THIS week’s column starts with a paean of praise for the indefatigable and inspiring Mark Davyd and the Music Venue Trust (MVT), which has just launched a Manifesto For Grassroots Music as part of the build-up to the July 4 election.

It is sending the policy proposal document, linked below, to every prospective MP in every constituency, outlining how we can all work together to save live music for future generations by protecting, securing and improving Britain’s grassroots music venues.

These are under threat as never before from a perfect storm of issues, ranging from greedy property developers, to indifferent local councils, to increasing audience reluctance since Covid to buy tickets in advance — essential for budgeting at that level.  

Hundreds are closing every year: they need urgent support, and the MVT is proposing a ticket levy on the huge corporate companies which promote famous artists who learn their craft there, much as grassroots football clubs are calling for a contribution from Premier League plutocrats.

You can read the manifesto at www.musicvenuetrust.com  — and as someone who has earned his living in such venues for 43 years and has seen so many of them disappear, I back it completely. 

Coincidentally, I have just seen at first hand just what happens when a treasured venue disappears. Last Saturday I had a wonderful time in my old stomping ground of Harlow — firstly at local punk legend Dean Tisbury’s wake at Phoenix Live upstairs in the shopping centre, and then at the home-town launch of the Newtown Neurotics’ excellent documentary film Kick Out at Burnt Mill Snooker and Social Club. It was lovely to see so many old friends! 

But with no disrespect whatsoever to the two venues concerned — neither purpose-built for music but both currently doing their best to provide a space to fill an irreplaceable hole — for more than three decades both events would have been held at iconic venue The Square, the hub and lifeblood of the town’s independent music scene, wilfully destroyed for no reason whatsoever a few years ago.

The site is derelict. The beating musical heart has been cut out of a working-class community which needed it desperately, upcoming local bands and musicians have nowhere to play, touring acts no longer have a home-from-home and the only beneficiaries (presumably apart from  someone, somewhere making money, otherwise it wouldn’t have happened) are weeds.

The people responsible should hang their heads in shame, and the MVT’s mission is to ensure that such heartbreaking closures stop happening. Please support them. 

And now a massive endorsement for a true grassroots hero. TV Smith is not just a good mate and longtime gig partner but one of my favourite songwriters of all time. 

I first saw him with The Adverts supporting the Damned at Kent Uni in July 1977. I helped put them on as headliners there sometime soon after that, and loved both Adverts albums and later material by his bands TV Smith’s Explorers and Cheap. I became mates with Tim and  did a fair few gigs with him and Cheap: in 1989 I suggested to him he should try some solo gigs because his words and music were so good. 

“I can’t do that, John,” he said. 

“Yes you can — it’ll work really well. I’ve got a gig at the Red Lion in Islington in a couple of weeks: come and support me!”

He did. He was brilliant and that was that. 

Loads of wonderful solo albums followed, with lots of different collaborators (including yours truly on fiddle). He recruited live bands to play the back catalogue and has enjoyed years and years of wonderful creativity ever since: countless gigs, and an ever growing audience. 

Now for a public service announcement. His new album Handwriting is the best thing he’s ever done. It sums up our age, our species, our situation, our existence. The title track is an ingenious tale of improvisation under duress. The last track, Children of a Dying Sun, is one of the most brilliant, moving songs I have ever heard. Please listen!

Finally, it looks very much as though Brighton’s new manager will be the innovative St Pauli boss Fabian Hurzeler. That is the most perfect fit since I got my last pair of DMs. 

If it happens of course…

For Music Venue Trust manifesto see: www.musicvenuetrust.com.
For TV Smith see: tvsmith.co.uk.
 
For further info please visit www.facebook.com/attilathestockbroker and/or attilathestockbroker.bandcamp.com/merch.