Features
First Ever Live Music Body Formed In The UK
– LIVE.
The UK’s first industry-overarching federation.
Some of the UK’s most experienced live entertainment professionals have formed the UK’s first dedicated live music body to face “unprecedented challenges from COVID-19, Brexit and beyond.”
LIVE, which stands for Live Music Industry, Venue And Entertainment, aims to be “the voice of the UK’s live music ecosystem including artists, managers, venues, festivals, promoters, agents, production and ticketing,” according to the announcement.
Membership is made up of the 13 principal industry associations across the sector, including the Association of Independent Festivals (AIF), Association for Electronic Music (AFEM), Concert Promoters Association (CPA), Music Venue Trust (MVT), Music Managers Forum (MMF), National Arenas Association (NAA), Production Services Association (PSA), Society of Ticket Agents & Retailers (STAR), and more.
Together, they represent 3,150 companies, more than 4,000 artists and 2,000 backstage workers.
LIVE is structured around four pillars: lobbying, economic analysis, communications, and skills & diversity. It has been operating as an informal task force that initially joined together in response to the unprecedented pressure and devastation faced by the industry due to the shut down of virtually all forms of public gatherings in reaction to COVID. Its members have been working with government to secure funding for the industry as well as co-ordinating, resourcing and supporting the efforts of the many committed groups and individuals across the sector.
The federation has now announced its official formation, seeing that the challenges have only gotten bigger – not just due to the ongoing COVID restrictions faced by the sector, but also the implementation of Brexit, which still lacks any guidance or solutions for touring artists crossing between the UK and mainland Europe.
LIVE’s current campaigns include a three-year extension to the reduced cultural VAT rate on tickets, which was reduced from 20% to 5% last July. This temporary rate is currently set to last until March 31. The federation is also fighting for a government-backed insurance scheme that would allow events to plan ahead despite the uncertainties surrounding the return of live audiences and lifting of travel restrictions, which are just two of the issues causing event professionals a headache at the moment.
There’s also an ongoing need of targeted financial support in order to protect the jobs and infrastructure of a sector that’s contributes more than $6.2 billion to the UK economy annually.
– Greg Parmley.
CEO of LIVE.
LIVE CEO is Greg Parmley, the MD of the International Live Music Conference (ILMC), who has spent two decades involved in the international live music industry. He said, “It’s long overdue that the UK’s live music industry has a properly representative body, and LIVE will be that unified voice as the industry comes out of lockdown and beyond. The unprecedented challenges we face might paint a bleak picture, and this is a critical time, but together we can help protect jobs and the future of live music, as we move toward restoring the UK industry to its world leading best.”
Operations manager for LIVE is former Paradigm employee Corinna Burrows. Also instrumental in the formation of LIVE, aside from all the individual associations’ leaders, are Live Nation’s executive president of international touring Phil Bowdery as well as Kilimanjaro Live CEO Stuart Galbraith, who said, “LIVE is focused on securing the long-term support for our industry that we vitally need and protecting the jobs and livelihoods from the double whammy of COVID-19 and Brexit. We are a £4.5 billion world-leading industry, and by bringing together all of the unique voices within it and working collaboratively, we are in a far better position to protect and support our ecosystem as a result.”
LIVE features dedicated working groups, including LIVE Sustainability, chaired by John Langford (AEG Europe), LIVE Touring, chaired by Craig Stanley (Marshall Arts), and LIVE Venues, chaired by Lucy Noble (Royal Albert Hall). Given LIVE’s industry-overreaching, Parmley spoke of an “opportunity to represent the whole of the live industry, from the smallest show to the biggest festival. We are delighted that the founding associations include organisations at the very top of our industry and those with deep connections into the foundations on which that industry is built.”