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All eyes have been on the music industry this week after the scramble to secure Oasis tickets saw a huge surge in prices.

Labour has promised to look at so-called dynamic pricing as part of a consultation to create a fairer system, pledging to “put fans back at the heart of music”.

But people across the sector are hoping they don’t stop there and the new government takes a keener interest in an industry that, according to UK Music, contributes £6.7bn to the economy and employs more than 210,000 people.

We speak to a range of industry figures about the challenges they are facing and what they want to see now Labour are in power.

‘Festivals can’t make ends meet’

Rachael Greenfield is the festival director of Bloodstock, an annual rock and metal event in Derbyshire that is family run and sees around 20,000 gather in a field each summer.

But as an independent festival that is only a fraction of the size of the likes of Glastonbury, it has been hit harder by a range of issues impacting the wider music industry.

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“Running a festival is always a huge challenge anyway, because you have got to know your market… and getting the right line up for any festival is tough enough,” she said.

“But then 2020 hit. We were facing Brexit, which while we knew it was coming, created its challenges with bands coming into the UK – it is not as attractive as it is to do tours in Europe now, so that has increased costs to get certain bands that we really want to play.

“And then we got the pandemic, which obviously wiped the floor with the entire events sector. So many festivals fell away, but we only held on by the skin of our teeth.”

Rachael Greenfield (r) and her sister Vicky Hungerford are directors of the family affair that is Bloodstock festival. Pic: Bloodstock
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Rachael Greenfield (r) and her sister Vicky Hungerford are directors of the family affair that is Bloodstock festival Pic: Bloodstock

Rachel praised the previous government’s Cultural Recovery Fund during COVID, saying it saved the event. But that only got them through the worst patch, and it will take at least another five years to recover completely.

Alongside the Association of Independent Festivals, Bloodstock is petitioning the government to give the events side of the industry a 5% VAT break on ticket income for three years to “allow us to breathe, regroup and basically get us onto solid footing and stop these festivals falling by the wayside literally every other day because they cant make ends meet.”

Rachel adds: “Ticket companies are seeing all these festivals going out of business and are becoming very nervous and withholding funds – all the ticket income – until post-festival.

“Well, if you are a huge corporate festival, that’s not such an issue, but when you are a small independent, if you have 70% of your entire festival’s operational costs in advance, you rely on that income or a proportion of it to see you through that year.

“With no ticket income, where you have already gone two years where you haemorrhaged so much money, there is only so long you can go before you say, look I can’t do this anymore.”

‘Nobody can afford rising rates’

Music venues across the country, especially at the grassroots level where every artist and band starts out, are also under growing pressure.

The Music Venue Trust (MVT) said at least two closed every week in 2023, with 125 shutting their doors across the year.

And of those that remained open, 38% reported making a financial loss.

Ali and Matt Barnwell, owners of The Fighting Cocks live music venue in Kingston-Upon-Thames, are among those struggling to make ends meet.

“At the top level it’s making enough to pay the bills,” says Matt, who works on the issues of profitability for the MVT. “That’s driven by cost of labour and cost of entertainment, often fixed costs which are therefore disproportionately felt by smaller venues like ours.

“The pub side of the business is much easier to scale and far more flexible based on trade, but the barrier to entry on the live music side is so much higher.”

The Fighting Cocks pub and music venue in Kingston upon Thames. Pic: Ali Barnwell
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The Fighting Cocks has been offering live music since the 1930s, but is struggling to make ends meet Pic: Ali Barnwell

The key appeal to the government for him is ensuring business rates don’t rise again.

“Absolutely nobody can afford for these to go back up,” he added. “Alongside this, easier access to grants and funds to support venue management and industry development.”

Ali also said the wider cost of living crisis was hitting them hard, and more support for gig goers at home would help the industry too.

“Fewer people are coming to live shows across the board and getting people to buy tickets in advance is a much bigger challenge than it once was,” she said.

“We’ve also seen the volume of no-shows to gigs climbing. Generally we’re seeing people not wanting to plan in advance or stick to those plans even if they do.”

