This year marks the 10th anniversary of Independent Venue Week, an annual 7-day celebration which runs across the whole of the UK.
Working alongside partners such as Arts Council England, every year, the week in February aims to bring venues together with artists, promoters, agents, labels, and media outlets to create special live events to celebrate the importance.
These independent venues are crucial for the music industry with many giving upcoming artists their first experience of performing live and holding safe, heartwarming events with fans and the local community. And with many venues struggling since the pandemic and the impact of the cost of living crisis, it makes it even more crucial to show support.
With over 200 venues around the UK taking part, many in and around Manchester got involved and highlighted why for many, these venues are more than just a place for live music.
YES was one of those venues taking part in the celebrations with them holding shows with some of Manchester’s local artists. General Manager Declan Anderson spoke about why it is so important to attend the gigs they hold as a small business in the Northern Quarter.
“I think with the state of the music industry at the moment, it’s more important than ever that people are supporting small venues, particularly supporting upcoming artists and the infrastructure around that”
But what does this week mean for the artists themselves? Freddie Graham is the saxophonist for both Drivers and Basement Collective, performing in independent venues such as Night n Day in Manchester.
“Without these independent venues, we wouldn’t be able to get a proper live experience performing in front of audiences. They are there to come along and listen to some good music and have a good night and that’s what for me, is a large part of what music is so it’s really important that we are able to get this exposure and this experience in venues like that.
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