We have already had so much positive feedback about our campaign logo that we wanted to share more information. Use of the logo and slogan has generously been granted to us by SLAM (Save Live Australia's Music Ltd) and forms part of their incredibly successful campaign to protect live music venues in Australia. It was designed by Frank Trobbiani. Thank you to all involved in SLAM (Save Live Australia's Music) for their support.

AN OPEN LETTER TO LIZ TRUSS (DEFRA), SAJID JAVID (DCMS) and ERIC PICKLES (DCLG)

Many thanks for the DEFRA response to the Music Venue Trust petition calling for a Review of Noise Abatement Legislation (see: http://qr.net/sign). Your reply is interesting, but it does not provide an adequate answer to the problems and challenges we have raised on behalf of live music venues and other community spaces in the UK. At the same time, it has helped to clarify the issues, and move our campaign on to address three specific things you need to do to protect live music in the UK:

1. Cut Red Tape. 
Your reply highlights that the laws around noise nuisance are complex, overlapping, and arise from multiple laws, legislation and precedents dating back as far as the 1800s. You say you are opposed to red tape, so we invite you to cut it. Because it's quite clear that nobody involved understands it and law that is open to significant interpretation to meet one aim or another is not good law. People are writing to us saying all noise, however loud, is permitted until 11pm. Others say no noise is permissible at any time. Work across your departments to create one, clear, unequivocal and easily understood document that relates to noise emanating from live performances, sports, and community activity.

2. Establish national criteria, guidelines and advice for Environmental Health Officers. 
A lot of the DEFRA response depends upon local interpretation of unclear national legislation, placing an unfair and unreasonable demand on local EHOs. We believe in local negotiations, and are delighted with the outcome of the recent challenges faced by The Fleece in Bristol, but your response creates "Schrödinger Venues" - great music venues who might or might not be making a noise, we won't find out until someone decides they don't like it. We need to stop considering the philosophical question "does a small venue make a noise if there is no-one around to hear it?" and answer the question "what is the appropriate level of noise in this zone?". The decision in Bristol is fantastic and shows how some venues can work with their local councils and EHOs to get good development, but it's not a legal precedent and we shouldn't be leaving these things to chance. You say you want to see well-managed, well-run, thriving live music spaces. How can any business make provision for, or try to act within, a completely unknown quantity? Is 35dB at 20 metres too much or isn't it? What about 40dB, or 60dB? And what about 2 metres, or 200 metres? Your response specifically conflates music with noise and noise with nuisance. We say live music and noise coming from other community activities is not a nuisance, it is the heart and soul of local communities. Create a proper national framework for noise emanating from live performances, sports, and community activity that can be referenced by Enivironmental Health Officers and establish a good practice guide.

3. Adopt the Agent of Change Principle.
The DEFRA response states, and it has been stated extensively elsewhere, that it is a long established principle of UK law that it does not matter if someone moves next to a noise, the noise maker still has the responsibility to adapt the noise to suit whatever new conditions the new occupier feels they want. We, and thousands of other people, say this is fundamentally against common sense. If I move to a fishing village, can I stop the fishing because I don't like the smell? If I move next to a football ground, can I stop the games because I don't like cheering or crowds? The DEFRA response references precedents in UK law dating back 200 years. We've come quite a long way in the last 200 years, and there's a few more of us living right next to each other. There is a principle you can adopt called Agent of Change; this states that responsibility to adapt the conditions of the noise falls on the person who changes the existing conditions. It's already been adopted in various guises in Australia, affecting planning, development and noise complaints positively across the board. The principle is simple: If a venue increases its noise, it should make changes to adapt it. If a developer wants to build next to a music venue, they must build to adapt to the noise. If a new occupier moves into a zone where there is an accepted level of noise, they should make changes to adapt it. If DEFRA don't adopt the Agent of Change principle, every venue, every sports ground, every cinema, restaurant, theatre, race track, church, and community space in the country faces bills running into thousands of pounds trying to fight developments or meet an ever evolving demand from new occupiers to modify and adapt their noise. Venues will close without an Agent of Change principle. Adopt the Agent of Change principle Secretaries of State, you can act now to save live music venues in the UK. 

