridge Trades Club, The Boileroom, Moles Club, The Leadmill in Sheffield, John Peel Centre, The Met, Bush Hall, The Cookie and others.

For the first time in its eight-year history, IVW will this year be represented by four ambassadors – one for each of the Home Nations – who will lead the way in championing independent venues across their respective countries in the build-up to IVW 2021.

Amy Macdonald will be Independent Venue Week 2021’s official ambassador for Scotland and will be joining the already announced Arlo Parks (England), Gruff Rhys (Wales), Jordan Adetunji (Northern Ireland) to complete the line-up, which takes place from Monday January 25 to Sunday January 31. Nine Yorkshire venues are among the 79 taking part in the week of events.

Historically, IVW sees hundreds of venues across the UK take part in Independent Venue Week, inviting a huge host of exciting artists to play exclusive shows up and down the country in celebration of independent venues and their communities. The initiative provides a spotlight on the grassroots ecosystem within the live music sector – an ecosystem which includes not only the venues and the people that own, run and work in them, but also promoters, artists, managers, crew as well as labels, kit, merchandise, ticketing and tour transport companies and the all-important music fans and gig-goers.

With a lockdown in place, IVW is responding by adapting the way shows are available across the week with a range of digital events. From ‘In Conversations’ with artists, labels, promoters, gig-goers and other industry organisations to album listening parties, pre-recorded live streams, comedy and quizzes.

Recently, UK Music welcomed experienced campaigner, communications expert and former political adviser, Jamie Njoku-Goodwin, as the trade body’s new chief executive and Independent Venue Week is pleased with his support. He says: “UK Music is delighted to support Independent Venue Week, which has rightly become a firm fixture in the music industry calendar. Independent venues are at the heart of our industry, which contributed £5.8bn to the UK economy before Covid-19 and supports almost 200,00 jobs. This year will be critical as venues fight to get back on their feet so they can showcase the very best of British talent and help drive our post-pandemic recovery.”

Independent Venue Week is funded by a longstanding partnership with Arts Council England along with support from DCMS as part of their £1.57bn Culture Recovery Fund programme, Creative Scotland, See Tickets, Yamaha, Fred Perry and PPL. The F List and loadin.com are also partners in kind this year.

The Yorkshire & Humber venues taking part are: Grayston Unity, Halifax; Wadsworth Community Centre, Hebden Bridge; in Leeds, Belgrave Music Hall, Brudenell Social Club, Headrow House, Oporto and Sela Bar; Corporation, Sheffield; and The Fulford Arms, York.

For more information, visit independentvenueweek.com