Blossoms have backed the #WeMakeEvents campaign ahead of thousands of music industry workers marching through Manchester city centre today (August 11).
Last week, figures from the music industry are adding more volume to the #LetTheMusicPlay campaign to demand that the government share arts funding to protect the future live crew, musicians and the individuals working behind the scenes – to highlight the size and scale of the jobs and companies that make up the UK live music industry which need urgent support and “ensure that the government cannot ignore the complex ecosystem that supports live music in their funding decisions”.
Now, the #WeMakeEvetns campaign has been launched to increase awareness of the huge crisis facing the touring and festival events sector, which is facing a staggering 114,000 job losses due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The march will see crew members including producers, engineers, tour managers, truck drivers, cleaners and security staff passing by some of Manchester’s most iconic music venues, which have remained closed since March.
The crew members, who have been out of work since the lockdown, will push a set of flight cases through the streets from Manchester Academy.
Well over 100 people who work in live music are holding a silent march along Oxford Road in #Manchester in a bid to try and save the industry.
It’s feared more than 100,000 jobs could be lost without intervention. #WeMakeEvents pic.twitter.com/HR13OGLVYS
— Hits Manchester News (@hitsmcrnews) August 11, 2020
#WeMakeEvents pic.twitter.com/oCRvWJqjbQ
— B L O S S O M S (@BlossomsBand) August 11, 2020
Without major immediate support from the Government, the entire live events sector supply chain is at risk of collapse. We support the Red Alert campaign to raise public and media awareness in support of the live events sector. #WeMakeEvents #LetTheMusicPlay pic.twitter.com/yPVTumcmNs
— Doves (@dovesmusicblog) August 11, 2020
Without major immediate support from the Government, the entire live events sector supply chain is at risk of collapse. Red Alert is a campaign to raise public and media awareness in support of the live events sector #WeMakeEvents pic.twitter.com/IX3YdLtvvp
— New Order (@neworder) August 11, 2020
Find out more more on the PLASA here >> https://t.co/5Rg0cGnhxt #WeMakeEvents
— New Order (@neworder) August 11, 2020
Mani knows #REDALERT #WeMakeEvents pic.twitter.com/v4lZH11Odn
— Jon Drape (@jondrape) August 10, 2020
We are proudly lighting in red in support of #WeMakeEvents
THE LIVE EVENTS INDUSTRY IS NOW AT RED ALERT
Find out how to help support including signing your name here:https://t.co/1CscvhVFCf pic.twitter.com/zfA0Gjzf7P
— The SSE Arena, Wembley (@ssearena) August 11, 2020
#wemakeevents
It’s happening – Manchester March to support the events industry.We need
1. Furlough extension for the industry
2. SEISS extension
3. Grants for companies forced to stop work@RishiSunak @AlokSharma_RDG pic.twitter.com/jGY7z5p3qu— Chris Snow (@bandwidthpdn) August 11, 2020
if you think it's bad as a music fan to not have any gigs to go to, imagine when you're a music fan and also your whole livelihood depends on it. love to all those involved with #WeMakeEvents demos today. https://t.co/R3yYAa3bb4
— Banquet Records #LetTheMusicPlay (@BanquetRecords) August 11, 2020
Every great artist I’ve ever met appreciates how crucial a FOH or monitor sound person, TM, lighting or instrument tech, booker, promoter, venue owner, merch team and local crew is – not just to their concerts – but to their whole career. They need our help. #WeMakeEvents pic.twitter.com/0GhoOycuj7
— Matt Everitt (@matteveritt) August 11, 2020
It is hoped that the march will spark further government support for the industry, amid estimates that around 50% of touring companies will not survive the next four months.
The likes of Blossoms, The Stone Roses‘ Mani and New Order have all lent their support to the campaign.
“Without major immediate support from the Government, the entire live events sector supply chain is at risk of collapse,” wrote New Order on social media. “Red Alert is a campaign to raise public and media awareness in support of the live events sector.
“The live events sector employs over 1,000,000 highly skilled people in the UK, all of whom have had no work for the past four months. Join the collective effort to get the industry’s voice heard, calling for sustained immediate financial support.”
Visit here for more information on the campaign.
The campaign comes after it was announced that the first portion of the government’s £1.57billion fund to protect the UK’s arts and cultural industries will be used to save grassroots music venues from closing their doors.
Earlier this summer, more than 1,500 artists came together to call on the government to stop “catastrophic damage” to live music as part of the #LetTheMusicPlay campaign. Dua Lipa, Liam Gallagher, PJ Harvey, Dizzee Rascal, Radiohead and more signed the open letter, which read: “Government support will be crucial to prevent mass insolvencies and the end of this great world-leading industry”.
The Music Venue Trust and over 500 UK music venues previously asked the government to provide £50 million in emergency funding to “hibernate” the spaces until October.