Good noise management requires good legislation. Cut Red Tape.

Good local councils and EHOs need national support to make good and balanced decisions. Establish national criteria, guidelines and advice about noise.

Good town centre development means good facilities and good residential space for all, not a continual battle between local music communities and developers who want to make a fast buck. Adopt the Agent of Change Principle.

We intend to continue to fight for the right of local communities to be able to enjoy great live music venues. We urge you to take action to do the same. We call upon music fans across the UK to unite behind our existing petition - please sign now and force MPs to debate this issue:

http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/65582

Sincerely
Mark Davyd, Sybil Bell, Chris Prosser, Jeremy Mills, Beverley Whitrick, Jason Dormon
Music Venue Trust

WHAT YOU CAN DO:
SIGN the petition at this link: http://qr.net/sign
TWEET, POST, PLUS and PIN the petition across your social media using #SaveLiveVenuesUK and the link http://qr.net/sign

Music Venue Trust Launches National Petition to Protect Live Music Venues

The Music Venue Trust has today launched its second national campaign, an HM Government petition calling on the Secretary of State for the Environment to carry out an urgent review of Noise Abatement legislation to ensure that the proper balance is being struck between the individual rights of owners/occupiers and the right of communities to be able to enjoy live music. 

Recent press stories have highlighted the huge threat posed to live music by developers, with town centre venues facing noise abatement notices from brand new flats and new owners/occupiers. Many of these are historic sites; the Night and Day Cafe in Manchester, The Fleece in Bristol, places where music has been enjoyed for many years without problems. The Music Venue Trust believes that venues should be good neighbours, engaging with their local communities and addressing concerns around noise and anti-social behaviour. But we believe that being a good neighbour is a reciprocal process, and that people who choose to live near to community spaces are accepting the responsibility to behave as a good neighbour to their adjoining music venue, church or community space; anywhere it is inevitable and should be acceptable that noise will exist. We believe this is a common sense approach - if you hate sport, why move next to a football pitch? If you hate music, why move next to a live music venue?

Being a good neighbour within a community is fundamentally important and any neighbour who abuses his fellow neighbours in any way should suffer the appropriate legal consequences. However, we believe that the current provisions of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 and Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2005 that relate to Noise and the serving of Noise Abatement notices have unintentionally provided rights to new tenants or developers to limit and control noise that are outside the intent of the common sense approach, and that these rights are being misused to attempt to prevent local communities from being able to enjoy the normal, established and historic use of these spaces. We call upon the Secretary of State for the Environment to act in partnership with the Department for Culture Media and Sport and the Department for Communities and Local Government to urgently review all relevant legislation and amend it so that the rights of existing venues and other "noisy" spaces are suitably recognised within the Acts in a manner that reflects the needs and wishes of local communities.

WHAT YOU CAN DO: 
SIGN the petition: http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/65582 
TELL your friends, your favourite bands, your local musicians that you want them to publicly support this campaign 
CLICK share on the petition page

Introducing our first Venue Champions

Meet our first 4 Venue Champions, music fans who have volunteered to lead local campaigns to help secure the long-term future of the music venues they love. If you would like to be involved in helping then please get in touch with them: 

Andy Vale - The Boileroom, Guildford - AndyPVale@gmail.com

Kate Findlay - The Roadhouse, Manchester - katedfindlay@gmail.com

Jeff Charlwood - The Forum, Tunbridge Wells - jeffcharlwood@gmail.com

Andy Carr - Westgarth Social Club, Middlesbrough - thekidsaresolidgold@hotmail.co.uk

These are just the first of what we hope will be a network across the UK of active fans working together to safeguard the future of small independent music venues.

