Yorkshire Grassroots Music Venues under threat...

Northern Guitars Call Lane Leeds, The Crescent York, and Gut Level, Sheffield, all face closure.

Specific threats to Yorkshire venues includes Development and property pressure: 

A proposed development next door threatens the Crescent in York. Which could lead to noise complaints and disruption, potentially forcing it to close. Similar threats exist in other areas where landlords may prioritize profit over a venue's cultural contribution. 

Rising costs: The general cost of living, including higher rents and utilities, has put significant financial strain on small venues. 

Landlord issues: Landlords sometimes see beloved grassroots venues as assets for profit, leading to eviction notices and battles to keep them open, such as the fight for the historic The Leadmill in Sheffield.

 Declining tour support: The number of tour dates available for grassroots acts has decreased significantly, impacting the revenue streams of many venues. 

Competition and closure of existing venues: The closure of other local venues, such as The Duchess and Fibbers in York, has increased the pressure on the few remaining independent venues. 

 Efforts to save venues include Community investment: Organisations like Music Venue Properties (MVP) are working to secure venues through community ownership models. Initiatives like the Own Our Venues campaign allow music lovers to invest in and protect venues. 

Fundraising and campaigns: Venues like Northern Guitars have launched campaigns to raise money and secure their future, while other venues, including Dryad Works and Plot 22 in Sheffield, have launched crowdfunding efforts. 

Advocacy and support: Organisations such as the Music Venue Trust provide support and advocacy for grassroots venues, helping them navigate challenges and find solutions.

Northern Guitars and Gut Level campaigns.

The 'Own Our Venues' initiative plans to establish community ownership models to help Northern Guitars, a live music venue in Leeds, and Gut Level, a queer-led DIY space in Sheffield.

In November, the project, managed by Music Venue Properties (MVP), which is affiliated with Music Venue Trust, achieved its £1.5 million target with support from over 1,000 backers. This initiative seeks to protect independent music venues throughout the UK, providing lasting support to those at risk of shutting down, and it builds upon MVP's recent acquisitions of The Joiners in Southampton and The Croft in Bristol. 

Located in Leeds City Centre, Northern Guitars is a venue with a 60-person capacity that hosts live music every night, featuring everything from open mic nights to up-and-coming indie and folk bands. Northern Guitars founder Rick Wade said MVP's campaign was a lifeline: "Northern Guitars is a small but vital part of Leed's music scene, a hub for young musicians, students, and a loyal grassroots community. 

Northern Guitars is 'doing great', and not in any immediate danger of failing, but… "With our lease ending and the building up for sale, we're under serious threat. This community share offer is about keeping culture alive on Call Lane and making sure Leeds doesn't lose another independent venue." 

The community ownership initiative will ensure its lasting viability, shielding it from possible landlord problems and increasing expenses. 

The campaign also aims to support Gut Level in Sheffield. 'Gut Level', a queer DIY creative event space, is facing potential closure, even though their lease still has two and a half years left. 

Even after moving to new locations since its 2019 launch, Gut Level's future is still uncertain due to the need for fundraising after major renovations. Moreover, its landlord has decided to sell it. 

 Through crowdfunding via Our Own Venues, Music Venues Properties will aim to purchase the Chapel Walk building, ensuring the preservation of Gut Level as a music venue and community hub through leases lasting 15 to 20 years.

 In addition to fundraising, Gut Level introduced a paid membership, starting at just £2, to ensure its long-term viability. Gut Level is also part of the newly formed Sheffield Independent Venues Alliance (SIVA) of more than a dozen grassroots venues in the city. 

"Nothing changes from our events programme, community groups and activism. It will all stay the same, but Gut Level will be way more secure, allowing us time to grow sustainably and plan for the long term." 

 Chris Sherrington, campaign manager at MVP, said: "Our campaign will bring grassroots music venues into community ownership, and a lifeline of survival, and two of the most at-risk are right here in Yorkshire." 

Northern Guitars in Leeds and Gut Level in Sheffield perfectly represent the spaces this campaign aims to protect - independent, culturally vital, and deeply connected to their local scenes. "Without intervention, both are facing uncertain futures. 

This is the moment for music lovers, gig-goers, and communities to step in." 

Since launching in 2022, 'Own Our Venues' has raised almost £4 million through community investment and cultural partners, including £500,000 from Arts Council England. The aim is to buy the buildings that house grassroots music venues to protect them in perpetuity. The 'Own Our Venues' campaign seeks to raise funds from the public to purchase the venues' freeholds. With this model, rent goes to a supportive entity (the CBS) that cares about the venue's long-term interests, instead of a private landlord who might raise the rent or sell. 

The Own Our Venues website provides more information about the campaign. Click here for more

A proposed development next door threatens the Crescent in York

Meanwhile, the Crescent Community Venue is under threat from a large proposed development and has launched a campaign opposing plans for the development of offices, 20 aparthotels and nine apartments next door. 

The venue, which has hosted concerts for both local and travelling acts for a decade, said the move would bring disruption and noise issues that could eventually force its closure. 

 As a community-focused venue this development would have a large impact on the venues future. The Crescent is one of the last remaining independent music venues in the city following the closure of The Duchess, Fibbers and Victoria Vaults in recent years. 

 Bob Leyland, the venue's general manager, fears the interruption to business during construction and potential noise complaints from long-term residents could threaten its future. "It will cause years of disruption for the local residents, as well as disrupting our daily deliveries and band load-ins and thereby affecting our business," he said. 

 First established in 1904 as a working men's club, the original members of the club signed a preference of sale in 2015 and sold the building to Mr Leyland's family at a discount to avoid it being redeveloped. 

A spokesperson for Crescent Developments Ltd said: "Noise from the venue has been assessed and will not adversely affect occupants of the development, and no conflict arises with the venue's activities." 

 Quoted in the BBC, Developers Crescent Developments Ltd said it "fully recognised the importance of the Crescent as a long-standing, independent music venue making a vital contribution to York's cultural life". The developer said it was happy to enter into a deed of easement, which would formally protect the venue in the event that any noise complaints were made by adjoining occupants.

According to a Crescent representative, they agree that the adjacent land requires improvement, but they insist that any plans should complement the local environment and not interfere with their routine activities. 

The council approved a past planning request for an office building, which included a Section 106 Agreement and a Deed of Easement designed to safeguard the neighboring music venue. This action helped safeguard the venue amid instability and evolution, and it reflected the City Of York Council's promise to preserve the city's cultural heritage.

The planned Airbnbs will be located right above the noisiest area of the establishment, with the permanent residences behind, beginning at the ground floor. This could lead to noise complaints, which could hurt the venue's survival and its capacity to offer culture, a sense of community, and local jobs. Moreover, this is a major concern for future residents.

The Crescent feels that the developers haven't given these problems the consideration they deserve, despite being informed about them. The construction site and its access are significantly restricted by this major project. The local car parks utilized by Blossom Street visitors, Systra offices, and residents will be affected for years.

It also interferes with the Crescent's daily deliveries and band load-ins and hurts its business. The blueprints also lack parking spaces for the Airbnbs, which would strain current residents and the venue once finished. 

The struggles of music venues in the UK are well-known, and we need your help to prevent The Crescent from closing its doors. You can help us by putting in a representation response to the planning application. See Here

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