‘Nobody goes from their bedroom to playing Wembley’

Sarah Pearson, co-founder of the Beyond The Music conference – something she describes as “a democratic version of Davos for the music industry” – says the sector in the UK is too “top heavy”, with the likes of Ali and Mat suffering.

“It is a growth economy at the top for a few, and it isn’t working for the rest of us as an economic model,” she said. “That needs urgent solutions and there does not seem to be much urgency.

“For example, artists who have record deals or who are trying to become bigger and get better at their art don’t have anywhere to play because the grassroots music venues have closed.

“But also acts aren’t playing out as much as they can’t afford to. Costs have gone up, so promoters can only afford to put on gigs that will definitely sell.

“And actually, when you are growing, you need to be able to play to five or six people to get better and to grow your audience.”

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The Fighting Cocks’ Ali agrees, adding: “It’s about appreciating the role grassroots venues play in the wider music ecosystem.

“The Music Venue’s Trust have been doing a great job of showcasing how venues like ours act as the research and development for the industry as a whole.

“Nobody goes from their bedroom to playing Wembley. There’s huge amounts of money at that top level and so little of it for those of us taking the risks on a band’s first show.”

For Beyond The Music’s Sarah, she says there is a call across the industry for more investment from large music companies into the grassroots to then be matched by the government.

“Basically it would reflect the Football Foundation, where the Premier League clubs invest in the grassroots, and the idea is the same would happen in music,” she said.

“We could create a growth plan that was really exciting for grassroots from those who deservedly earn a lot of money from music.”

‘Music is Britain’s contribution to the world’

British punk and folk singer Frank Turner has long campaigned for grassroots music venues to ensure the future of the industry thrives in the UK.

But he also wants more help for the artists themselves.

“I fell in love with rock music as a kid – Iron Maiden, to be precise – and I immediately wanted to participate,” he told Sky News. “It took me a long time to work out what that would realistically consist of as a career, and I was helped on my way by Black Flag and punk rock, but the desire was there from the start.

“But making a living is hard. The margins on recorded music have completely collapsed in the last 20 years or so, and they’re getting thinner on touring as well.”

Musician Frank Turner. Pic: Shannon Shumaker
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Musician Frank Turner has long campaigned for grassroots venues Pic: Shannon Shumaker

For Turner there was also a “physical and mental strain” for those who pursue a performing career.

“It can be brutally tough,” he adds. “Touring is hard, pushing yourself creatively is hard, and social media makes the whole thing a lot worse. There are more structures in the industry now to help with this stuff, but it’s still a huge challenge.”

However, while he warns of a range of challenges – from rising costs through to the impact of Brexit – what he wants to see from ministers is a shift in attitude towards the music industry.

“The music industry has long been a large, stable employer and a huge net contributor to the Exchequer, and that’s without even mentioning cultural capital,” he said.

“For a long time the industry has been regarded as something of a joke, as compared with, say, the car industry or agriculture, while in reality British music has been one of our strongest contributions to the world, economically and culturally, for a few generations now.

“I think there is a shift starting, I’m more encouraged by our new government than its predecessors, but there is still a way to go.”

‘Let us thrive’

Fiona Stewart, managing director and owner of the Green Man festival in Wales, echoed Turner’s concerns, saying the biggest barrier for her part of the industry was a lack of understanding from government.

“Let’s face it, Britain isn’t the economic powerhouse and producer it once was,” she claimed. “In some ways it would be refreshing for this country to see it as it is right now – a small country that has got a fantastic creative industry, and many other industries, which can be agile and contemporary and produce and inspire.”

Green Man's festival director Fiona Stewart. Pic: Green Man
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Green Man’s festival director Fiona Stewart Pic: Green Man

Fiona added: “With all the divisions we face right now… things like music bring people together, and it is needed. It has a power and it would be wonderful for the new government to recognise that but in a much more strategic way.

“That’s what we need. We need strategy. Not just big funding moments or a big statement. A proper strategy to understand what is going on over a period of years and proper investment at the proper time like any business person would do.

“It would bring more respect to the industry and let us thrive where we can.”