Venue Champions

The first step in our campaign to secure the future of small independent venues involves a piece of government legislation which allows groups of individuals to nominate a local building as an Asset of Community Value (ACV). An ACV is defined as a building or land used to further the social wellbeing, in particular, though not exclusively, the cultural, recreational or sporting interests of the local community. 

Getting a venue listed will not only help change the perception of it with the local council and help us build a map of valued venues, but also means that if the owner puts the building up for sale we can pause the process to attempt to purchase the building ourselves. In many cases there may be no immediate plans to sell the building BUT this does not mean that you should wait to list your beloved venue as an ACV - we are trying to head off the need for "Save our Venue from closing" petitions by getting in much earlier in the process. This is a long-term plan rather than fire-fighting.

Nominating a venue as an ACV is something that can only be done by local music enthusiasts - it can't be done by the venue itself or by the Music Venue Trust. This is why we need VENUE CHAMPIONS across the UK - people who love their local venue and are prepared to not only work with us to fill in the relevant forms, but who are also prepared to be the public face of a local campaign, to speak to local press, and to recruit at least 20 other local residents to sign the all-important Nominators Form.

If you think that you might be a Venue Champion, please read the Venue Champions PDF

and then email us at musicvenuetrust@gmail.com

Our Artist Patrons

The Music Venue Trust is proud to be supported by musicians from across the UK. Our first Patrons are Enter Shikari, David Gedge ( The Wedding Present), Jeremy Pritchard (Everything Everything), Moya, Andy Dunlop ( Travis) and Savages. Each of our Patrons has written a special message for us explaining why they want you to support this project and what live music means to them.

Enter Shikari
Salient points regarding Enter Shikari and its position on “small venues” :
1) Enter Shikari cut its teeth playing small venues the length and breadth of the UK over a period of 2 years+, so knows from whence it speaks.
2) Small venues are the bootcamp that prepares a band for taking on the bigger venues and festival stages that hopefully make up its live future.
3) Enter Shikari strongly believes the UK music industry should do more to support small venues.
4) Enter Shikari is proud to add its name to the list of patrons of Music Venues Trust.

David Gedge, The Wedding Present
I’ve always maintained that The Wedding Present are, essentially, a “live” band. By that I mean that one of the main reasons I started playing music in the first place is that I was really excited and inspired by seeing other people’s concerts. So, when it came to my turn, it was incredibly fortunate that there was a network of small venues across the country where we were able to play live. In those venues we honed our craft and developed our style... and obviously enjoyed some memorable nights in the process. And the same applies to countless other artists, of course, which is why these places are so vital. There’s nothing like an intimate venue to experience the raw energy of a band.

Jeremy Pritchard, Everything Everything
Were it not for presence of the Tunbridge Wells Forum while I was growing up, I very much doubt that I would be a professional musician now. The same would be said of countless other individuals who have been inspired and nurtured by similar community live music venues - Southampton Joiners, Bristol Thekla, Oxford Jericho, Manchester Night and Day, Hull Welly, Newcastle Cluny, etc. The UK music industry needs to do more to support its live grassroots, and government needs to recognise that the health and future prosperity of this important British Industry relies on us nurturing these seeds. Very often the commercial value of the property outweighs its commercial value as a music venue, but never its social or cultural value, which is what the Trust aims to protect.

Moya
The small venue circuit is absolutely vital to an active and vibrant music industry. Without these gigs how are artists supposed to start making a career for themselves, improve as performers and build a fan base? They are a fundamental part of artist development, especially for those signed to small labels as I am, who cannot throw large sums of cash at instant success. Fans have to be earned, and that can only be done by going out and playing to people. I have learned so much from playing these places, and have had some of my best performance experiences in them, that intimacy can never be replicated in bigger rooms. People will argue that fanbases are built on social media now, but a like on Facebook can never replace seeing a new act for the first time in a small room. We must do everything we can to protect this network.

