Live Music
(4 weeks ago)
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Lord Brennan of Canton
To ask His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the contribution of live music to the UK’s culture and economy.
Lord Brennan of Canton (Lab)
My Lords, I start by drawing the House’s attention to my declaration in the register of interests, including my membership of the Musicians’ Union and the Ivors Academy. It will not surprise a number of colleagues here that I will take this opportunity of a debate about live music to talk and plug my fan-led review of live and electronic music, which came out earlier this year.
I was commissioned by the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee of the House of Commons, and it was a pleasure to be able to speak to music fans in conferences, round tables, venues, clubs and festivals right across the UK. I know the House is very familiar with some of the facts about the contribution of music to our economy and with the fact that, as outlined in my review, the live sector in 2024 was worth £6.7 billion to the UK economy.
One fine example of that from my own part of the world is the Green Man festival in Wales, which takes place in August. It is a proudly independent festival, run by the remarkable Fiona Stewart, who was recently profiled in the Times, and it sells out each year in half an hour, without anybody even knowing who is going to be playing at the festival the following year. It contributes £28 million to the Welsh economy, as well as doing great work in the community through the Green Man Trust, its charitable arm. I think that is proof positive that what music fans want to maintain is that independent spirit in an ever more corporate world, and that came through very strongly in my fan-led review.
I hope my noble friend the Minister will take this in the best possible spirit, but I do not want this to be a review that gathers dust on a shelf somewhere in the Department of Culture, Media and Sport. I want the Government to go through it, and when they come back to appear in front of the Culture, Media and Sport Committee in the Commons—I believe I might also be making an appearance in that time—I would like to hear very positive responses to the bits of the report that are recommendations for the UK Government. The report contains recommendations for the industry and for local authorities, but it also contains recommendations for the UK Government, and I hope they will take it on board.
I am as aware as anyone that, when you change the lead singer in your band, it does not always go well. But I have been encouraged so far by some of the mood music that is around politically in relation perhaps to a change in the Administration, in government, as to the Government’s approach to music. It has always been positive, but I hope very much that I detect something else in the air now that we are getting a new lead singer, and I hope that means my report will very much be taken to heart by the Government.
It contains what I call the seven essentials of live. The first is celebration. We should celebrate the incredible contribution that live music and electronic music make to our economy and culture—not just as a money-making exercise but as a public good in and of itself. There is growing evidence of how live music contributes to our well-being in this world of screens, social media and so on. It is something very special and that came across powerfully in the review.
The second essential was around ticketing. A number of us were slightly disappointed that the Government published a draft Bill rather than an actual Bill in relation to the King’s Speech proposals to tackle the issues around secondary ticketing. I hope that that will be given greater priority as we go forward. Fans are crying out for action to be taken around secondary ticketing and on ensuring that anti-competitive forces in the primary ticketing market are not taking hold and driving up prices unnecessarily for fans—or adopting practices such as surge pricing in the music industry world.
The third of the seven essentials is about the importance of the grass-roots music scene to the live music sector in this country—not just as the research and development of the music industry, bringing forward pipeline of talent for the next generation of great musicians that this country will produce but as something that is a good in itself. The grass-roots music scene is very important in and of itself, even for those who will never become the great megastars of the future. One of my recommendations in the report that the Government could take on board in its ticketing legislation, if it is just a draft Bill, concerns the live levy that has been introduced. It was introduced for larger venues such as stadiums and arenas to contribute a small amount of the ticket price on a voluntary basis to support the grass-roots music scene, which fundamentally holds up the whole system. That could be made a statutory levy if it is shown that the voluntary levy was not working. The Government have committed previously that if it is not getting to a level of 50% by this summer, they will look at it. I strongly urge them to look very closely at the statistics to see what is happening with the voluntary levy. Is it working on a voluntary basis? Are the big players putting their hands in their pockets and making their contributions? If not, the Government should live up to their word and make it a statutory levy.
The fourth of the seven essentials of live is about safety. There are several recommendations in my report for the UK Government, including asking them to develop a new level of accreditation for security staff at live venues. The fifth is around accessibility. Some venues, as I found in undertaking this review, have excellent accessibility credentials and facilities, but it is too patchy across the sector. Fans report very different experiences from time to time at different venues. One of my recommendations is that the UK Government could help to develop a disability access kitemark for live music venues.
The sixth essential is transport. Lots of cities around the country now call themselves music cities, but can you get a bus home at the end of the gig? You cannot be a music city if people cannot get home at the end of the gig. The report calls for the Government to lead research into economy mobility gaps between cities, towns and rural communities and for local government to do its bit around transport to make sure that you can get a bus at the end of the gig.
