Radiohead and Frank Turner have given their backing to Independent Venue Week, a new initiative aimed at supporting live music.
The project, which is supported by PRS for Music, will see 19 venues hosting a six-day long series of music showcasing some of the best in new talent.
Sheffield’s Leadmill, Southampton’s Joiners and Belfast’s Oh Yeah Centre are all participating in the scheme.
Phil Selway, Radiohead drummer, told the NME: ‘"Independent Venue Week is a fantastic idea. Small venues are the lifeblood of British music. There's a particular kind of excitement when you go to a gig at these venues. They're visceral and intimate.’
Frank Turner, who is also backing the project, added: ‘Without small, independent venues, there'd be no small, independent bands, and without them there'd be no big acts either.’
Sybil Bell said ‘The struggle to compete with large, sponsor-backed venues makes it a tough and challenging time for independents. Combine this with bands finding it harder to tour due to limited revenues and rising on-the-road costs and we can all see what a difficult climate live venues find themselves in.
‘There's never been a more important time to highlight the importance of these treasured places; getting people excited about discovering new music up close and personal and reigniting fans passion for gig-going.’
Other partners involved with the 2014 event include, Drowned in Sound, Moshi Moshi Records, Domino Records, The Musicians Union and UK Music. The participating acts will be announced closer to the time.
The official list of venues confirmed for 2014 is below:
Glasgow - King's Tuts Wah Wah Hut
London - Half Moon Putney
Norwich - Arts Centre
Newcastle - The Cluny
Cardiff - Clwb Ifor Bach
Belfast - Oh Yeah Centre
Liverpool - Zanzibar
Bristol - The Louisiana
Birmingham - Hare and Hounds
Guildford - Boilerroom
Southampton - The Joiners
Leeds - The Library
Sheffield - The Leadmill
Stoke-on-Trent - Sugarmill
Oxford - The Jericho
Plymouth – Tiki Bar
York - Fibbers
Tunbridge Wells - The Forum
Manchester - Soup Kitchen
The full list of gigs so far confirmed is below;
28 January - Norwich Arts Centre - Unix + The Boy With Two Heads + Mammal Hands + The Soft
29 January - Sugarmill, Stoke on Trent - Camp Stag + The Ruby Dukes + Nothing But Thieves + Moral Panics + Delamere
30 January - Zanzibar, Liverpool - The Red Suns + Go Fiasco + The Cheap Thriills + Liberty Vessels + Dominic Dunn
31 January - The Joiners Arms, Southampton - The Rising + Fever
31 January - The Library, Leeds - Allusondrugs + Forever Cult + Fizzler + Perfect Crimes
1 February - The Leadmill, Sheffield - The Blackout
1 February - Tiki Bar, Plymouth - Woahknows + Damerels + Box Kite
2 February - Soup Kitchen, Manchester - Curated by SWAYS Records + Kult Country + Naked (On Drugs) + Francis Lung + Bernard + Edith + Aldous RH
2 February - Fibbers, York - A Joker’s Rage + Blind Eye
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