Music fans can fight back against closures with new brews
Fightback Brewing Company will make a donation to the Music Venue Trust (MVT) for each sale of its Fightback Lager, Fightback Cider, Fightback Berries or Fightback IPA, to show support with the #SaveOurVenues campaign.
The series is being backed by musician Frank Turner, who has been a vocal advocate for the charity’s campaign to raise awareness of the plight faced by small venues.
Indoor live music performances were set to restart from Saturday 1 August. However, Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced he would be delaying this stage of easing the lockdown after a slight rise in infections across the country.
What’s more, the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport confirmed there were no pubs involved in pilots of Covid-secure indoor performances.
The MVT said it would not have been possible for grassroots music venues to host gigs at this point anyway, as the intimate nature of most spaces means it would be close to impossible to operate at a profit with social distancing rules in place.
PLEASE READ MUSIC VENUE TRUST STATEMENT IN RESPONSE TO UK GOVERNMENT CANCELLATION OF PLANS TO RE-OPEN LIVE MUSIC VENUES TOMORROW. pic.twitter.com/MMkkkPizMl
— Music Venue Trust (@musicvenuetrust) July 31, 2020
The #SaveOurVenues campaign has highlighted the financial difficulties faced by music pubs and venues around the country, with an online map directing people to crowdfunders.
Star support
Singer Frank Turner said: “The Save Our Venues campaign has been a great success in showing what all of us can achieve when we come together to fight for our corner of culture. The Music Venue Trust Save Our Venues campaign and everybody who's been involved in it has made great strides in raising money and raising awareness during this difficult time.”
He added: “But the fight is far from over, and there is more that we can do. Of course everybody can go to www.saveourvenues.co.uk and get involved and donate to the campaign there, but Music Venue Trust have also announced new lines of Fightback Lager, Fightback IPA and Fightback Cider and it's delicious! A donation from the sale of every single pint, bottle and can goes to the Save Our Venues fund.
“So, get involved, get yourself a drink, donate to the campaign and let's save our venues. Together.”
Solidarity sales
The Middlesex based brewing company is an official beer partner of the charity and has supported them with proceeds from its Fightback Lager for years.
Director of the brewery Rich Smith said: “When we created our beer a couple of years ago, too many Grassroots Music Venues were in a battle for survival. With Covid-19, we have been pulled into a fight for the future of live music in this country. Like all music fans, we cannot physically unite behind the cause for a while, but we can all find ways to show solidarity. This is ours.”
The Government announced it would provide grants of up to £80,000 to venues at the risk of immediate financial collapse, in the first part of its support package for cultural organisations.
