Grassroots venues are crucial in supporting the careers of emerging artists, cultivating musical communities, and contributing to the local economy. The Music Venue Trust, a charity dedicated to supporting and educating people about these spaces, writes that “these venues play a vital role in the cultural and economic vibrancy of any town or city lucky enough to have one.” However, they also report that these venues are in danger, stating that 25 venues were forced to close in the last year, with 200 more at serious risk of closure.
Sprints, a four-piece Irish Rock band, have recently been touring to promote their new album All That is Over. They have played in several iconic grassroots venues during this tour, including Brighton’s own Chalk, which the venue promotes as Brighton’s ‘biggest independent live venue’. I caught up with the band to see why these venues are so vital for emerging artists. Lead vocalist and guitarist Karla Chubb stated that ‘Grassroots venues for Sprints have essentially been our bread and butter. It’s where we started, it’s where we were born, it’s where we were raised, and it’s how we cut our chops in live performance before we got anywhere else.” The band also revealed their fondness for the British venues that supported them during the pandemic, saying, ‘particularly grassroots venues in the UK embraced us with open arms during Covid when Irish venues couldn’t open, so I think without them we wouldn’t have had a trajectory to grow our career. They’ve embraced us, they booked us for festivals, they gave us a space and a stage time to perform, and it’s the reason that we are still here today.”
The Music Venue Trust has also reported a concerning decline in the number of locations used for touring circuits. Their 2024 report reveals that “an average tour in 1994 included 22 dates and the equivalent tour in 2024 consists of only 11 dates.” They go on to say that “touring in 1994 was spread across a range of 28 different locations across the country,” while “In 2024, [it is] just 12 locations, all of them major cities.” This issue is not just limited to the UK. British bands who want to continue their tours across Europe are facing detrimental financial barriers. The six-piece alternative rock band Sports Team recently released a statement that they will have to drastically reduce the number of dates and locations on their upcoming European tour due to financial difficulties, stating, “Cancelling shows goes against everything we want to do. We’re in a band because we love playing live.” In this case, it is not that the venues are not available; it’s that the process of being a musician in the modern economy is almost impossible to manage. Without bands being able to afford tours, venues go unused and continue to lose money, causing the problem to spiral.
Now, more than ever, it feels vital to support these local cornerstones of culture. In Brighton, we are lucky enough to be home to a number of really special and well-established grassroots venues, so for your next live music fix, look no further than this very city. A few venues, such as Green Door Store and Concorde 2, can be found within listed historical buildings, embedding the fascinating history of Brighton into the future of music. Alternatively, there are plenty of more modern options, such as Dust, Rossi Bar, and The Hope and Ruin. Wherever you choose to go, you will almost definitely have a fantastic night and can rest easy knowing you are supporting the future of live music.
WaterBear music college has partnered with Music Venue Trust to create an initiative entitled ‘Keeping Music Live’. With a focus on creating space for upcoming artists, supporting local grassroots venues, and raising awareness about the current challenges they face. On November 1st, they’re hosting a charity gig in Brighton to raise money for Music Venue Trust. More information can be found online, and I highly recommend heading down to show your support.
Photographs by Fiona Muncaster.
Another article you may enjoy – https://thebadgeronline.com/2025/10/interview-with-patch/