The decimated live music sector is thrown a lifeline with summer festivals hope

On the whole, the roadmap announcement was “really positive” for the music industry, says Greg Parmley, CEO for LIVE - which represents artists, promoters, venues, festivals and more. “It’s great that smaller venues can open from the middle of May. There are more than 1,000 grassroots music venues in the UK - this means they can start programming and come back from the brink.”

The question is, he adds, what happens from June and beyond. “It's fantastic that we got more information than we were expecting in the roadmap plan. And it’s a huge relief that we can look forward to getting back to normal.”

However, it’s a longer wait for music festivals and big shows, he points out, and it’s not ideal only having a week’s notice about “whether Step 4 will come into effect on that date or not. The planning period for a festival is usually four or five months at least. So some festivals will be looking at making a big decision in March about whether or not to go ahead this summer, and then hoping nothing changes to delay the roadmap. It would be great if the Government can do everything in its power to give those organisers certainty.”

The pilot programme around larger events, planned for April, is a good idea - as long as it’s pursued with “a level of urgency. We’re speaking closely with the DCMS about what shape that’ll take, and the more information we can get, as a sector, the better.”

He believes that mid April is also when the travel rules will be reviewed, which will have a big impact on whether festivals can get their usual international headliners. Otherwise, “it’s fair to say that there’ll be a lot more opportunities for domestic artists this year. The UK is so far ahead of other markets in terms of the vaccination programme, and a lot of UK artists are very keen to go play live.”

It’s also vital in earnings terms, he notes, since musicians don’t make much from streaming. “The Music Managers Forum calculated that about 80 per cent of an artist’s revenue is from live performance. And the live music industry is a £4.5 billion industry. This is how a lot of people make their money day to day.”

He hopes that the budget will include an extension of the five per cent rate on ticket sales, which was brought in last year. “There’s a deep irony there, since we haven’t actually been able to benefit from that support measure. But it’ll be critical - it filters down through the whole ecosystem.

“We’ve been making a case to the Treasury about Government-backed insurance too. There’s a huge amount of work going on behind the scenes. If we have insurance, then promoters can take a risk on a show, and artists can book their crew and production without worrying that people will be out of pocket at the last minute.”

As for measures like lateral flow testing or vaccine passports on entry, he thinks we might see a mix. “I can absolutely see some festival or concert attendees showing proof of vaccination and some getting tests - so promoters can understand the level of risk involved. The whole industry is committed to reopening, but at a point and in a way that’s safe. No one is rushing into it.”

Parmley emphasises that this year’s festival season “won’t look like 2019. Some will find it too challenging to go ahead this year - so that’s effectively two years without any business. Those companies need sector-specific support.”

However, he is optimistic that “we will see festivals later in the summer.” And he can’t wait to be back. “Just the thought of being outdoors, with friends, listening to a band playing is heavenly!” In line with the Government’s encouragement of outdoor activities, he thinks that festivals “by their nature are safe environments.”

But whether it’s a festival or getting back to a big venue like the O2, he thinks live music has been hugely missed by everyone, “from labels and publishers to venue operators, artists and audiences. Everybody’s very, very keen for it to come back. We now realise what we used to take for granted.

“We talk a lot about the financial impact on the sector, but actually the soft value of live music is enormous. It’s about our mental health, going out and socialising - it’s a life-changing thing. Yes, we want to see everyone's income returning, but it’s so much bigger than that.”