Frank Turner Launches Petition to Protect UK's Live Music Venues

Frank Turner Delivers Strongly Worded Letter and Video Demanding Culture Secretary Sajid Javid Adopt the Agent of Change Principle

Acclaimed musician Frank Turner has today launched a new campaign to protect the future of the UK's live music venues. A passionate supporter of small independent venues, Frank has written to Culture Secretary Sajid Javid, calling on him to adopt the Agent of Change principle into UK law to halt the escalating threats to dedicated live music clubs and other community activities. To focus attention on this issue Frank is calling on music fans across the country to sign his petition demanding that the government act: http://qr.net/changenow

In a carefully considered and direct plea for action, Frank tells Sajid Javid:
"You, as the Culture Secretary, are genuinely facing a meltdown in the British live music circuit. Music venues are fighting off noise complaints, abatement notices and planning applications; 12 venues are already under threat, an avalanche will follow if we don't take action. These venues are where I grew up, where I learned about rock’n’roll music, where I saw all my favourite bands. The venues where I played my first shows and some of my most recent, the home of the music scene that has given me my career, my passion and my life. 

And yet a solution is simple, and it's called the Agent of Change principle. We demand that you work with the Music Venue Trust and the UK's incredible network of live music venues. 

Let's act together, right now, to adopt and enforce Agent of Change".

The Music Venue Trust has been campaigning to protect and secure the UK live music network since January. Beverley Whitrick of the Trust explains, "The Agent of Change Principle is not complicated or controversial, it's simple common sense: The person or business responsible for the change is responsible for managing the impact of the change. This means that an apartment block to be built near an established live music venue would have to pay for soundproofing, while a live music venue opening in a residential area would be responsible for the costs. A resident who moves next door to a music venue would, in law, be assessed as having made that decision understanding that there's going to be some music noise, and a music venue that buys a new PA would be expected to carry out tests to make sure its noise emissions don't increase." 

The petition is a collaboration between Frank Turner and Music Venue Trust, and is supported by Musicians' Union, Music Industries Association, UK Music and many other music industry bodies. 

Horace Trubridge of the MU said: 
"The MU urges Government to adopt the ‘Agent of Change’ principle, it is vital to the long term survival of live music venues across the country that the law is changed. The current situation where these valuable cultural centres are vulnerable to closure simply because of an adjacent building being converted to accommodation is unacceptable. The MU encourages the public to support this campaign and urges Government to take action to protect live music venues." 

Paul McManus of MIA said: 
“The Music Industries Association (MIA) is in total support of the campaign to implement Agent of Change legislation. Music venues, especially smaller ones, are the lifeblood of musical communities and as the UK musical instrument trade body we welcome the Music Venue Trust initiative and offer all possible help.” 

UK Music CEO Jo Dipple said: 
“Grassroots live music is the foundation for our music industry. This foundation is supported by small and iconic venues throughout our towns and cities. The Government has a strong record on entertainment deregulation, yet potential benefits are challenged by worrying developments caused by planning laws. The Government should introduce the agent of change principle into UK law. This would be a proportionate and common sense approach and would be welcomed by the UK music industry.”

READ Frank's letter in full or watch the video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qurj0pcVnMo

SIGN the petition at this link: http://qr.net/changenow 

LEARN about Agent of Change http://musicvenuetrust.blogspot.com.es/2014/09/what-is-agent-of-change-and-why-is-it.html