The final of the seven essentials is about giving music fans a real voice. Too often, their voice is not listened to and is not heard. It asks the Government to start a seed fund with the industry to set up a music fans association in line with the Football Supporters’ Association, which has been very successful in getting football fans’ voices heard, and to commission an annual survey.
I know that this is a very popular subject and wish that we had longer. However, I ask the Minister to take on board everything within my fan-led review and respond in kind positively, if not now, then when the Minister—whoever the Minister is—appears before the Select Committee in September.
Baroness Anelay of St Johns (Con)
My Lords, I will focus on the cultural importance of live music, which can enrich the lives of us all. The response to the noble Lord, Lord Brennan, shows that there is feeling around the House on just that. It supports artistic expression, preserves musical heritage and strengthens communities. Live events showcase artists from different backgrounds and cultures, promoting inclusion and cultural exchange.
Does the Minister agree that charities are vital in protecting and promoting opportunities to take part in producing live music or simply to enjoy it? Charities such as the LIVE Trust raises funds via voluntary ticket contributions to fund grass-roots music events and venues. Music for All provides grants and instruments to disadvantaged communities to ensure that everyone has the chance to participate in and experience live music. Youth Music invests in hundreds of grass-roots music projects, helping marginalised young people to learn about music production, singing and live performance.
Government can play a role in supporting the development of live music. In creating the Every Child Can fund for 2024-28, the Government pledged that they would work with the National Lottery Community Fund, young people and youth organisations to ensure that the monies would be spent in a way that reflected the priorities of young people to make, perform and produce music. What assessment have the Government made of the progress that has been achieved over the past two years by the Every Child Can fund”?
The Earl of Clancarty (CB)
My Lords, I congratulate the noble Lord, Lord Brennan, on an excellent speech. In policy terms, the guidance provided for culture as an area of competence for the mayoral strategic authorities—we discussed this at length during the passage of the devolution Bill—is that it needs to be a consultation from the bottom up. The DCMS and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government are, I hope, coming together on this. Every level of government should be involved, as well as stakeholders such as live music venues. I ask the Minister to confirm that. The danger with a larger governmental body will be rationalisation of assets.
On community assets, I applaud the Government’s intention explicitly to include cultural assets within that grouping, although I would still prefer them to have their own designation—as the noble Lord, Lord Brennan, asked for on another occasion. I welcome the £61 million the Government have set aside for that scheme, but I am disappointed that there was no reference to cultural assets in the recent announcement. It is important that local authorities and the public are fully aware that cultural assets are covered by this scheme, and the guidance clearly states this, with pertinent examples such as live music clubs and recording studios.
I am grateful to the Musicians’ Union for its briefing on the risk to live music in theatres. The disbanding of the RSC’s music department earlier this year is an unwelcome sign of the times; costs are cited and it is all too easy to replace real musicians with sophisticated software, which has its place in music but can never be a substitute for live music. I ask the Minister what thought the Government have given to those concerns.
Finally, European Movement UK calculates that over 25% of British musicians have lost all their work in the EU since Brexit, with average tour earnings down by 45%. In reality, nothing substantial to improve matters has happened in the last two years. With the cancellation of the 22 July UK-EU summit, when will this be discussed and resolved?
Baroness Keeley (Lab)
My Lords, I too congratulate my noble friend on an excellent opening speech. My focus today is on the pipeline of musicians and the music teachers needed to train them—a pipeline damaged by young people’s lack of access to music in state schools. Our Labour Government inherited an education system where music had been squeezed out of the curriculum by the EBacc, which, from 2010, incentivised schools to focus on subjects excluding music and arts. This damaged music teacher recruitment and the take-up of music at A-level and GCSE.
A-level music remains in crisis. Only 4,635 students took it this year—a record low, down 41% since 2013. GCSE music entries are around 27% down since 2010. Music teacher training and recruitment have fallen by around 51% since 2010-11 and it remains a shortage subject. Even last year’s welcome rise in the number of trainees came with a warning: the number of music teachers with no relevant qualification beyond A-level rose by 10% in a single year.
Teach First found that schools in the poorest areas are three times more likely to lack a trained music teacher, and 17% do not offer music A-level at all—more than triple the rate of schools in the most affluent areas. The Social Mobility Commission found that children from the poorest backgrounds are three times less likely than wealthier pupils to learn an instrument, sing in a choir or play in an orchestra.
UK Music has warned that fewer trained teachers and a shrinking A-level cohort are damaging the industry’s talent pipeline. Without music in schools, music in the economy, culture and society will be seriously impacted. This Labour Government have rightly committed to scrapping the EBacc, but now we face the task of rebuilding music education, particularly in state schools in our most deprived areas. I urge my noble friend the Minister to press DfE Ministers to do all they can to reverse this decline we inherited by rebuilding the music teacher workforce and restoring the bursary for music teacher training, so that every young person, whatever their background, has the chance to choose music.
