Music Venue Trust CEO Mark Davyd has spoken to Headliner about the significant challenges that continue to face the live music market, as well as the work the organisation is doing to restore the sector to its former glories.
In a new and wide-ranging interview, Davyd discusses the chaos that Covid continues to cause for the industry, along with the major barriers Brexit presents for artists looking to tour Europe when international touring returns in earnest.
He also offers a preview of what can expected from this year’s Venues Day, which takes place online on October 12, as well as some unique insights into the state of the grassroots music venues industry in the UK.
Commenting on the lack of support the grassroots sector has received from certain quarters of the music industry, Davyd said: “Most people’s careers start in live music and most people’s careers are inspired by live music. Not having live music is like taking the ignition motor out of a car an expecting it to run.
"No matter what anybody says, nobody is going to headline Glastonbury without playing live shows somewhere else first.
“If you think Glastonbury is about to book somebody who has a million followers on TikTok but has never played a show, you’re an idiot. It’s about comparable metrics. How many tickets have they sold? How many live music fans do they have? Festivals do not book people because they’ve had a million views on YouTube. That’s not how it works.”
You can listen to our interview with Davyd in full below.