- Written by Ian Youngs
- Entertainment/Arts Reporter
Exactly 30 years ago, a little-known band called Oasis embarked on their first headline tour, playing small venues to small crowds. Many of those venues are now struggling, he said, making it harder for new bands to follow in their footsteps.
In March 1994, Mark David was asked to book an up-and-coming Scottish band called Whiteout to play at his venue in Kent, but was reluctant when he learned that an unfamiliar group of Manchenians would also be playing. Ta.
“Whiteout was the hottest act back then,” David recalls.
He wanted to do a local support act instead, but his agent insisted it would be a joint headline tour.
“In the end, we reluctantly agreed that Oasis would be co-headliners. But I insisted that they should proceed first.”
So on the third day of their first full-fledged tour, Oasis played at the Tunbridge Wells Forum, a converted toilet block that held 250 people.
“We weren't sold out, but we weren't empty by a long chalk,” David says.
The Gallagher brothers exceeded his expectations. “They were great. But I can't honestly say the reaction in the room that night was, 'Wow, this is the future of rock 'n' roll.”
Oasis turned out to be the next big thing, playing at Tunbridge Wells, then headlining Glastonbury the following year and making history at Knebworth the following year.
The early venues are now 30 years old and David says it's becoming increasingly difficult to make a living.
“That night 30 years ago, that show with the door take and the bar probably made a little money.
“Right now, we can't afford to put on a similar show featuring two new bands. We'll definitely be in the red. Even if we sell all 250 tickets, we'll still be in the red.”
Ticket prices and bar usage haven't kept up with rising fees, bills, rent and wages, he explains.
“The situation has been getting worse over the years, and the final nail in the coffin was the extraordinary increase in utility bills, services and supplies, especially rent,” Daveed said.
David founded the Music Venue Trust (MVT) 10 years ago to champion the cause of the grassroots circuit, and on Tuesday will be one of the industry figures to give evidence about the health of the scene before a parliamentary committee. It is planned to be.
According to MVT's latest annual report, about 150 members closed or stopped hosting live music in 2023, and 34 new venues joined.
Oasis' first tour began on March 23, 1994 at the Angel Pub in Bedford, which was demolished a few years later.
Of the 15 venues listed on the original tour poster, nine have closed or stopped hosting live shows over the years.
According to current manager Ricky Bates, surviving venues included Southampton Joiners, where the Gallagher brothers' rivalry was already rearing its head.
“About 15 minutes into the show, Liam and Noel started arguing on stage. We ended up playing for about 30 minutes and then I think either Noel or Liam started getting violent. I don't know which one.”
Bates said running a venue is “completely different now” and has become even more challenging since the coronavirus pandemic.
In addition to rising costs, fewer bands are touring. Particularly since Brexit, there have been increased costs and red tape for international artists, he says. People who go on tours often don't travel very long and only visit the largest cities.
“On the bread line”
The cost of living crisis will also mean fewer people going to gigs and spending less at bars.
There have also been other cultural changes, he says.
Young people are going out less, guitar bands are becoming obsolete, and many up-and-coming artists are making a name for themselves on TikTok rather than the live circuit.
“There are many factors,” Bates said. “We have always been on the brink of closure because we have a lot of venues across the country, many of which are going paycheck to paycheck.”
A few years ago, the Joiners started promoting gigs at larger venues in Southampton, and the revenue has been their lifeline.
“If we hadn't done that, I think Joiners would have closed in 2015 or 2016.
“It's on the bread line and just when you think it's going to close without a big show in the next few weeks, something mysteriously pops up.
“And then the show goes on for another few weeks. Every day is a reversal of the situation.”
On the night they played Southampton, Oasis traveled to Bristol. Next Saturday, as a tribute to his 30th anniversary of that show, his band Oas-is will perform at the same venue.
In fact, fans can relive the original live performance on a regular basis. Oas will play in the free program seven times this year.
“We always sell out. Always,” said Fleece owner Chris Sharp. “And the bar [money] That's excellent. You'll take £5,000 or £6,000 at the bar. That's our buffer. That's what keeps us afloat. ”
When Sharp bought the long-running venue in 2010, he didn't initially intend to book a tribute band. However, he soon noticed that they were selling more tickets and fans were buying more beer than the new group.
Tour “depleted”
So it now hosts tribute bands and club nights on Fridays and Saturdays, and subsidizes tours and new artists to play on the remaining days of the week.
“It took us a long time to figure it out, but now we have a safe formula that works,” Sharp says. “We don’t struggle as much as others.”
But he is also concerned about the decline in bands passing through. “We had three tours in February,” Sharp says. “Last year there were 11 cases.
“The last week of March is full, but it will take until the end of March for things to pick up. So it feels like things start late and end early in terms of the busy season.”
The next stop on Oasis' 1994 tour was the Bass Mall down the road. However, it became the latest venue to close in December.
The cost-of-living crisis has “paralyzed” grassroots circuits, driving up costs and reducing footfall, the group said.
It may be too late for the Malls, but the venue's closing statement called on big arenas and promoters to give some of their profits back to the smaller clubs and pubs where many of the stars compete.
It's a key MVT demand, backed by members such as Hull's New Adelphi, who boasted of hosting early gigs by 11 future Glastonbury headliners, including Oasis in 1994.
Its manager, Paul Surrell, pointed to similar grassroots subsidies in football and said major live music operators would benefit if more small venues survived.
“If there are fewer grassroots venues, there will probably be fewer successful bands,” Surrell says.
“Imagine not having a grassroots soccer team and expecting the next Ronaldo to rise to the top on his own, or the next genius professor born without a school.
“Not only do we supply a lot of bands to headline Glastonbury, but we also have all these young people who become sound engineers at festivals and big arenas.
“No one starts at the top. Everyone comes through the grassroots, and we always want to support what's new and original.”
The industry is “unpredictable” right now, he says, but he hasn't noticed a drop in the number of bands wanting to play. Last year, more than 700 artists performed 250 shows at the 180-person venue.
“They may not all be great, but a lot of bands are still developing. That's why there are still bands out there. A lot of them are doing it DIY, without the help of management, labels or agents. is.”
An upcoming show will feature four new bands performed by young promoters who are also learning the industry.
“Next week we'll have a gig here with 90 people, organized by young people, and the entrance fee is £3. You won't believe it, in 2024 it's £3 to see four bands. Wow. Yeah, I encourage that. It's going to be amazing.”
One of them could be the future of rock and roll, even if the people watching it didn't realize it at the time.