Lord Vaizey of Didcot (Con)
My Lords, I congratulate the noble Lord, Lord Brennan, on his epically superb speech. I declare my interest as a trustee of the KOKO Foundation. As all noble Lords know, KOKO is a fantastically cool music venue in Camden. In fact, it was made live music venue of the year.
Stemming from my involvement with KOKO, I want to make a point about businesses in general. KOKO has never received a penny of government money. Since its creation, it has created about 10,000 jobs, paid £80 million in taxes and helped the regeneration of the area. But the recent increase in NI means that KOKO now has to attract 4,000 additional customers a week in order to meet its NI bill. At the same time, KOKO has set aside £500,000 for the foundation to help local people; it works with the Department for Business and Trade in welcoming foreign Governments to look at hospitality; and it has helped in many other ways. My point is more general: every time the Government impose taxes on business, they are harming or impacting venues such as KOKO.
Everybody knows the importance of live music. The recent Harry Styles tour, for example, generated about £1.1 billion in revenue beyond the actual events. However, we cannot be complacent about the success of the major live music industry in the UK. We did not go ahead with the Sphere—that was nothing to do with this Government—but the London fireworks are falling behind. Major countries in the world see live music and events as central to diversifying their economy. It is incumbent on the Government and on local government to work more closely with the private sector.
I echo the points that have already been made about secondary ticketing and flag the point about visas for musicians, which is becoming a particularly thorny issue for many involved in the live music business.
Lord Watson of Invergowrie (Lab)
My Lords, I congratulate my noble friend Lord Brennan on securing this debate and on his powerful introductory speech—at a time when live music is at the crossroads, to reference an iconic song by one of my heroes, the Delta blues singer Robert Johnson.
I want to focus on the crisis facing grass-roots music venues, on whose behalf the Music Venue Trust campaigns vigorously. I regularly enjoy music at such venues as Mercato Metropolitano, at Elephant and Castle, and the Ain’t Nothin’ But blues bar, in Soho. Sadly, two live music venues close every week across the UK. That is not because people are losing interest in music: there were more than 100 million audience visits to a gig in the UK in 2024, but 75% of those were accounted for by concerts.
Over 30,000 people work in grass-roots music venues, which are the R&D of the UK music industry and generated £8 billion in gross value added to the economy in 2024. Various new arenas are proposed to open in the UK over the next few years, but there is no record of such venues making a financial investment in the pipeline, and I think we are entitled to ask why that is.
My noble friend Lord Brennan mentioned football fans, in comparing them with music fan. That sport demonstrates what can be done to help develop the next generation. The Premier League shares 16% of its central revenues with the wider game. I see no reason why the top end of the live music industry cannot do the same, and reinvest in the talent and venues that are supporting it and supplying the next generation of performers.
Venues are suffering extreme hardship from unaffordable energy bills and other costs, as well as a cost of touring crisis. Live music generates huge returns for the Treasury, yet currently 20% of the value of every ticket sold at a grass-roots venue is lost to VAT, removing almost £5 million from the sector in potential investment in new and emerging talent. There is now no impediment to the Government zero-rating VAT on ticketing for grass-roots music venues. I urge my noble friend to consider that as a means of supporting this vital pipeline.
Baroness Wilcox of Newport (Lab)
My Lords, I declare my interest as chair of trustees of CDMT. I thank my noble friend Lord Brennan of Canton for his leadership of the fan-led review of live music. Its central message is simple: live music must work for audiences, artists and communities alike, and that starts with strong foundations.
In my home city of Newport, live music is not an abstract concept; it is part of our identity. You can hear it, see it and feel it. We have a proud musical heritage. That spirit lives on in grass-roots venues such as Le Pub, a community-owned venue that has nurtured local talent for decades while attracting touring artists from across the UK. It reminds us of a vital truth: the music industry is not built from the top down. Every headline act and every arena tour begins on a small stage somewhere.
The sector contributes billions to our economy and supports hundreds of thousands of jobs, but its value goes beyond economics. Every gig supports local businesses, strengthens town and city centres, and brings communities together, but these foundations are under real pressure. Grass-roots venues face rising costs, tight margins and increasing uncertainty. For Wales, this matters profoundly. We are a nation of song, culture and community; from the Eisteddfod to the streets of Newport, music helps define who we are.
Will the Government recognise the full value of live music, not only as an economic asset but as a cornerstone of community life? Will there be meaningful support for grass-roots venues so they can survive and thrive? If we want a world-leading music industry tomorrow, we must invest in the small stages of today. A nation that values its music must value where the music begins.
