50 Percent Of Bristol Venues Threatened

The report was conducted by Bucks New University and UK Music. It states that of the 94 dedicated music venues identified (with an average capacity of 210), 50 percent were affected by “development, noise or planning issues, which poses a huge threat to the future of this vibrant ecosystem.”

Live music generated £123 million of revenue for the Bristol economy in 2015, equating to £45 million in GVA (Gross Value Added). Live music also supported 927 full-time equivalent jobs in Bristol.

Trying to put the figures into perspective, UK Music’s economics department told Pollstar that “the most recent edition of the Office of National Statistics’ regional GVA accounts (2012) reports that Bristol has a GVA of £11.7 billion.”

It also stated that while the 927 FTE jobs in attributed to live music were a small proportion of the overall number of jobs in Bristol (231,400), they were “significant in absolute terms. If a factory employing 927 people were to close, then it would be big news. Equally, if live music ceased to be part of the economy of Bristol, 927 people would lose their jobs.”

Jo Dipple, chief executive of UK Music, said: “Our project with Bucks New University delves for the first time into a local music ecosystem, Bristol. It reveals what we might all assume, that Bristol supports a sizeable music economy. “For more than 40 years, Bristol has been home to some of the most influential and culturally relevant British musicians including Massive Attack, Robert Wyatt, Tricky, The Pop Group and two Mercury Music Prize winners in Portishead and Roni Size. Bristol’s vibrant grassroots live music scene has been a bedrock of a rich musical lineage.”

Dipple also stated that UK Music would “continue to make the case for agent of change to Government.” The agent of change principle puts the responsibility for noise management on the incoming individual or business, which would make life for long-established venues much easier.

Speaking of Bristol: a exhibition on Glastonbury Festival is going to take place in the city March 18-22. It covers the early history of the festival from the time it was still known as Pilton Pop. The Western Daily Press published a couple of the pictures.