A government spokesperson said: “The music industry is a serious national asset that plays a major role in our national identity, and delivers huge benefits for our economy. We are absolutely committed to supporting the sector to thrive, including our festivals and vital grassroots music venues, and ministers are considering a range of policy options.

“As part of our ambitious plans, we want to see stronger efforts from the industry to create career opportunities for more people from diverse backgrounds, to draw upon the wealth of talent that exists across the country and drive economic growth in our communities.”

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Stalker who believed Strictly Come Dancing judge Shirley Ballas was his aunt avoids jail

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Stalker who believed Strictly Come Dancing judge Shirley Ballas was his aunt avoids jail

A man who stalked Strictly Come Dancing judge Shirley Ballas for six years has avoided jail.

Kyle Shaw, 37, got a 20-month suspended sentence and a lifetime restraining order on contacting Ballas, her mother, niece, and former partner.

Liverpool Crown Court heard that he thought Ballas was his aunt and “began a persistent campaign of contact”.

“He believed, and it’s evident from what he was told by his mother, that her late brother was his father,” said prosecutor Nicola Daley.

The court heard there was no evidence he was wrong, and “limited evidence” he was correct.

Ms Daley said Shaw’s messages had accused Ballas of being to blame for the death of her brother, who took his own life in 2003 aged 44.

He also set up social media accounts in his name.

Shaw had pleaded guilty to stalking the former dancer between August 2017 and November 2023 at a hearing in February.

Incidents included following Ballas’s 86-year-old mother, Audrey Rich, while she was shopping and telling her she was his grandmother.

The court heard in messages to Mrs Rich, Shaw had asked: “Where’s my dad?”

Ballas was so worried for her mother’s safety that she moved her from Merseyside to London.

Shaw outside court on the day of his sentencing. Pic: PA
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Kyle Shaw outside court on the day of his sentencing. Pic: PA

In October 2020, Ballas called police after Shaw messaged her and said: “Do you want me to kill myself, Shirley?”

Posts on X included one alongside an image of her home address that warned: “You ruined my life, I’ll ruin yours and everyone’s around you.”

Another referenced a book signing and said: “I can’t wait to meet you for the first time Aunty Shirley. Hopefully I can get an autograph.”

The court was told Ballas’s niece Mary Assall, former partner Daniel Taylor and colleagues from Strictly Come Dancing and ITV’s Loose Women were also sent messages.

‘I know where you live’

On one occasion in late 2023, Shaw called Mr Taylor and told him he knew where the couple lived and described Ballas’s movements.

The court heard the 64-year-old TV star become wary of socialising and stopped using public transport.

Prosecutor Ms Daley said: “She described having sleepless nights worrying about herself and her family’s safety and being particularly distressed when suggestions were made to her that she and her mother were responsible for her brother taking his own life.”

Man accused of stalking Shirley Ballas
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Ballas has been head judge on Strictly Come Dancing since 2017. Pic: PA

Shaw cried and wiped away tears as he was sentenced on Tuesday.

The judge said the stalking stemmed from his mother telling him Ballas’s brother, David Rich, was his biological father.

“I’m satisfied that your motive for this offending was a desire to seek contact with people you genuinely believed were your family,” he said.

“Whether in fact there’s any truth in that belief is difficult, if not impossible, to determine.”

Kyle Shaw leaves Liverpool Crown Court, where he is charged with stalking Strictly judge Shirley Ballas.
Pic: PA
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Shaw pictured at court in February. Pic: PA

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Defence lawyer John Weate said Shaw had been told the story by his mother “in his mid to late teens” and had suffered “complex mental health issues” since he was a child.

He added: “He now accepts that Miss Ballas and her family don’t wish to have any contact with him and, importantly, he volunteered the information that he has no intention of contacting them again.”

Shaw, of Whetstone Lane in Birkenhead, also admitted possessing cannabis and was ordered to undertake a rehab programme.

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Gary Glitter made bankrupt after failing to pay £500k compensation to victim

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Gary Glitter made bankrupt after failing to pay £500k compensation to victim

Gary Glitter has been made bankrupt after failing to pay more than £500,000 in damages to a woman he abused when she was 12 years old.