Baroness Coffey (Con)
My Lords, “Do You Want to Know a Secret”, “It’s Not Unusual”, “Hit the Road Jack”, “We Will Rock You” and “Song 2” are all songs that last just two minutes, the length of our speeches, but have had a long-lasting impact and show that music has the unique ability to bring people together across generations and communities.
I congratulate the noble Lord, Lord Brennan of Canton, on eloquently setting out in his speech the importance of the matter, and I congratulate him on getting the debate. We know that, whether they are in our great concert halls, theatres, churches, festivals, or grass-roots venues that nurture emerging talent, such performances enrich our national life and strengthen the social fabric of our country. The economic contribution is equally compelling, with the industry contributing several billions of pounds and supporting hundreds of thousands of jobs, yet none of this success is guaranteed. Our international reputation as a musical powerhouse rests upon the strength of our grass-roots sector, and pretty much every globally recognised British artist began by performing in small venues in front of audiences.
Too many venues face mounting financial pressures, particularly from rising energy costs and business rates. When venues close, we lose local culture and the opportunity for local talent to prosper. Therefore, supporting live music is both a cultural choice and an economic necessity. Venues were well supported during the pandemic—the Cavern Club was saved in Liverpool. I welcome the voluntary levy, which has raised more than £6 million since starting last year. It is right that the industry supports the grass roots, just as we see in football. The previous Government abolished permitted demolition rights for live music venues.
I appreciate that not every music venue will be saved. Even the Hacienda in Manchester, which hosted the career-defining gigs of the Stone Roses and New Order, and where Madonna had her first concert in the UK, is now a block of flats. But it is the changes to business rates that have hit really hard. While the Government gave 15% relief on business rates, I ask them to go much further, to make sure we have live music for generations to come.
Baroness Dacres of Lewisham (Lab)
My Lords, I welcome this debate and I thank my noble friend Lord Brennan of Canton for bringing it forward today.
I imagine many of us in this Chamber can still remember our first live music concert. It is almost a rite of passage. I certainly remember taking my son to see his favourite band at the time, Linkin Park. It was more than a concert; it was a shared experience and a memory that has stayed with us ever since.
The United Kingdom has long been one of the world’s great musical nations. Few countries have shaped modern music quite like Britain. From rock and pop to classical, lovers rock, grime, neo soul, and drum and bass, just to name a few, British artists have changed cultures around the globe for generations. For millions of people around the world, their introduction to Britain is not through our politics or our history but through our music. Last year, a record 23.5 million music tourists travelled to concerts and festivals across the United Kingdom, generating around £10 billion for our economy.
Every world-famous artist started somewhere. Before the arenas, the festival appearances and those platinum albums came their first performance at a local pub or a grass-roots venue. Those smaller venues are the lifeblood of our music industry. They provide aspiring musicians with an opportunity to learn their craft, develop the confidence they need, connect with audiences and build careers. Every legendary performer once stepped on to a small stage for the first time. If those stages disappear, we risk losing our artists who will inspire the next generation. Will my noble friend the Minister say what further assessments the Government have made of the long-term sustainability of grass-roots music venues? What further steps will they take to ensure that Britain’s live music sector can continue to thrive?
Baroness Gill (Lab)
My Lords, I, too, congratulate the noble Lord, Lord Brennan, on securing this debate and on his eloquent speech.
Live music is a defining strength of UK culture. Live music matters because it reflects the diversity of the UK, from grime, bhangra and indie to classical orchestras and global festival sounds. Events such as the BBC Proms, Glastonbury, and the Leeds, Reading and Wireless festivals and others showcase the richness, while local schools and community performances keep music venues accessible at every level. It is where, as we have heard, new artists break through and where established acts stay connected to audiences across generations.
It is also a massive contribution to our economy, as the noble Lord, Lord Brennan, has already outlined. In 2023, the UK live music industry contributed around £6 billion to the economy and attracted more than 23 million music tourists. The sector also sustains over 200,000 jobs, from performers to technicians to venue staff. According to a briefing from Live Nation, it welcomed 16 million fans to shows and festivals in more than 200 UK towns and cities across 750 venues just this year and generated an estimated £1.65 billion in additional consumer spending, including £1 billion for local economies.
However, as we have already heard, the sector is also facing challenges with AI, secondary ticketing, Brexit and visas for artists. In recent years, we have heard that AI has begun to reshape the music industry. It can generate songs, mimic voices and even simulate live-style performances without a human artist on stage, as again was highlighted earlier by the Musicians’ Union. While it is also used to support production, lighting and ticketing, its growing ability to replicate creativity is a serious concern: if music can be generated and performed without musicians, what happens to the uniqueness and value of live performance itself?