Andy Dunlop, Travis
These classic little venues dotted around Britain are the Petri dishes in which British music was cultivated over the last half century. To see them disappear would be a crime and in an age where all our town centres are becoming increasingly indistinguishable, we would be denying future generations an independent and individual place to experience live music. They are every bit as important to our cultural heritage as any country house and fundamentally, still provide a cultural service. It's great that the Music Venue Trust has stepped in to do something to protect them.

Savages
There are many great small rooms in this country who do great work with limited resources, and they should be applauded and supported. There are also great bands, great musicians and great audiences who love music and deserve the best. It definitely seems a shame that when you ask musicians around the world about the touring conditions in the UK, backstage, PA system quality… you don’t get a more positive response. I come from years of touring the UK and experiencing the worse and the best, it isn’t a secret for anybody : there is still progress to be made. The music industry can definitely affect a change. Labels, managers, big promoters, booking agents, artists and bigger live venues can group together and start to repair the UK’s reputation in live music by supporting initiatives like the Music Venue Trust.

The Music Venue Trust is looking for music fans across the country to become Venue Champions. We have the tools and the support to enable them to protect their local venue. Just send us an email with the title "Venue Champion" to musicvenuetrust@gmail.com

Our Industry Patrons

The Music Venue Trust is supported by key figures in the UK Music Industry; agents, managers and labels working with artists such as Muse, My Chemical Romance, Black Eyed Peas, Everything Everything, Manic Street Preachers, Stereophonics,The Vaccines, Noah And The Whale, Bombay Bicycle Club, Paramore. Our music industry Patrons are Geoff Meale (The Agency), Paul Buck (Coda), and Scott Thomas (X-Ray Touring). 

Each of our Trustees and Patrons has written a special message for us explaining why they want you to support this project and what live music means to them. 

Geoff Meale, The Agency

Geoff has been at the London offices of leading worldwide booking agency The Agency Group since 1992 becoming Managing Director  in 2008. Geoff is a huge supporter and believer in the small venue scene in the UK and holds true the belief that the longest lasting careers come from those artists who pay their dues working up through from small venues. Through the years he’s booked many of his largest clients including Muse, My Chemical Romance, Paramore, The Zutons, Super Furry Animals through this system. In April 2013 he booked a 30 days in 30 dates tour for King Charles across the country. “The small venues of the UK play such an important role in the development of so many bands’ careers and it’s imperative that we as an industry do all we can to support those rooms and promoters who strive to provide such a valuable entertainment option for their communities.” Outside of the Music Industry Geoff is a keen cyclist and a rabid supporter of Liverpool FC.

Paul Buck, Coda Agency
Paul Buck has been at Coda Agency for just over 4 years and has been an agent for over 25. He currently represents the Vaccines, Everything Everything, Noah and the Whale, Palma Violets and Savages and has consistently supported small music venues throughout his career. “I warmly welcome this new initiative; small local venues are important to musicians and audiences alike. The Music Venue Trust has an important role to play in the future of live music in the UK.”

Scott Thomas, Xray Touring
Scott Thomas is one of the founding partners and managing directors of X-ray Touring, one of the world's leading agencies. He became an agent in 1990 and through his career has consistently worked in the UK's smaller venues to develop acts from Manic Street Preachers & Stereophonics to Bombay Bicycle Club and even putting pop superstars such as The Black Eyed Peas through the clubs early in their career before taking them to festival and stadia headliners. "I think as wide a possible selection of small venues throughout the country is essential for the growth of new artists in whatever genre. There is no replacement for the development an act will undergo in their first 50-100 gigs and what is learned there bears fruit on the stages of arenas, festivals and stadia. These venues are also essential to get people into the habit of seeing regular live music on their doorstep." Beyond the music business, Scott is an avid fan of live sport and Welsh rugby in particular.

You can be part of this national campaign. Become a Venue Champion and we will help you to protect your local venue using UK government legislation and working with local audiences. Email us today at musicvenuetrust@gmail.com