She sued the disgraced singer, whose real name is Paul Gadd, after he was found guilty of attacking her and two other schoolgirls between 1975 and 1980.

Glitter, 80, was jailed for 16 years in 2015 and released in 2023 but was recalled to prison less than six weeks later after breaching his parole conditions.

A judge awarded the woman £508,800, including £381,000 in lost earnings and £7,800 for future therapy and treatment, saying she was subjected to abuse “of the most serious kind”.

The court heard she had not worked for decades due to the trauma of being repeatedly raped and “humiliated” by the singer.

Gary Glitter has lost a parole board bid to be freed from jail.
Pic:Met Police/PA
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Glitter was jailed for 16 years in 2015. Pic: Met Police/PA

Glitter was made bankrupt last month at the County Court at Torquay and Newton Abbot, in Devon – the county where he is reportedly serving his sentence in Channings Wood prison, in Newton Abbot.

Richard Scorer, head of abuse law at Slater and Gordon, the law firm representing the woman, said: “We confirm that Gadd has been made bankrupt following our client’s application.

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“As he has done throughout, Gadd has refused to cooperate with the process and continues to treat his victims with contempt.

“We hope and trust that the parole board will take his behaviour into account in any future parole applications, as it clearly demonstrates that he has never changed, shows no remorse and remains a serious risk to the public.”

Glitter was first jailed for four months in 1999 after he admitted possessing around 4,000 indecent images of children.

He was expelled from Cambodia in 2002, and in March 2006 was convicted of sexually abusing two girls, aged 10 and 11, in Vietnam where he spent two-and-a-half years in prison.

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His sentence for the 2016 convictions expires in February 2031.

Glitter was automatically released from HMP The Verne, a low-security prison in Portland, Dorset, in February 2023 after serving half of his fixed-term determinate sentence.

But he was back behind bars weeks later after reportedly trying to access the dark web and images of children.

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Paul Mescal and Barry Keoghan revealed in line-up for Sam Mendes’ four Beatles films

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Paul Mescal and Barry Keoghan revealed in line-up for Sam Mendes' four Beatles films

Paul Mescal and Barry Keoghan will play Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr in the upcoming Beatles films – with a Stranger Things star also portraying one of the Fab Four.

The two Irish actors will be joined by London-born performers Harris Dickinson as John Lennon, and Joseph Quinn as George Harrison.

The cast for the Sam Mendes project was revealed at the CinemaCon event in Las Vegas, with all four appearing on stage and taking a bow together in Beatles style.

Paul Mescal, Joseph Quinn, Barry Keoghan and Harris Dickinson stand onstage to promote the upcoming "The Beatles" movies during a Sony Pictures presentation.
Pic: Reuters
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(L-R) Mescal, Quinn, Keoghan and Dickinson appeared together at the announcement. Pic: Reuters

Mendes is making four interconnected films – one from the perspective of each of the band members – and they are all set to be released “in proximity” to each other in April 2028.

It marks the first time The Beatles and the families of John Lennon and George Harrison have granted full life story and music rights for a scripted film.

Playing McCartney is another big role for 29-year-old Mescal, who recently starred in the Gladiator sequel and was nominated for an Oscar in 2023 for Aftersun.

Barry Keoghan – who also got an Oscar nod for The Banshees of Inisherin – will portray the other surviving Beatles member, Ringo Starr.

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The Beatles
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Pic: PA

Meanwhile, Stranger Things star Joseph Quinn, who appeared with long hair as Eddie Munson in the fourth series, takes up the role of George Harrison.

Harris Dickinson has the challenge of stepping into the shoes of perhaps the most famous Beatle, John Lennon.

The 28-year-old recently starred in erotic thriller Babygirl with Nicole Kidman and also appeared in satire Triangle of Sadness.

Mendes told the industry audience at CinemaCon there is “still plenty to explore” despite the Beatles’ rise having being well chronicled.

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The Oscar-winning British director is known for films including American Beauty, First World War movie 1917, and Bond outings Skyfall and Spectre.

Sony Pictures boss Tom Rothman said the close release of all four films in three years’ time will be “the first bingeable theatrical experience”.

“We are going to dominate the culture that month,” he added.

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