Baroness Wheatcroft (CB)
My Lords, this is proving to be a passionate debate and no wonder—music has the power to stir emotions, lift the spirits and uplift the soul. More prosaically, as we have heard, it can create jobs and boost the economy, so I add my congratulations to MP4’s guitarist, the noble Lord, Lord Brennan, on securing this highly relevant debate.
I will limit my remarks to two main issues. The first is the crucial importance of encouraging music in schools, which the noble Baroness, Lady Keeley, and others have already talked about. Being able to play a musical instrument is a great gift and while the player may never get to pursue a lucrative career in music, playing in amateur bands and orchestras is rewarding in many other ways and it has been shown that making music together can provide a much more constructive alternative for children to joining a different sort of gang.
Andrew Lloyd Webber’s charitable efforts to gift instruments to children in some schools has been hugely successful. It is the ownership—being able to play when they want—that makes all the difference, but he can only reach so far. The London Music Fund is doing what it can, but I encourage the Government to plead with orchestras, musicians and manufacturers to get involved in trying to ensure that children have the chance to make music. In recent times, it has tended to be the prerogative of those receiving a private education or private tuition—hence many of the big names on today’s music scene: Ed Sheeran, for instance, and Florence of Florence and the Machine; they benefited from a private education. Now we need to spread it.
My second point, and I am running out of time, is that we need to deal with the EU obstacles that are still being put in front of musicians. What are the Government doing?
Baroness Hyde of Bemerton (Lab)
My Lords, I am delighted to take part in this debate in the midst of King Harry’s record-breaking run at Wembley, while the other King Harry is busy cementing his place in football history. I thought I might sing a few minutes of “Bohemian Rhapsody” to illustrate the breadth and power of live music, but I remembered I was not Freddie Mercury, nor was this Wembley Arena. Oh well, “Another One Bites the Dust”.
I am sure noble Lords from all sides of your Lordships’ House have encountered “A Kind of Magic” when attending a live musical performance. It is good for the soul, good for local economies, and good to connect with others having a shared experience. Advances in technology mean researchers now understand more of how these communal live experiences shape us, whether that is a live music audience experiencing cardiorespiratory synchronising and interbrain coherence, or the shared embodied experiences of music between those playing and those listening—with thanks to Gabriel et al 2025.
But “Don’t Stop Me Now”. On this small, wildly creative island, “We Are the Champions”, or close to, being one of only three net exporters of music globally—the second-largest after the United States. Music tourism revenue reached £10 billion in 2024, supporting around 72,000 full-time equivalent jobs. Visit the UK and “We Will Rock You”.
While the UK sent this message to the EU, “I Want to Break Free”, live music in the UK has clearly been put “Under Pressure” by our exit from the EU, with 82% of musicians saying that their earnings have decreased because of Brexit, as other noble Lords have mentioned. I implore my noble friend the Minister: “The Show Must Go On”, because live music changes lives, brings all kinds of people closer together and is essential in enabling each part of the UK to thrive culturally and economically.
Baroness MacLeod of Camusdarach (Lab)
My noble friend Lord Brennan has consistently championed live music, and we are grateful for that. As we have heard, he is an accomplished musician himself, so he does his bit to enrich our lives within and outwith the Chamber.
I have no doubt that many in this House understand and applaud the cultural contribution live music makes. I am not so sure we think enough about its economic importance. From the Shetland Islands to the most southerly tip of England, music contributes to the economy.
Let me tell you about the splendid Skye Live festival, set up by Niall Munro in 2015. This three-day festival is independent and, against the backdrop of the Cuillins, it generates an estimated annual revenue of about £2 million and pours money directly into event production and local staffing. That is a great boost to Portree, a village of only 2,000 people. It serves as a prime driver for Scotland’s booming tourism industry, which now attracts a million and a half visitors each year and boosts the Scottish economy by nearly £600 million.
Live music brings jobs; it employs talented musicians, maintains venues, fills hotel rooms and campsites, and benefits the transport system. As we have heard, not everything in the garden is rosy: fewer people are attending live music events and touring to European countries is more difficult since Brexit. Venues large and small struggle to stay open, so there is a major contraction on the touring circuit and margins are getting ever tighter. This contraction means fewer paid performance opportunities, fewer chances to build audiences and less sustainable career development. It particularly affects artists based in Scotland, where the domestic market is too small to sustain many professional music careers on its own.
My plea to the Minister today is to be prepared to help. Without intervention, the live music sector risks becoming less diverse, less independent and less able to develop the artists who will become the headliners of the future.
