Speaking truth to power

I've written regularly on here about the various challenges threatening live music venues, but their resilience has been remarkable, with many managing to survive even through the enforced pandemic shutdown. The latest threat, though, may prove to be the most dangerous and deadliest yet: exorbitant energy bills.

In the last few months, the focus has naturally fallen on the cost of living crisis, as this affects everyone, but there's also a cost of entertaining crisis. As the Music Venue Trust (MVT) recently reported, one established venue recently received a bill that had ballooned by a staggering 646 per cent. Needless to say, even much more modest increases would be enough to render a lot of music spaces no longer financially viable, given that many are already operating on very fine margins.

As the MVT's Mark Davyd told Rolling Stone last month, a price cap for businesses was desperately needed to prevent absolute disaster. For once, the government has actually heeded a call for urgent assistance and introduced a cap. However, as Clara Cullen, the MVT's Venue Support Manager, points out, it's still not enough. The current cap is only temporary and should be made permanent, while there needs to be significant investment in ensuring an energy supply that is "affordable, reliable and sustainable".

We have a new Culture Secretary, Michelle Donelan, who surely can't be as clueless and spiteful as her predecessor Nadine Dorries - but with climate denier Jacob Rees-Mogg now responsible for our energy policy, the prospect of a progressive approach looks slim.