Baroness McIntosh of Pickering (Con)
My Lords, I too congratulate the noble Lord, Lord Brennan, on securing this debate. I was fortunate to chair the committee looking into the Licensing Act 2003, where we heard powerful evidence that grass-roots venues were closing owing to the failure in this country, particularly in England, to properly implement the agent of change principle.
The agent of change principle is basic and easy to understand, but it is not followed in practice. We need to have it comprehensively implemented in England and put on a similar statutory basis as exists in Scotland. It is neither acceptable nor satisfactory that Section 106 guidance is seen as a substitute. The starting point is that agent of change is a practical response to a long-recognised defect in the way that British planning, licensing and nuisance regimes interact. The structural problem sits within a wider change in how land is used. The trend now is towards dense urban living, brownfield regeneration and intensified mixed-use development, which has made these conflicts more common. That is why the central question before us now is not whether the Government accept the principle of agent of change in the abstract, which they clearly do, but whether they are willing to move from soft policy to hard law.
I submit just one argument to the Minister today. In Scotland, the provision is limited in law to noise-sensitive development and noise sources, but they now at least have an established statutory basis. We need to move in England from applying the agent of change principle in policy and guidance only to putting it on a firm statutory basis, protecting existing lawful uses from unreasonable restrictions arising from sustainable development. That is the very least we can do for the music industry and grass-roots venues.
Baroness Bonham-Carter of Yarnbury (LD)
My Lords, I thank the noble Lord, Lord Brennan. As the last debate was a little short, maybe at the end he could give us a little performance.
From concerts and festivals in stadiums and fields to small local venues, such as churches, mosques, temples and pubs, as the noble Baroness, Lady Wilcox, mentioned, music brings us together as a nation, as my friend the noble Baroness, Lady Anelay, said. It is about celebration, as mentioned by the noble Lord, Lord Brennan.
I want to mention the BBC: it champions live music, providing a wide range to suit everyone’s taste, including that which is not played anywhere else. It nurtures and launches British musicians’ careers. The BBC Proms, the five British BBC orchestras and the BBC Singers support an amazing education programme across the UK. We need to get the next charter review right and secure sustainable funding for the BBC; otherwise, there will be disruption not just to our media ecosystem but to that of the UK’s creative industries, including music.
Then there is the disaster that is Brexit. I am so pleased that I can still debate with the noble Earl, Lord Clancarty—welcome. Europe-wide touring for British musicians has been severely crippled by bureaucratic post-Brexit barriers, and the Government have so far failed to achieve tangible progress for musicians as part of the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement. Can the Minister tell us whether there is any progress with short-term work permits and the 90-day rule?
Al Pinkerton, my colleague in another place, has a Private Members’ Bill which asks for a bespoke custom union deal with the EU. This is a sensible and practical way forward. It would provide solutions and could open negotiations to rejoin Creative Europe. It could also provide touring artists with expanded creative opportunities and frictionless travel for themselves and their instruments. Would the Minister agree that we need such pragmatic thinking to address these issues?
I have not got time, but I completely agree with the noble Baroness, Lady Gill, about the problem of AI.
Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay (Con)
My Lords, I thank the noble Lord, Lord Brennan, for this very well-timed debate as we head into the peak summer season of live music across the nation, which brings investment, jobs and joy to so many people. We had a powerful reminder of that on the Tube this weekend: I was on my way back from the Bad Bunny concert in Tottenham and ran into fans who were coming from Take That at West Ham, Harry Styles at Wembley and Lily Allen at the O2. Like a series of rivers eddying, we all met. It could have been a hot and bothered day on the Underground, but everyone was in such good heart. As the noble Baroness, Lady Hyde, said, music is good for the soul.
The lady who sat next to us at Bad Bunny had come all the way from Italy, especially to see him and Harry Styles earlier in the week, and my noble friend Lord Vaizey will be pleased to know that my parents travelled to KOKO just last night—they are much cooler than me. As the noble Lord said, Harry Styles’s record-breaking 12-night residency at Wembley is estimated to have brought more than £1 billion to our economy. By my calculation, with just another 40 nights we can close the funding gap in the defence investment plan.
Music makes a huge contribution to our economy, so how can we help it to do more? Well, we can celebrate it. I know that the Minister is as enthusiastic as I am for the UNESCO Living Heritage inventory. Will she ensure that lots of live music and cultural practices are enrolled on that, from sea shanties to short pipes, from Eisteddfodau to evensong?
We have heard a lot about the pipeline—artists, venues and the classroom—as the noble Baroness, Lady Keeley, rightly pointed out. Music venues are closing, as the noble Lord, Lord Watson, said, at a rate of two a week. Of the 34 venues Oasis played at the start of their career, only 11 remain. If Manchesterism is to mean anything, it must surely be about arresting that decline.
The noble Lord, Lord Brennan, mentioned that, when the Government introduced the voluntary levy, they would look at whether it reached 50% of venues by this summer. In fact, the deadline was this Tuesday. Can the Minister say whether the Government will begin that assessment, and if they will make it public? Will they look in earnest at the agent of change proposals that have been advanced repeatedly by my noble friend Lady McIntosh, and by others?
Will the Government look again at the impact of their tax hikes? The Music Venue Trust’s annual report shows that the Government’s changes to national insurance and business rates shrank the workforce in grass-roots music venues by 19%—that is 6,000 jobs. Will they protect artists themselves? At a lunch earlier this week with the noble Lord, Lord Brennan, the noble Baroness, Lady Gill, and others, we heard how AI is already making it harder for songwriters and musicians. As the noble Earl, Lord Clancarty, said, there is no substitute for real music.
I hope the noble Baroness will listen to the many good ideas that have come from this debate to help ensure that music continues to move our soul, our economy and our culture.
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Culture, Media and Sport (Baroness Twycross) (Lab)
My Lords, I thank my noble friend Lord Brennan of Canton for initiating this important debate and all noble Lords for their valuable contributions. It is clear from the number of speakers how much passion and expertise there is among noble Lords for music. I may struggle to respond to all the points and questions during the debate but will follow up in writing where required. Unlike my noble friend Lady Hyde of Bemerton, however, I will not use lyrics to make my point. I think the noble Lord, Lord Parkinson, might have got a few in as well.
There can be no doubt among noble Lords of my noble friend Lord Brennan’s passion, talent and expertise, both as a performer and as a staunch advocate for the music sector over many years. I have been told we cannot encourage him to use any excess time to entertain us in your Lordships’ House, but hopefully we will find another time in the near future.
To quote my noble friend, I agree that everyone’s lives are enriched when they gather with others to enjoy live music. The sheer joy brought by our country’s performers from popular music, through folk, country, rock and jazz to some of the foremost classical performers is unparalleled. This Government are committed to protecting one of our country’s most valued and valuable sectors.
As my noble friend Lady Dacres said, British music has changed not just this country but other countries around the world. That reflects what my noble friend Lady Gill said about the richness and diversity of music within our rich and diverse country.
I commend my noble friend Lord Brennan for his recent work chairing the fan-led review of live and electronic music, launched in the other place by the Culture, Media and Sport Committee, which the Government warmly welcome and which I thoroughly enjoyed looking through. Fans and music lovers are at the heart of our live music ecosystem. The Government will be responding to the report’s recommendations shortly, alongside our upcoming music plan, which I will come on to. I can commit to my noble friend, however, that we do not intend to let his report and the views of fans gather dust.
As many noble Lords mentioned, music is a fundamental part of our nation’s life, with human experience sparking inspiration. As my noble friend Lord Brennan said, there is a benefit to our general well-being and our mental well-being. It is also a universal language that connects us across generations, backgrounds and communities. It is vital that all fans, wherever they live, have access to live music. Whether it is thousands gathering for a mega stadium gig, as I did last night at Wembley to hear Shania Twain and Harry Styles—I was fortunate enough to be there—or neighbours packing out a local pub to hear a local band, live music fosters a powerful sense of community in all its forms, bringing different generations together in shared spaces. It deepens local pride, connects our communities and gives a powerful voice to our national story, not least to Wales, as my noble friend Lady Wilcox of Newport said.
I welcomed the example given by my noble friend of the importance and value of music in her hometown of Newport. Those points were echoed by my noble friend Lady MacLeod’s description of the festival in Skye. As the noble Baroness, Lady Coffey, said, music strengthens our society.
A number of noble Lords, including the noble Lord, Lord Vaizey, and my noble friends Lady Wilcox, Lady Gill and Lady MacLeod, reflected on the positive economic impacts of live music. The music industry makes an incredible contribution to our economy; a record-breaking £8 billion in GVA in 2024 generated £4.8 billion in export revenues and supported over 220,000 jobs across the country. The suggestion that we use it to finance the defence plan is an interesting point made by the noble Lord, Lord Parkinson, which I will pass on. Indeed, the Government’s industrial strategy explicitly identifies our creative industries as one of eight priority growth-driving sectors, fully backed by our 10-year creative industries sector plan to support long-term growth.
The noble Lord, Lord Vaizey, asked what the Government would do to work with the private sector. To fulfil our ambitions for the UK to be the best place in the world to create and invest in music, we are delivering on our commitment to a dedicated music plan. We will soon set out how this Government are working hand in hand with the industry to unlock talent, empower entrepreneurs and give our creative businesses the definitive conditions they need to thrive. We are backing this commitment with a landmark investment, our new £30 million music growth package, which more than doubles previous government funding for the music industry.
My noble friend Lord Brennan highlighted support for grass-roots music and a number of noble Lords spoke about the importance of strengthening our grass-roots infrastructure. We have this at the heart of our music growth package, alongside boosting domestic touring and expanding international exports. Ultimately, this will support at least 40,000 creators and professionals across the UK over the next three years. The noble Baroness, Lady Coffey, and my noble friends Lady Dacres and Lord Watson of Invergowrie also mentioned grass roots. Alongside government investment, there is a vital role for industry here, too. We are actively backing the live music sector’s £1 voluntary ticket contribution, led by the LIVE Trust, to ensure that success at the top is reinvested into the grass-roots spaces that forge our global headliners. In relation to the point made by the noble Baroness, Lady Anelay, I agree. We recognise the significant role played by charities and, indeed, the LIVE Trust is one of the foremost examples that the noble Baroness shared.
My noble friend Lord Brennan of Canton and other noble Lords asked what will happen if the industry fails to adopt the voluntary levy at scale. While we welcome the significant progress made by the LIVE Trust, we have been absolutely clear that we are prepared to explore legislative options if necessary to ensure the long-term sustainability of our world-leading live music.
Noble Lords, including my noble friend Lady Keeley, raised creative education for our young people. The Government are committed to ensuring that every child has access to a quality creative education, with £13 million over three years for the National Centre for Arts and Music Education and our £37.8 million music and dance scheme. The noble Baroness, Lady Anelay, referred to the Every Child Can programme. DCMS is rebuilding opportunities through that £132.5 million programme, which will ensure that every young person has something to do, somewhere to go and someone who cares. That obviously includes access to music education—a point made by my noble friend Lady Keeley. The Government are committed to revitalising arts education, including music, through reform of the national curriculum. Arts Council England supports national youth music organisations to help talented young people from less privileged backgrounds access high-quality music and dance training.
The noble Baroness, Lady McIntosh of Pickering, asked about strengthening the agent of change in planning policy to better protect grass-roots music venues from noise complaints. The Government are currently consulting on strengthening the National Planning Policy Framework to ensure consistent application of the agent of change principle by local authorities.
Noble Lords, including my noble friends Lady Hyde and Lady Gill and the noble Baronesses, Lady Wheatcroft and Lady Bonham-Carter of Yarnbury, and the noble Earl, Lord Clancarty, all raised issues arising post Brexit, including European touring. Helping touring artists is a manifesto commitment. The UK and European Commission have jointly committed to supporting UK-EU cultural exchange, specifically recognising the vital activities of touring artists at the inaugural UK-EU summit. It is very good to have the noble Earl, Lord Clancarty, back to continue the debate on EU touring, artists and other matters that he has championed over the years.
Following the Prime Minister’s resignation, we have agreed with the EU that it will not be possible to go ahead with the summit on 22 July. We will, however, continue to discuss options with the EU for the summit to take place at the next and earliest opportunity. The noble Baroness, Lady Bonham-Carter, asked a range of EU-related questions. The only thing that I can say to the noble Baroness in this context is: please watch this space. I hope we will continue to discuss that and I hope I will be able to come back with some firm commitments at a later date.
My noble friend Lady Gill raised AI—I apologise if other noble Lords raised it. We are backing the sector with targeted investment while building safeguards around AI. We remain firmly committed to protecting creators while supporting AI innovation. We are launching a consultation on digital replicas later this year, establishing a taskforce on AI labelling and launching a working group for smaller creative organisations to drive progress.
Noble Lords, including my noble friend Lord Brennan, raised secondary ticketing. We are tackling industrial-scale ticket touting head-on. Through our upcoming secondary ticketing legislation, we will destroy the touts’ business model once and for all, protecting hard-working fans from being ripped off. We are working at pace—a phrase I do not like, but I have said it out loud now—and I will continue to push for this to be published at the earliest stage, not least for the purpose of my response in the Sporting Events Bill. We are working at pace to publish a draft Bill for pre-legislative scrutiny in this Session to ensure that our measures are truly effective and, more importantly, enforceable and future-proof.
I appreciate the wealth of expertise illustrated in today’s debate and the commitment to making sure that our fantastic, world-class live music sector is supported. I look forward to future discussions, with my noble friend Lord Brennan and others, to take forward this agenda.
Lord Vaizey of Didcot (Con)
My Lords, I know that the noble Lord, Lord Brennan, is going to sum up, because we have time.
Oh. Can we not use the remaining seven minutes for more points? I had such an incredible point to make.